Identity 2

Following on from my previous post on Identity here I want to explore a little further just how important our identity in Christ is.

For much of our lives the issue of identity has been under attack, our media bombards us with images telling you that you are not good enough, not thin enough, that you need this education or that status symbol, each of these things relates directly to our identity, the words that are spoken over us, from those in authority, parents to teachers, our peers to the boss…whoever, can and often have shaped our understanding of who we are and consequently effect what we believe God says about us. Our identity has been under threat from the day we were born.

You’ve got to ask the question, why is it such an issue, why does / has the devil spent so much time trying to convince us that we are rubbish? The answer has to be that of jealousy, hatred and spite, the devil knows of the inheritance that we are given, and he can’t have it, that’s got to be why he tricked us in the first place, so he can steal our birthright. He knows the promises that God has made for us, not just in the age to come but right here right now. It is Gods intention that we walk with him in such intimacy and authority that we do the works of Jesus here and now, look at the early church, the apostles did amazing works of healing and the miraculous and Jesus himself said greater works will you do, and he means us…all of us.

When we have such issues relating to God, when we spend our time looking elsewhere than to God for our identity were being robbed, when we get into religion rather than relationship we’re being robbed, when we look for the affirmation of men rather than God we’re being robbed.

I’m becoming more and more convinced that as we learn who God says we are, and when we grasp the truth of Gods goodness we’d be an unbeatable force in the world rather than a timid, embarrassed, powerless one.

It’s not that we’re powerless, but we don’t believe otherwise, it’s not that we’re weak, but we don’t believe we’re strong, it’s not that we don’t have authority but we don’t use it.

When we know Gods goodness we can trust his word, we can lean on his understanding and not our own, intimacy with him makes all the difference and listening to him and allowing him to speak his love and identity over us changes us.

Even Jesus needed affirmation from the father (knowing the love of the father has massive repercussions, do you think this is  why earthly fathering is such an issue?)  and we too can have that same affirmation,  it’s a matter of receiving it by faith, but it’s all in the word of God

Here are a few examples of who we are in Christ,

John 15 v 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing- I am grafted into Christ

John 15 verse 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. -I am a friend of God, chosen and appointed to bear fruit and I can call on the father and he will meet my needs for the job.

Romans 8 v 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. – I am A child of God, and filled with the spirit of son-ship, I am an heir of God and co-heir with Christ, the son of a King has the very same authority as the King himself!

1 Corinthians 3 v 16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple. – We are dwelling places of the most high God, he cannot dwell in sin, we are made clean, and we have Gods protection, my Dads bigger than your dad!

2 Corinthians 3 v 18 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. – we are filled with God, and we are free, we are being transformed into Christ’s likeness from glory to glory.

Galatians 3 v 26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus – I am a son of God, no longer a sinner, if I am a son then I have a daddy who is looking out for me

Galtatians 4 v 6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

Ephesians 2 v 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus – I am seated in heavenly realms right now. and Verse 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. I am Gods workamship…

Eph 5 v 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light – I am a child of light, God is the father of lights.

I know this may all sound to good to be true, but it is true and if we can only grasp this stuff it will change us, it will change you, and perhaps we will be the sons of God that all creation groans and waits for?  (Romans 8 v 19)

Father I pray for anyone who manages to read all this, as St Paul prayed, let the eyes of the heart be enlightened, that we may know the hope to which he has called us, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints and his incomparably great power for us who believe, in Jesus name.