ARTICLE: SAFEGUARD "THE NEW YOU" IN 
JESUS CHRIST

2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ Jesus, the new creation has come. The old has gone and the new has come". (NIV)

It takes a while of walking on the journey with Jesus for a new believer to begin to understand what it means to "be a Christian". As you and Jesus establish a loving and trusting relationship, you start to think like He does and you "get it" when He tells you He only speaks what His Father in Heaven speaks. You find yourself changing, not only in the way you think, but you have "access to fellowshipping with Father God through Jesus Christ" and you begin to experience how much He loves YOU! The more you and I study God's "Love Letter" to His Children, who have accepted His Son Jesus Christ as their Savior, The Holy Spirit begins to open our eyes to divine revelations and understanding-- The Word of God becomes alive and active as we apply and embrace this TRUTH (God's Promises, principles and loving examples (testimonies) of other Saints and Martyrs who have gone before you and I) and this is when there the real and glorious journey with Christ begins.

Isaiah 55:11 "So shall my word be that goes out of my mouth: it shall not return to Me void, but it will accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing thereto I sent it".

The greatest witness we could ever be to others is to be real with others; and this requires us to know the real us-- and as Christians we must know what it means to be a blood-bought "new creation in Christ". Being a Christian is your "new identity" when you gave your life to Jesus; and Father God is busy forming you and I into the image of Christ everyday. We live In a world of fakery, self-righteousness, pride, narcissistic personalities ("lovers of self"). The Bible warns us that "Because of increase in wickedness, the love of some will wax cold" (Matthew 24:12.). Look around and you and I can already see evidence of this happening in many lives who don't know Jesus. However, I believe the days are FASTLY approaching when the unbeliever will begin to recognize that there is something different about these "peculiar people called Christians". Our love for one another will be a "stand out" in a world where wickedness and "love waxed cold" permeates society. John 13:35 says "By this everyone will know you are my disciples, if you love one another".

It doesn't take a genius to see that as wickedness is increasing in this world, some folks are turning cold in their disposition and they possess a hardened heart. These individuals have not accepted Jesus Christ and the evidence in their character traits and the results of their actions are actually listed in 2 Timothy 3:2 below:

2 Timothy 3:2 says "People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy".

My beloved, "for such were some of us before we made Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior". We must not be persuaded by their "cold shoulder attitudes", or intimidated by their unlovable disposition, but rather, we must remain Christlike" with the evidence of The Fruit of The Spirit. We need to reach these souls with "the truth that sets the captives free". (John 8:32)

Romans 12:2 tells us "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing and perfect Will is".

I see so many Christians who are easily influenced by the "bad company they keep" and instead of being a godly example to their unsaved friends, colleagues and associates, they take on some of these individuals "worldly traits and habits". (1 Corinthians 15:33 warns the Saints --"Don't be misled: Bad company corrupts good character")

In conclusion, I leave you with the following Scripture:

Ephesians 2:10 "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared for us in advance to do".

Instead of allowing the lack of godly standards in American society (or wherever you may live) to negatively influence you, remember the aforementioned scripture (Ephesians 2:10). God Himself has created us and He has a plan (assignments or missions) for us to do-- to be Ambassadors of Christ and not "Another Judas Kiss waiting to happen"!

RISE UP! GO FORTH IN THE BOLDNESS, STRENGTH AND COURAGE OF THE LORD! INSTEAD OF BEING "INFLUENCED BY THE WORLD, BE A GODLY INFLUENCE TO EVERYONE AROUND YOU-- ALL FOR THE GLORY OF GOD AND FULFILLING THE "GOOD WORKS HE HAS PREPARED FOR US TO DO IN ADVANCE".

May Father God bless you abundantly in Jesus Christ! Much love to you all my beloved

05-25-16 J.