GOD SAYS YOUR IDENTITY IS IN HIM....WHAT DO YOU THINK ?

10/28/2019

SOMETIMES I FIND MYSELF TOTALLY BLOWN AWAY BY WHAT PEOPLE PUT THEIR TIME AND EFFORT INTO TODAY VERSUS TIME SPENT WITH GOD. I AM GUILTY OF IT MYSELF AT TIMES, BUT A WHOLE LOT LESS THAN I USED TO BE. A FEW YEARS AGO, GOD WRESTLED ME OUT OF MY COMFY CHURCH PEW AND ACTUALLY ASKED ME TO WALK WITH HIM AND GET TO KNOW HIM. EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, GOD ASKED ME TO EXPLORE MY IDENTITY IN TERMS OF HIM. “IDENTITY”, I ASKED. WELL, I AM A CHRISTIAN, I KNOW JESUS IS MY SAVIOR THANK GOODNESS, AND I GO TO CHURCH SEVERAL SUNDAYS EVERY YEAR. I’M A GOOD PERSON, I’M HONEST, I GIVE TO MY CHURCH AND CHARITIES. OVERALL I KNOW THE GOSPEL, AND IF SOMEONE ASKS ME ABOUT MY FAITH, I WILL TALK ABOUT JESUS, AND FORGIVENESS, AND SUGGEST THEY READ THE BIBLE OR A GOOD BOOK ON CHRISTIANITY. I WILL ALSO ASK THEM TO COME TO CHURCH….BECAUSE OUR PASTOR IS A GOOD SPEAKER AND HAS SOME SOLID SERMONS….. AND THE LORD SMILED AT ME AND SAID “ THOSE ARE GOOD THINGS JIM, BUT I’M ASKING YOU WHO AND WHAT YOUR IDENTITY IS IN ME ?” THE TRUTH IS I REALLY WASN’T SURE WHAT HE MEANT. “WELL LORD, I GO TO CHURCH AND TRY TO LEARN AND IMPROVE AS A PERSON, OH, AND I GAVE SOME MONEY, AND I VOLUNTEERED FOR A CHURCH PROJECT.” AND THE LORD SMILED AT ME AND SAID “THOSE ARE GOOD THINGS JIM, BUT I’M ASKING YOU WHO AND WHAT YOUR IDENTITY IS IN ME ?” I REALIZED THAT I TRULY DIDN’T KNOW, BECAUSE I NEEDED HIM TO SHOW ME WHO I WAS FROM HIS VIEWPOINT, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY WHAT PURPOSE HE HAD CREATED ME FOR INSTEAD OF THE ONE I HAD CREATED FOR MY LIFE ON MY TERMS. MY TERMS, MY WAY, MY THOUGHTS, MY WILL, MY INTELLECT….ME, MYSELF, I. “ I’M NOT SURE LORD, BUT WILL YOU SHOW ME ?” AND THE LORD SMILED AT ME AND SAID “ YES I WILL, FOR I CREATED YOU TO BE A SPECIAL PERSON IN MY KINGDOM, AND SO YOU SHALL BE.”

BUT YOU ARE A CHOSEN PEOPLE, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, GOD’S SPECIAL POSSESSION, THAT YOU MAY DECLARE PRAISES OF HIM WHO CALLED YOU OUT OF DARKNESS INTO HIS WONDERFUL LIGHT. 1 Peter 2:9

HE PREDESTINED US TO SONSHIP THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, IN ACCORDANCE WITH HIS PLEASURE AND WILL. Ephesians 1:5

SINCE, THEN, YOU HAVE BEEN RAISED WITH CHRIST, SET YOUR HEART ON THINGS ABOVE, WHERE CHRIST IS, SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD. SET YOUR MINDS ON THINGS ABOVE, NOT ON EARTHLY THINGS. FOR YOU DIED, AND YOUR LIFE IS NOW HIDDEN WITH CHRIST, IN GOD. Colossians 3: 1-3

CAN IT BE MORE CLEAR THAN WHAT GOD ACTUALLY SAYS IN HIS WORDS ABOVE? WE ARE CHOSEN, BY HIM, TO LIVE IN HIS LIGHT, NOT THE DARKNESS OF THE WORLD. WE ARE ROYAL, HOLY, AND WE ARE HIS SONS AND DAUGHTERS. OUR ATTENTION AND FOCUS IS ON HIM AND HEAVEN WHERE HE RESIDES, NOT WHERE WE CURRENTLY ARE. WE HAVE DIED TO THE WORLD AND IT’S WAYS, AND WE LIVE IN CHRIST. HE DESIRES THESE THINGS FOR US IN HIS WILL AND PLEASURE. HE IS CALLING US TO FIND OUR IDENTITY IN JESUS, AND TO YEARN FOR LIFE IN HIS KINGDOM, PURPOSED BY HIS WILL, AND BEING SET APART FOR HOLINESS AND CONSECRATION IN HIM. HE MADE US, HE HAS GIVEN US HIS CHARACTER, AND HE INVITES US TO LIVE FULLY IN THE JOY OF OBEDIENCE TO HIS SON, AS OUR LORD AND KING. ONCE YOU GIVE YOUR LIFE TO HIM, HE WILL SHOW YOU YOUR IDENTITY, AND YOU WILL FIND THE FREEDOM AND TRUTH OF HIS LOVE AND AUTHORITY !

IN HIM, WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RICHES OF GOD’S GRACE. Ephesians 1:7

“ YOU DID NOT CHOOSE ME, BUT I CHOSE YOU AND APPOINTED YOU SO THAT YOU MIGHT GO AND BEAR FRUIT-FRUIT THAT WILL LAST-AND SO THAT WHATEVER YOU ASK IN MY NAME, THE FATHER WILL GIVE YOU.” John 15:16

WHO AM I GOD ? I AM YOUR ROYAL SON, A CITIZEN OF YOUR BLESSED AND RIGHTEOUS KINGDOM. I ABIDE IN YOUR SON JESUS, WHO IS MY LORD AND SAVIOR AND KING. THROUGH HIS GRACE I AM PURPOSED TO SERVE AS A SPIRITUAL FATHER TO MEN WHO SEEK YOU, HELPING THEM TO BECOME YOURS BY DISCIPLING THEM IN YOUR WORD, CHARACTER, AND LOVE THAT THEY MIGHT ALSO ABIDE IN JESUS, AND FIND THEIR LIFE AND PURPOSE IN HIM. I AM MADE TO WALK YOUR NARROW PATH AND ENTER YOUR NARROW GATE, THAT I MAY SPEND ETERNITY IN RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU, SERVING AND WORSHIPPING YOU, AND ABIDING IN YOUR LOVE FOREVER ! HALLELUJAH !/JA

THEREFORE, IF ANYONE IS IN CHRIST, HE IS A NEW CREATION; OLD THINGS HAVE PASSED AWAY; BEHOLD, ALL THINGS HAVE BECOME NEW. 2 Corinthians 5:17