Our True Identity

Morning Bible Studies are held every Wednesday morning @ 11:00 am ET. Those studies will be posted her for those that missed the live study.
Post Reply
jessi2015
Member
Member
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 1:14 pm

Our True Identity

Post by jessi2015 » Wed Feb 28, 2018 4:57 pm

Our True Identity
Charles Stanley
In Touch Daily Devotional (free).

Ephesians 1:3-10 Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to Sonship[c] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he[d] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

When I hear a Believer say, “I’m just a sinner,” I feel like responding, “That’s what you used to be.” A lot of folks cling to a view of themselves as a patched up, slightly better than before version of their old selves. The Word of God contradicts that opinion:
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away, behold, new things have come” (2 Cor 5:17).
In fact, according to Scripture, we are dramatically different once we are complete in the Lord. The question is, will Christians trust in what they feel, or will they believe what God says about them? His word calls us:
Saints (Romans 1:7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. (NIV)
Disciples John 13:34-35 (NIV) 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Fellow heirs with Christ Romans 8:17 (NIV) 17 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.

If your opinion is that you are “just a sinner” then you cannot fully experience and enjoy your identity as a follower of Christ. Believing what the Lord says about our new self is a choice. The enemy certainly schemes to convince believers that Scripture does not apply to them. He knows that people held captive
by spiritual poverty back away from opportunities to share the gospel and serve in God’s kingdom.

It’s much easier to spiritually bankrupt someone who already thinks of himself as “just a sinner” than it is to conquer a disciple who knows he is a child of the loving Heavenly Father.

What does being a disciple of Jesus mean to you? One word to describe?

Definition of disciple. 1 : one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another: such as Christianity

Our true identity is defined not by our past actions but by the Savior’s past action on the Cross. Jesus purchased our lives with His blood and brought us into relationship with the Father who adopted us as His beloved children. We have every reason to hold our heads high, stand firm, and courageously proclaim the Gospel.

To be poor in spirit is to acknowledge honestly and with understanding our spiritual poverty—indeed our spiritual bankruptcy—before God. We are sinners and on the strength of our lives deserve nothing but God's judgment. We have nothing to offer, nothing to plead, nothing with which to buy His favor. But upon profession of our faith coupled with repentance, He allows by His grace the blood of Jesus Christ, shed for the sins of the world, to cover our sins, justifying us and providing us with access into His presence.

User avatar
Sunsets
Member
Member
Posts: 15
Joined: Thu Oct 19, 2017 7:03 pm
Location: Mississippi
Contact:

Re: Our True Identity

Post by Sunsets » Mon Mar 05, 2018 6:19 pm

Amen! Praise the Lord! :pry

Thank you Sunsets.
"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

jessi2015
Member
Member
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 1:14 pm

Re: Our True Identity

Post by jessi2015 » Wed Mar 14, 2018 3:23 pm

Thank you Sunsets.

Post Reply