OUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST OVERCOMES FEAR AND TAKES AWAY CONFLICT, CHAOS AND CONFUSION

We live in a world that seems to feed on Conflict, Chaos and Confusion almost everywhere we look. These things enter our lives and our world often because of FEAR. It seems like everywhere we look today there is a message and supposition that “We need to Be Afraid !” Watch out ! Covid is surging in a new variant. War is just around the corner, be it civil or nations clashing. Food is going to disappear bringing starvation to the world. Inflation is going to destroy the economy and take everything you own away. Governments are collapsing into Tyranny and Corruption. Do these things frighten you ? Do you feel upset and helpless ? Are these things ruling your thoughts and making your life seem unsettled ? The Truth Is, many of these things are Real. They swirl around us and create exactly what the above discussion points out. All these things have been around for a long time. We encounter them today, and Jesus encountered them when He was on earth as well. THE QUESTION that we must ask ourselves is will we Allow these things to RULE us and DEFINE who we are and how we think and live ? OR, is the REAL place where we find our Strength and Ability to embrace these challenges in our lives in exactly the same place we find our SALVATION, TRUTH, and HOPE: OUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST ! I would suggest that in our Identity we find that our Relationship with Jesus is exactly what delivers us from all these worldly things. So, just what does God tell us about WHO WE ARE ?

SO GOD CREATED MANKIND IN HIS OWN IMAGE, IN THE IMAGE OF GOD HE CREATED THEM; MALE AND FEMALE HE CREATED THEM. Genesis 1:27

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

I HAVE BEEN CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST AND I NO LONGER LIVE, BUT CHRIST LIVES IN ME. THE LIFE I NOW LIVE IN THE BODY, I LIVE BY FAITH IN THE SON OF GOD, WHO LOVED ME AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME. Galatians 2:20

FOR WE ARE GOD’S HANDIWORK, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS TO DO GOOD WORKS, WHICH GOD PREPARED US IN ADVANCE TO DO. Ephesians 2:10

SINCE, THEN, YOU HAVE BEEN RAISED WITH CHRIST, SET YOUR HEARTS 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. WHEN CHRIST, WHO IS YOUR LIFE APPEARS, YOU WILL ALSO APPEAR WITH HIM IN GLORY. Colossians 3: 1-4

WOW ! Soak all of that Scriptural Truth in ! God is telling us exactly “Who We Are” :) Think about it. Made in His image. A Chosen person, called to live in the LIGHT. HIS LIGHT ! Crucified with Jesus, and realizing He Lives In You. Created to do Good Works. You are a Sojourner on this earth. Your place is in Heaven, and YOU will live and Reign with Jesus when He returns. We are sons and daughters of the MOST HIGH GOD ! A Royal Priesthood. God has given us a Path and Purpose for our lives. He has a Will and Meaning for each one of us Individually. NOWHERE IN HIS WORD IS THERE AN IDENTITY OR EXISTENCE IN FEAR, CONFUSION OR CHAOS. Period ! Once we get our minds and hearts clear on this IDENTITY, fear has no place in us. Circumstances come and go, but we are not ruled by them. God shows us exactly how to look at these earthly things, and we must heed and adhere to the DISCERNMENT AND WISDOM God offers to us.

FEAR NOT, FOR I AM WITH YOU; BE NOT DISMAYED, FOR I AM YOUR GOD. I WILL STRENGTHEN YOU, I WILL HELP YOU, I WILL UPHOLD YOU WITH THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF MY RIGHT HAND. Isaiah 41:10

HAVE I NOT COMMANDED YOU ? BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS. DO NOT BE FRIGHTENED, AND DO NOT BE DISMAYED, FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD IS WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO. Joshua 1:9

DO NOT BE ANXIOUS ABOUT ANYTHING, BUT IN EVERYTHING BY PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION WITH THANKSGIVING LET YOUR REQUESTS BE KNOWN TO GOD. Philippians 4:6

PEACE I LEAVE WITH YOU, MY PEACE I GIVE TO YOU. NOT AS THE WORLD GIVES DO I GIVE TO YOU. LET NOT YOUR HEARTS BE TROUBLED, NEITHER LET THEM BE AFRAID. John 14:27

When our IDENTITY is IN CHRIST, we are STRONG ! We are strong because God is with us, in us, and beside us everywhere we go. His perfection and righteousness holds us up and supports us. There is a calmness and peace in knowing that He is with us, sees us, and hears our needs if we approach Him, talk to Him, and give Him THANKS ! Gratitude….are you Grateful for all you have ? All of it. Blessings and Joy, but also struggles and challenges. God forms us in our Journey to become who He has willed us to be. Every road isn’t easy. Every challenge is tough, and often misunderstood….But God is always with us. In His Hands we find PEACE. Not a worldly peace where everything is great and comfortable; we find an ETERNAL PEACE in knowing we are His, He has us in His Hands and Will, and in Christ WE WILL OVERCOME fear, conflict, and Confusion. HE PROMISES US WE WILL !

FOR I KNOW THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU, DECLARES THE LORD, PLANS FOR WELFARE AND NOT FOR EVIL, TO GIVE YOU A FUTURE AND A HOPE. Jeremiah 29:11

AND WE KNOW THAT FOR THOSE WHO LOVE GOD ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD, FOR THOSE WHO ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE. Romans 8:28

BUT THEY WHO WAIT FOR THE LORD SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH; THEY SHALL MOUNT UP WITH WINGS LIKE EAGLES; THEY SHALL RUN AND NOT BE WEARY; THEY SHALL WALK AND NOT FAINT. Isaiah 40:31

Do you know your identity in Christ ? It seems like it should be simple, but often it is not. It truly takes intimacy and closeness with Jesus to understand how He Sees Us Individually. It comes with effort and Maturity. God gives us our Identity in His Word, but also in the moments when we see and feel Him in our lives and hearts. We Are Unique to Him. I have spent a lot of years following Jesus, but only in the past 15 years or so have I been able to REALLY KNOW WHO I AM. Being with Him continually every day has allowed me to Love Him More, and also love myself more. In all my imperfection, past sins, bad choices, doubts, and yes, fears and anxious moments….Jesus and the Holy Spirit guided me through ALL OF IT. Most importantly, I Found My True Identity ! I am a Son of The Most High God. Saved through the Grace of His Son Jesus. A Royal Priest and Kingdom Citizen, blessed to Reign with Christ for all time. I am to be a Spiritual Father to men, showing them the path and purpose of a Kingdom Principled Life. I am a Disciple of Jesus who will boldly share the Gospel and the Grace of His Salvation. I am a remnant. set apart from the world, living only to glorify God and strive for righteousness through Christ Who lives in me. I Love God. I Love who He has made me. I am SO THANKFUL and blessed to BE HIS. Finding your Identity in Christ is a CHOICE. You find it by Desiring it Deeply in Your Heart. It defines you, not as the world would, but as Jesus does. Ahhh, the world, the world. The shiny little orb that pulls us one way and then another. Tossed by changing desires and an endless battle with Culture and lies versus God’s Truth and Love. Can you clear away all the junk that creates a giant chasm between you and God and bring yourself to a place of Face To Face Intimacy and Trust ? WILL YOU GIVE HIM YOUR HEART AND LET “HIM” TELL YOU WHO YOU ARE ? He is waiting, and His LOVE For You is ETERNAL and ENDLESS ! SEEK HIM NOW/JAA

I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH HIM WHO STRENGTHENS ME Philippians 4:13