A new year is a great time to start fresh. To start over and make new resolutions to make ourselves better. Many times though, our resolutions fail and we revert back to what we did before. Starting a relationship with God or continuing your relationship with Him can experience the same issues. In this study, we are going to look at how to start a fresh relationship with your Creator, whether you’ve been a Christian for a long time or not, the Bible can help us start fresh. So let’s begin.

Paul tells us something very important in his second letter to the Corinthians about a fresh start. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here.” Paul tells us that if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation. This means that the old way of living in sin and death is gone and the new way of hope and life comes when we are in Christ. We can have this “new birth” because of Christ’s resurrection, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” (1 Peter 1:3). This all sounds good, but what does it mean to be “in Christ”? To start new we must be in Christ, so let’s find out what it means to be “in Christ”.

There is one verse that clearly describes what it means to be “in Christ” and when this happens. To be in Christ means to be a part of God’s children, to be saved from the death of sin. Ephesians 1:13-14 tells us exactly when this happens and what happens. It says, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” What Paul is saying here is that we are included in Christ when we heard the truth, the gospel, and then believed. And because we believe we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit. Anyone who have the Spirit in them is in Christ (Romans 8:9-11). You can start a beautiful relationship with God if you never have, by hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ and believing in Him. The gospel is this: Jesus Christ, the one and only Son of God, came to this earth and died on a cross to bring you forgiveness of your sins. He was buried and rose again on the third day, defeating death and giving those who believe in Him hope of eternal life with Him. That’s the good news of Jesus.

For those who have been a Christian for a while, we can always strive to get closer to God. There is never a point where we can say we’re a “good enough” Christian. One thing we must keep in mind is that if we live by the Spirit, we will desire things of the Spirit, and therefore bring us closer to God (Romans 8:5). We must live by the Spirit and desire spiritual things and patiently wait for the return of our Savior.

Whether you’ve been a Christian for a long time or have never heard the good news of Christ, there’s a new beginning waiting for you. There’s a fresh start for everyone. If you’ve never received Jesus as your Savior, start today. Start right now. Go back and read the good news of Christ and believe that Jesus is alive and He lives in those who know Him. Then you will have a new beginning and a fresh start.