Have you experienced how Jesus set you free? Have you told others who have also become curious?

Have you yourself experienced people who have found new strength and hope in Jesus, forgiveness of their sins? I think that such experiences are the most beautiful there are; nothing else equals them. But what happens from now until we meet Jesus at His return and in the resurrection? What does our path into the kingdom of God look like?

If we follow Jesus, it means that we imitate Him: We learn from Him to think, be, and act right – right in the sense that created life is preserved and protected. Living according to the principles of love.

Christlikeness in character is the goal that every follower of Jesus has in mind: purity of thought and intention, joy for others and joy for oneself.

However we live, whatever we do, we always want to have Jesus at our side – indeed in our centre. Life is very different with Jesus than without Him. With Him, we pay attention to the beauty of our words, deeds, and thoughts. Living with Him changes us. We walk in His footsteps (1 John 2:6).

But this is not a demand for uniformity. We live on a globe with different cultures and preferences. As Christians, it is not a question of formally making the whole world the same. Nevertheless, certain principles apply to us all: principles of simplicity, modesty in outward appearance, cleanliness and hygiene, renouncing outward splendour in favour of inner beauty (1 Peter 3:4).

Likewise, as followers of Jesus, we are not indifferent to the state of our physical and spiritual health. With Jesus, it is difficult to feast lavishly, to get drunk or intoxicated. Addictions and dependencies are not compatible with following Jesus, who wants to set us free. They damage our body, but even more seriously, they also damage our spirit. It is through the spirit that we connect with the Holy Spirit! Love for God therefore also means that I keep my body and spirit healthy, because they are God's gift to me.

But being a Christian is not a life of renouncing the good. On the contrary, it is a life of abundance (John 10:10). When the Bible gives us concrete advice about our lifestyle, it is always about our happiness and well-being, about our preservation. But it is also about making a difference in this world and making a favourable difference

"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." (Romans 12:2)

The followers of Jesus are concerned with understanding Him better and better and being able to reflect His nature and thinking better and better. Their thinking is primarily focused on increasingly internalising God's character traits and implementing them in their own lives. 'Renewal of mind' here means that we learn to think completely differently than we would without Jesus.

God has the power to completely reshape our lives. If we get involved, we will experience that God's presence gives us completely new practical insights for our everyday lives. It is as if we look Jesus in the eye and constantly ask Him, "Dear Jesus, what should we do now?"

The chance of doing the wrong thing would be astonishingly small. This is how we enter the kingdom of God together.

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Bible texts for in-depth study:
Genesis 7:2; Exodus 20:15; Leviticus 11:1-47; Psalm 106:3; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 10:31; 2 Corinthians 6:15-7:1; 10:5; Ephesians 5:1-21; Philippians 2:4; 4:4-8; 1 Timothy 2:9-10; Titus 2:11-12; 1 Peter 3:1-4; 1 John 2:6; 3 John 2