"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he/she is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come."

2 Corinthians 5:17

STOP! Read that again.

Now, this is what it means:

If you have followed Jesus into the places His teaching and the Apostles teachings are leading you, you aren't what you used to be nor what anyone else thought you were. This means you may not be what you think you are now. Because you may not have internalized what is true about you. You are NEW.

Stop second guessing truth.

Stop second guessing your heart.

YOU MAY HAVE HABITS AND YOU MAY HAVE DESIRES THAT YOU ARE TEMPTED TO GIVE IN TO.

YOU MAY EVEN FIND YOURSELF GIVING IN TO THEM.

BUT THAT IS NOT THE NEW CREATION.

YOUR PAST IS NO LONGER CONDEMNING.

YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF IN SIN. JESUS WILL BE THERE TO LEAD YOU OUT AND HE WILL BE COVERING THE SIN YOU ARE WALLOWING IN.

THAT IS THE "FLESH."

You have been created with a new heart that desires the very things God desires.

You may have a hard time discerning those things but the more you abide in God, the more clarity will be in your discernment and the more Christlike you will become.

Stop! Trying to measure up. Just walk with and abide in Christ and He is covering anything you aren't getting right yet.

But this is true ONLY if you are in Christ.

You're church affiliation doesn't put you in Christ.

Your doctrine doesn't put you in Christ.

Your parents can't put you in Christ.

Your attendance don't cover you.

Your works and volunteering do not cover you.

Only you placing your trust in Jesus with the willingness to follow Him trusting that everything He has done and does in your life as you follow is enough is the way to be in Christ.

Live new. Live in gratitude. Live in grace. Bring someone to experience Jesus through faith.