There was a man in Russia giving a speech

There was a man in Russia giving a speech espousing the greatness of communism. He said, “Communism can put a new suit on every man here.”  A Christian standing by listening to the man give his speech got up after him and said, “Communism may be able to put a new suit on every man here, but Jesus Christ can put a new man in that old suit.” This is the beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ, it will make you new from the inside out. Religion can put forth the effort to change the outside of a man and in doing so it may cause some change. The Gospel goes to the very core of man’s existence and changes his heart. There’s a chorus that I remember singing as a young man, “Jesus on the inside, working on the outside, oh what a joy in my life.”  Jesus Christ can truly put a new man in that old old suit. As we get ready to celebrate a New Year filled with New Year’s resolutions let’s not forget the One who promised, “Behold, I make all things new.”

It would be glorious if the cross of Christ simply forgave us of our past sins, but the beauty is he makes us new. Jesus did not come to make bad men better, but he came to make dead men alive. Most New Year’s resolutions are gone before the end of the month of January, but relationship with the Lord through Jesus Christ is everlasting. He said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” The Bible says, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”  Learning this truth helps us to recognize that it’s not what we do for God that matters, but what He does through us that matters. By giving us a new heart, He is giving us a new way of living. As we start a new year, we can remember this great promise from the Lord, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”