This is the seventh article in the “New Life” series written to address the needs of those seeking or those new to their faith in Jesus. This series may also be helpful to anyone who suspects that something is missing from their faith walk.

Now that you have a new life in Jesus and are a citizen of Heaven, it is time to throw out your worldly lifestyle.  It is time to learn God’s values and priorities, for God is now our Father as well as our King. For example, the world, under Satan’s influence, teaches us to be selfish, but God teaches us to be as considerate of others as we are of ourselves. We are to focus on others’ welfare and dignity more than our own. The world teaches us to put our pleasures and addictions first, but God teaches us to put Him first. If we do so, God will see to our needs.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6:33).

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2).

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20).

God tells us in the Bible what He expects of us.  God, the Creator, determines what is right and good. Jesus tells us that He is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus is our perfect example of how to live a life pleasing to His Father because He always follows His Father’s commands. Jesus shows that we can be all that God created us to be.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).

“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11).

 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you (John 13:14-15).

Sadly, Satan works to confuse and mislead us. Satan wants to thwart God’s plan of establishing His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven. When he tempted Jesus in the wilderness, Satan quoted Scripture but distorted either the wording or the interpretation. When Jesus responded, He quoted from the Bible correctly. You can read about this in Mathew 4:1-11.  Some people today distort Scripture for their own purposes, or perhaps they are just confused or misinformed. Still, they claim to have the answers and entice us to listen.  There are many false teachings and false prophecies today, so be sure to ask the Holy Spirit to help you discern what is from God and what is not.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world (1 John 4:1).

 “If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you (John 14:15-17).

We can start by weaning ourselves off worldly pursuits and influences and focusing our attention on time spent with Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.  We can search the Bible and ask the Holy Spirit to direct us to helpful passages and to give us a clear understanding.  If we have submitted ourselves to Jesus, then we submit ourselves to His perspective of good and evil.  If we read through the Bible, we will begin to see the patterns of what God deems as good or evil.

But test everything; hold fast what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.. (Colossians 2:8).

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him (James 1:5).

But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil (Hebrews 5:14).

How can we be sure that we are following God’s will?  First, we can read and study the Bible with the help of the Holy Spirit.  Second, we can spend time in prayer and sitting at the feet of Jesus.  Third, we can pray for discernment.  We can be like bank tellers who are taught to know every detail about authentic money.  They know so much about authentic money that they can easily spot counterfeits.  If we get to know Father, Jesus, and the Bible very well, we will easily detect false teaching and the enemy’s lies.

If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain (1 Timothy 6:3-5).

Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the Lord are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them (Hosea 14:9).

As we grow in maturity and discernment, we will be able to detect and throw out the lies of the enemy. We can embrace all that our Father wants to share with us. We can become all that He intended for us to be. We will know the truth and the truth will set us free.

 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32).