God has really been impressing upon me for the last few months to just be real. To live out my faith that for so many years I have claimed to have. There was a time in my life where I wasn't living out what I proclaimed. Now I feel like there is nothing else that I can do but simply live my faith out for real. He is leading me into a deeper relationship with Him and I simply have to change. I can't be the person I used to be because through knowing God come transformation. There are verses all over the bible that claim we receive this "New Life in Christ." We are transformed when we meet Him and decide to give our lives over to Him. Well the new life we receive is something that we must live out. Daily coming to grips with who we are in our human nature and surrendering that to God. Coming to Him and asking Him to mold and shape us into His perfect image. It is something we cannot do on our own. 1 John 2:4 "If someone claims, "I know God," but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. God really opened up my eyes to what this verse means. He revealed to me that there is a difference between knowing ABOUT God and TRULY KNOWING GOD. When we know about God our lives aren't really changed. It seems all the knowledge is in our heads but we do absolutely nothing with it. Sure we may apply some of it but in all actuality, we probably only apply the parts that are easy and doesn't cause us to step out of our comfort zone. To truly Know God means that every aspect of our lives is changed. We are surrendered to Him seeking Him and His will above our own wants and desires. To Know God is to Love God, to love God is to Obey God. This simply means that no matter what, we will diligently seek to obey Him in all areas of our life. Our lives will change when we meet God. There is absolutely no way that we can experience the power of God, encounter His awesome presence and walk away unchanged. As Christ Followers God has placed us here to live according to His word. To serve Him in all we do. To love others as He loves us. This verse describes that when we claim to be a Christ Follower and claim to KNOW GOD, and we don't obey Him we aren't in anyway living according to His will. We aren't in any way in relationship with Him. To live in the truth means to live in obedience to Him. To seek daily to be changed and living in fellowship with Him.

I challenge you this week to simply take a look at your life. How are you living according to the truth and how do you need to start living in the truth. Do you truly know God or do you simply know about Him. Do you invite Him into all your daily activities and submit yourself to Him asking Him how you can join Him in what He is doing? Or do you simply only come to Him when you need something and no other times. Only you know if you are living in complete honesty with God. He desires to know you on an intimate level. He wants to change you, and use you to reveal His Glory and His love to the world. He wants us all to Know Him and to be changed by Him. To live in the honest and amazing truth of the word!