The “Christian life,” as it is sometimes called, is not what most people think it is! Too many have been taught that the life of a Christian is a life of DOING certain things and of NOT DOING other things … mostly the latter. By that standard, you can tell who is a “good Christian” by whether they go to church, read the Bible, serve other people, etc. Sounds right, doesn’t it? So many people try to follow Jesus by being good, even declaring that they believe He died for their sins so they can go to heaven … but something is missing. Doing some good things seems to bring them happiness for a while, and others around them tell them how happy they are to see the “change” in their lives, but it’s all outward and before long they slip back into the old patterns of living and “give up” on Christianity. Can this really be the “abundant life” Jesus promised His disciples??? NO!! What is missing is the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit!! Jesus came to give His disciples NEW LIFE by sending His Spirit to live within them! This new life is characterized by a new desire to please our Father in heaven, by a new power to overcome the old nature of sin and by a new assurance that I am a child of God because HE says I am! Only those who are born again by the Spirit will persevere through life’s struggles and bear fruit for Christ’s kingdom.