A Brand New Identity

Before Christ, our natural man had no comprehension of the meaning of spiritual things (1 Corinthians 2:14). Believers were foreign to us, and we made fun of them. Before we surrendered our life to Jesus Christ, our human nature controlled us. We were slaves to sin and death. When we came to Christ, He gave us victory over Satan and destruction (Romans 6:2-6). Now God’s love always surrounds us, fills us and lifts us.

Our former self died in Christ and we are now hidden in Christ with God (Colossians 3:3). Although we still live on this earth, it has no more power over us. We are justified, as if we had never sinned, and God’s Spirit is sanctifying us from one stage of glory to the next (2 Corinthians 3:18). We live by the faith of Christ, who loves us and gave Himself over to a cruel death for our sake (Galatians 2:20).

This free gift is not the result of our goodness or any works, which we perform (Ephesians 2:8-9). It comes from Jesus, through whom we are crucified to the world and the world to us (Galatians 6:14). The world and the lusts of it have no power over or attraction for us anymore. The nature to sin is replaced by the divine nature of Christ (Ephesians 2:1-3; 2 Peter 1:4). We live in the Spirit now, rather than in the flesh (Romans 8:8-9).

As a new creation, our life is transformed from sin and deprivation to righteousness, peace and joy through the Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 14:17). We rest in God’s love and stand firm in His power, devoting our self to His Kingdom (1 Corinthians 15:58). God’s Spirit provides us with God’s divine power to live a Godly life, and He accomplishes God’s victorious life through us (2 Peter 1:3; Ephesians 2:10).

Prayer:

Father God, knowing that Christ crucified our flesh on Calvary’s cross allows us to choose to live in holiness rather than in disobedience to You. Once we are Born Again, we only sin when we fail to acknowledge You and seek Your plans for our day (Proverbs 3:5-6). Thank You for directing our feet on the paths of life and for protecting, guarding, directing and loving us with Your amazing grace and love.

Thought for the Day:
When we choose to sin, we act out of character with our new nature and new identity in Christ.

A New Identity

As we trust in Christ, He becomes more and more at home in our heart (Ephesians 3:17). We gain abundant life through Christ in us. He gives us complete freedom from sin and free access to His throne (Hebrews 4:16). We rejoice in Christ who is our hope (Romans 5:17). We place our complete trust in God’s faithfulness as we live for His glory. His Spirit transforms us into the perfected image of Christ (Galatians 4:19). We no longer view our self as a defeated sinner, but as a child of the King.

Those who are living in Christ, share in His identity. We are:

A holy temple (Ephesians 2:22)
A new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Abundantly joyful (Philippians 1:26)
Accessed to His wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3)
Blessed spiritually (Ephesians 1:3)
Chosen (Ephesians 1:11)
Complete in Christ (Colossians 1:17, 2:10)
Dead, and our life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3)
Enduring no more condemnation (Romans 8:1)
Enjoying the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:30)
Enjoying faith, hope, and love (1Timothy 1:1, 14)
Forgiven (Ephesians 1:7)
Free and confident in God’s presence (Ephesians 3:12)
Full of the triune God within us (Colossians 2:9-10)
Fully mature in Christ (Colossians 1:28)
Gaining excellence and assurance (1 Timothy 3:13)
God’s children (Galatians 3:26)
Guaranteed showers of God’s love (Romans 8:39)
Holy and faithful (Colossians 1:2)
Hopeful of living in glory (Colossians 1:27)
Hopeful of resurrection from the dead (1 Thessalonians 4:16)
House the Light of the world within us (Ephesians 5:8)
Lack no good thing (Philippians 4:19)
Living as a praise for God’s glory (Ephesians 1:12)
Living stones (1 Peter 2:5)
Near to God (Ephesians 2:13)
Promised life (2 Timothy 1:1)
Reaping what we sow (1 Corinthians 15:58)
Recipients of God’s grace  (Ephesians 2:7)
Rooted and built up (Colossians 2:7)
Seated in heavenly realms with Christ (Ephesians 2:6)
Living in spiritual reality (Colossians 2:17)
Thankful in any circumstance (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
The body of Christ (Romans 12:5)

Prayer,
Father God, as You replace our identity as a sinner with the identity, which You give us in Christ, we live successfully because our Victory is in the person of Jesus Christ who dwells within us. We are no longer separated from You, but one with You, because Christ lives in us by Your Spirit. We are more than conquerors because You love us (Romans 8:31-39). We give you the praise, honor and glory due Your name.

Thought for the Day:

We are complete in Christ who lives, and moves and has His being within us. - Colossians 2:10

 

 

Fully Human, Full Divine

The human nature of Christ is not overcome by His divine nature (called Eutychianism), nor are the two natures merged into a new single nature (called Monophysitism). His two separate, tangible natures work together as the whole person of Jesus Christ (called Hypostatic Union).

The Holy Spirit gave Jesus life in His mortal body. The Son is the exact representation of God’s glory (Hebrews 1:3; John 17:5). As a man, Jesus grew in wisdom and stature (Luke 2:52); yet, as God, He knew all things (John 21:17). 

Though He was perfectly God, He also learned obedience through the things, which He suffered (Hebrews 5:8). As Christians, we limit our ability to further the Kingdom of God in the earth when we fail to fully realize the divine nature of Christ in us.

We are still fully human, but Christ in us is fully divine (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:3). Therefore, Christ in us has the same supernatural ability that Christ had when He lived on the earth.

Jesus said that we would do greater things than He did. This occurs, not because we are better than He is; but because He, in His divine nature, dwells within us (John 14:12). God gives us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that we may better know and obey Him (Ephesians 1:17).

When we come to the point of exasperation and hopelessness of ever accomplishing anything by our self-efforts, when we finally realize that life is beyond the realm of our control, then we enter a life of full surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

This surrendered life yields to the will of God. The surrendered life seeks and accomplishes only the will of God in and through his/her life, knowing that God always provides all of our needs according to His glorious riches (Philippians 4:19; Matthew 6:33).

This submitted life experiences freedom in the divinity of Christ within us, which knows no natural limits. Jesus is the Word. He is God and He was with God before He was born in human flesh (John 1:1,14). 

Enoch walked in intimate union with God. One day, God took Him home to Heaven, and Enoch disappeared from the earth (Genesis 5:24). If he can do it, we can too!

Prayer:

Father God, there is no true freedom from the cares of this world without the total surrender of our life to the pursuit of a deeper walk with You. When we do, we enter a place of quietness of spirit that lifts us up above the plane of mortality, even though we continue to live in this world.

We realize that Christ lives within us and He wants to use our body, soul and spirit to fulfill Your purpose in the earth. He lives His life through our body. He meets our quotas, makes the sales, motivates our employees, plans our meals, does our laundry and cares for our children through us. Remind us to decrease so that Christ may increase within us (John 3:30).

Thought for the Day:

We put on a new identity, fashioned to be like God in pure morality and Godliness. - Ephesians 4:24