Don’t celebrate the coming of the new year, By Femi Aribisala

The people of the world are always celebrating the wrong things.

Jesus said to his disciples, “You are the salt of the earth; But if the salt has lost its taste, how can it be seasoned? Then it has no use unless it is thrown out and trampled on by humans.” (Matthew 5:13).

How do believers lose their senses? When he acts like the world. He became useless to the Kingdom of God.

Therefore, Paul advised, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by renewing your mind, so that you can prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2).

The antidote to the corruption of the world is the cross of Jesus Christ: “Through him the world has been crucified to (us), and (us) to the world.” (Galatians 6:14).

New Years Celebration

So, the world celebrates the beginning of the New Year. Do not join them. The people of the world are always celebrating the wrong things. Don’t join them. The New Year is not one of God’s holy days. Nor is it Christmas.

Those who believe in Jesus are in the world but not of the world. Unlike the people of the world, our happiness is not based on time and season. The joy of Jehovah has been fulfilled in us. (John 17:13). This joy does not depend on circumstances and conditions. It is joy that, according to Jesus, no one can take from us. (John 16:22).

Being the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, Jesus has: “He took away our sorrows and our sorrows”. (Isaiah 53:4). He gave us: “Beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for a spirit of sorrow; that (we) may be called the tree of righteousness, the seed of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:3).

Because of this, we have no one to cause us sadness anymore. We are also no longer happy in the innocence and luxury of this world. Jesus said that we should rejoice: “Names[kita]it is written in heaven”. (Luke 10:20).

Therefore, it makes no difference if we live to see the new year. A person who sees the new year is no better than a person who dies before the new year. Believers who have died have gone with God. Those who remain here with God:

“Because if we live, we live for God; and if we die, we die for God. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to God. Because Christ died and rose and lived again, to be Lord of the dead and the living .” (Romans 14:8-9).

Joy of Salvation

When we celebrate the false joys of the world with the people of the world, Satan sets us up for the sorrows of the world. The temporal joys of the world distract us from the eternal joys of salvation.

Therefore, when something “good” happens to us, it is a lie. It is designed to steal from us the joy of salvation. The same goes for when “bad” things happen. We must not allow anything to steal our joy.

The psalmist said to himself, “Why are you sad, my soul? Why is it so disturbed in my mind? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise Him, my Savior and my God.” (Psalm 42:5).

Our hope in God is a firm and secure anchor of the soul. (Hebrews 6:19). This hope: “do not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, which he has given us.” Romans 5:5).

Therefore, Paul said, “Always rejoice in the Lord. I’ll say it again, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). If we are happy because of Jehovah, we can do that. But when we rejoice in the new year, we can only do it once a year. Our joy is that we live to see the day.

This is wickedness. It is as wicked as celebrating birthdays as the world does. To celebrate birthdays is to celebrate foolishly because we are in the flesh and away from God.

However, as believers, we have learned from Jesus, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh is useless.” (John 6:63). “For we are circumcised, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and do not put faith in the flesh,” (Philippians 3:3).

The work of salvation

God said the world exists. He said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. But salvation is different, it is the greatest work of God. God didn’t just say: “Let there be salvation,” and there was salvation.

To bring salvation, God had to become a man. He must come through the womb of a woman. He sucked on a woman’s breast. He crawled on the ground and had to learn to walk and talk. They: “Increase in wisdom and character, and in favor with God and man.” (Luke 2:52).

For us, the God of all creation: “He became unknown, took the form of a servant, and came in human form. And when he appeared as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross.” (Philippians 2:7-8)

“He was beaten for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; the punishment for our peace is in him, and by his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5).

All this shows that our salvation must be superlative and extraordinary. As it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and it has never entered the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love him.’ But God has revealed it to us through His Spirit. Because the Spirit teaches all things, that is, the deep things of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).

thank you

So, it no longer matters that the world is a place of death and destruction. The Bible says, “In everything give thanks; for that is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Rejoice because Jesus has overcome the world. (John 16:33). He has made the world irrelevant to his ultimate eternal plan. God has: “Deliver us from the power of darkness and deliver us to the Kingdom of the Son of love.” (Colossians 1:13).

Although we are still in the world, spiritually we are now seated with Christ at the right hand of God: “far above all principalities, powers, authorities and authorities, and every name that is called, not only in this age, but also in the age to come . that will come.” (Ephesians 1:21).

Requiem

God sent me to pray for someone dying of cancer. I thought He intended to heal people, but He said people should rejoice because He called people home to Himself.

The man was required: “Enter the gate (of God) with thanksgiving, and go into his court with praise: give thanks to him, and praise his name.” (Psalm 100:4).

Faribisala@yahoo.com; www.femiaribisala.com