But according to a 2007 study by Richard Wiseman from the University of Bristol involving 3,000 people, 88% of those who set New Year's Resolutions fail. That leaves only 12% who succeed, and that’s not good. Are we stuck with these poor results, or is there a better way to improve our lives? Yes there is. I call them “New Week’s Resolutions.”

But in this large terrarium of Planet Earth we have a serious problem. As happens once in a while in a few of my terrariums, a foolish life form now insists on doing well for itself by primarily doing harm to others, taking what they want from others while refusing to give back anything of benefit to those who make it possible for them to thrive. These fools are rebelling against the purpose for which God created them. They are nasties. Of course, I am speaking of people, and God calls all their foolishness, “sin.”

There are two major errors that plague the Christian faith. They are Legalism and Lawlessness. Both distort the truth concerning salvation by grace.

Legalism is when people mistakenly think they have to be “good enough” in order to be saved, or to maintain their salvation. Legalists try to put God in their debt by keeping His laws. They are saying in their hearts, “Okay God, I obeyed you, so now you have to reward me.” Legalism leads to self-righteousness (if you are good at it), but it leads to discouragement when you are not. It dishonors Christ by failing to rest in the sufficiency of what He has done for us.