January, the time that around 40 percent of Americans have made resolutions for the new year. According to a study by the University of Scranton only 8% of people achieve their resolutions in a typical year. So are resolutions a good thing? Or another question, are resolutions in the Bible?

You’ll have to make your own decision on whether resolutions are a good thing. However there is no question that there are resolutions in the Bible.

One of the earliest comes in Genesis. Adam and Eve have given in to Satan’s temptation. God makes a resolution to counter the evil he has done. It’s the first resolution God makes about providing a Savior. He speaks to Satan:

“I will make you and the woman hostile toward each other. I will make your descendants and her descendant hostile toward each other. He will crush your head, and you will bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15 GW)

The resolution came with a revolution when our Lord Jesus came, lived among us, then died for us. The crowning moment was his resurrection, death was defeated, and salvation firmly established for the whosoever.

Moses was dead. So it fell to Joshua to lead the people of Israel into the promised land. Joshua 24 tells us of his recounting the people’s history and great deliverance from Egypt. They lived in cultures where there were numerous gods, and God demanded that they serve only one God. They said they would, and Joshua challenged them.
“19 But Joshua answered the people, ‘Since the LORD is a holy God, you can’t possibly serve him. He is a God who does not tolerate rivals. He will not forgive your rebellious acts and sins. 20 If you abandon the LORD and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you. He will destroy you, although he has been so good to you.’ ”
It was then that the Israelites responded with a resolution: “21 ‘The people answered Joshua, “No! We will only serve the LORD!’ ” A revolutionary commitment in a time when most peoples served multiple gods. A great change from the thought that the gods required them to do some drastic things to please them.
But the biggest resolution lead to the ultimate revolution. God decided to send His Son to defeat sin and Satan. He did it through Mary birthing Jesus Christ. It was through ordinary people; in a humble setting. Jesus grew and experienced life just like any other child. The only difference, he never sinned. He continually told his disciples that he would go to Jerusalem and die at the hands of evil men. They didn’t want to believe it. In fact, at one point scripture tells us that “The time was coming closer for Jesus to be taken to heaven. So he was determined to go to Jerusalem.”(Mark 9:51 Gods Word.) Other translations tell us that as Jesus faced Jerusalem he was intent, steadfast. and resolutely determined to do His fathers will. One translation said he “proceeded with fixed purpose.” However you say it, it boils down to resolution. We know he went and died for our sins, to heal our hurts, our wrongs, our divisions. And the revolution began when he rose from the dead. If death can’t stop a person, what can? While Satan may have smugly thought that he eliminated the threat, he really released his own demise. And the revolution goes on. It goes on in the lives of those who resolve to allow Christ to impact their lives, and then in turn positively impact others.
Sounds to me like a good resolution. What do you think?