A New Creation

Hey everybody, thanks for visiting my blog!

For starters, my name is Jaden, and I'm a 22 year old guy living in Northern Minnesota. I come from a large family (I'm the oldest of 12 kids to be exact), and have had many experiences throughout my growing up.

I've started this blog as a way for me to express various thoughts that I may have throughout the day, based on both experience from the past and learning in the present.

But honestly, the intention of my writing is going to be a lot more than just sharing random thoughts or stories as they come up. The intention of this blog is not just to write, but to document a journey along the way.

Now what do I mean by the word "journey"? It can refer to a lot of things, whether it's traveling to another country, or going through an entire recipe book (See the movie "Julie & Julia").

In this case, I am referring to the journey of being a New Creation.......but maybe I should back up a bit.

Like I said, I grew up in a large family, and a Christian one at that. I was taught fundamental aspects of the Christian faith such as:

• The Bible is the ultimate source of truth because it is the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16)
• Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven (John 14:6)
• Heaven cannot be attained through good works (2 Timothy 1:8-10)
• Being a Christian means that you are repentant of your sin and show the presence of God in your life (Romans 12)

However, despite all of this, there was one HUGE problem: I wasn't a Christian myself.

Oh, I believed all of the things I had been taught. I could get into a discussion with just about anyone about our need for a Savior, or the reliability of the Bible. The problem was that it was all "head knowledge" and not truly from the heart.

In fact, I became so good at blending in, that even if you knew me really well, I could hide my daily rejection of Christ by being a "good" person on the outside.

But, during all of this time, I knew deep inside that I wasn't saved. I was daily turning my back on God, and showed none of the genuine repentance that a true believer would show.

Until July 26th, 2014 at 11:21 P.M.

I was reading my Bible and trying to figure out things such as:

• Understanding how salvation works (Ephesians 1)
• Trying to find out how and why God would ever choose to save me (John 15:15-16)

• Trying to comprehend God's infinite LOVE for me (John 3:16) while understanding His infinite HATE for sin (Romans 1:18)

All of that came to a culmination when God touched my heart and brought me to the realization that I am a sinner, and that everytime I sinned it was a direct slap in the face of Him....my own Creator.

And, at that moment, I felt the peace of God (Philippians 4) come into my life...and my life hasn't been the same since.

I am now a New Creation in Christ...and I hope to share some of the things that I learn as God begins work on "The Anderson Project".


2 Corinthians 5:16-21 

Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. he made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.