WHO ARE YOU?

WHO ARE YOU?

It gladdens the heart of God to reveal His only begotten Son to the world. It gladdens God also to announce the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Knowing your true identity, either as a believer or an unbeliever, tells the type of authority you have over certain issues.

When Jesus in Matthew 16:13-17 wanted a feedback from His disciples about who he was.

            “…who do men say that I the Son of man am; some say that thou art John the Baptist; some Elijah…”

Jesus was not only concerned about what people will say about Him. He was also concerned with the report of Heaven about Him “…and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor… (Is. 9:6).

For you to know who you are, you must first know your identity, and your identity reveals who you are in Christ. “If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature…” (1Corin 5:17); so you are a new creature and you have authority over created things!

All the authority that was given to Christ belongs to us through Him, and we may exercise it. One aspect of His work that the Word of God tells us to do is to conquer the devil!

The sons of Sceva in Acts 19:13-16 misunderstood their identity. They have forgotten that the only identity in Christ is having authority over everything including demons. They put on the form of godliness, but deny the power thereof. Were they not sons of a Jew chief priest? Identity is not a child’s play neither games for babes but bones for the matured.

“…and the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, Paul I know, but who are ye?

If you don’t understand who you are, you will bring shame to the kingdom of God. If you don’t know your identity, you will be a prey to the devil – toast to and fro by diverse winds of doctrine.

Kenneth Hagin once wrote that the value of our authority rests on the power that is behind the authority. God Himself is the power behind our authority. In short, authority is delegated power.

Can you now see that if you don’t know who you are (either as a drama minister, music minister or whichever ministry you find yourself), you won’t know how important you are.

Your identity matters a lot to the kingdom.

David never understood who he was and what he was called to do. He thought the throne can be an opportunity to do what pleases him but not what pleases who has put him there (God). He decided to stray around. Collected wives, lands, and killed husband, ruled as he pleased but when the eyes of his understanding were enlightened, then he was able to understand that he was a man after God’s own heart. He cried out for mercy, and then his identity was restored. It is one thing to know your identity; it is another thing to know what you have been called upon to do.

True identity reveals true revelation. And true revelation reveals true calling. Your calling is your assignment. Your assignment is your future; your future is your destiny while your destiny reveals where you are coming from and the kind of authority backing you up.

The ten of the twelve spies sent out to spy the land of Canaan got to the boundary of the land and wept. They were intimidated by the stature of the inhabitants of the land. They were discouraged and then they turned and came back to Moses with a bad report.

It saddens the heart of the father to see that His chosen generations are missing it on earth having redeemed them on the cross. The ten of the twelve spies did not knew who they were, and they did not understand the nature of their assignment and the divine mandate backing them up. They knew that they were the chosen generation called out of darkness, out of the kingdom of the Egyptians into the marvellous light of their God. They focused on the numbers of their opponents; they neglected the heavenly backup and reinforcement with them.

“Yea are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

I write specifically to ministers in God’s vineyard that you arise to your calling and take not the grace of God for granted. By understanding of who you are, what you are called to do, and the divine backup you have, Delilah’s lap is not your bed to rest upon. Delilah to you can be a funfair; it can also be relaxation period, but when you indulge or try to lie on it, destruction is knocking at the door of your heart.

“...Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in there at: (Matt 7:13).

You can imagine a person carrying a coal of fire and he is also in the pool of water, will his fire not be quenched? Delilah’s lap will quench your fire!

If you were asked to identify yourself you would probably get some sort of ID from your wallet. There is bound to be something in there that describes you. A guard at your work place would want to know if you are employed by that company. That's the point of asking to see your ID – it's to determine what and who you are associated with.

Like the physical identity described by an ID card, we also have spiritual identities. They depict who we are and what we possess – our associations – in the spiritual realm. The deepest desire of a Christian is to leave the old trouble -ridden self – our old nature – behind and begin with a fresh start. That actually happened when we were saved; we are now "in Christ" and have His identity. Growing in that understanding gives each day a new meaning and purpose.

Understanding the spiritual things can be difficult, so water baptism is a marvellous ‘one act play’ demonstrating how a new believer becomes a new creation "in Christ." It recreates the death, burial and resurrection for us – describing what our spirit has experienced. When we are immersed in the water, it covers us totally – there is nothing we can do that isn't affecting the water while inside it. Christian life is much like being immersed in Jesus. He affects every part of our life. Your relationship to God is no longer based on what you do; it's based on who you are – the real you. It's time to quit trying to be pleased through your own efforts and let that new you take over.

You need to know who you are in Christ so that you can know
what to do, when to do it, where to go, and how to do it

Who I am in Christ…?

Because you are in Christ, every one of these statements is true of you.

·                     I am loved 1John 3:3

·                     I am accepted Ephesians 1:6

·                     I am a child of God John 1:12

·                     I am Jesus' friend John 15:14

·                     I am a joint heir with Jesus, sharing His inheritance with Him Romans 8:17

·                     I am united with God and one spirit with Him 1Corinthians 6:17

·                     I am a temple of God. His Spirit and his life lives in me 1 Corinthians 6:19

·                     I am a member of Christ's body. 1 Corinthians 12:27

·                     I am a Saint Ephesians 1:1

·                     I am redeemed and forgiven Colossians 1:14

·                     I am complete in Jesus Christ Colossians 2:10

·                     I am free from condemnation Romans 8:1

·                     I am a new creation because I am in Christ 2Corinthians 5:17

·                     I am chosen of God, holy and dearly loved Colossians 3:12

·                     I am established, anointed, and sealed by God 2Corinthians 1:21

·                     I do not have a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind 2Timothy 1:7

·                     I am God's co-worker 2Corinthians 6:1

·                     I am seated in heavenly places with Christ Eph 2:6

·                     I have direct access to God Ephesians 2:18

·                     I am chosen to bear fruit John 15:16

·                     I am one of God's living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual house 1 Peter 2:5

·                     I have been given exceedingly great and precious promises by God by which I share His nature 2 Peter 1:4

·                     I can always know the presence of God because He never leaves me Hebrews 13:5

·                     God works in me to help me do the things He wants me to do Philippians 2:13

·                     I can ask God for wisdom and He will give me what I need James 1:5

Simply choose to believe what God says about you.

"How can two walk together unless they agree?" Amos 3:3

Try reading the above list every day for a month, preferably out loud. The more you know who you are in Christ, the more your behaviour will reflect your true identity.

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" Romans 12:2

To live an effective Christian life you need to know and believe who you are in Christ. Understanding your identity in Christ is crucial to your success in ministry.

The best way to renew your mind and experience transformation
is by knowing, thinking and speaking who you are in Christ

Train yourself to say the same things that God says in His word. Become who you are in Christ. God wants to do more in your life than you imagine rather than sleeping carelessly on the lap of destruction.

Characteristics of a Mature Christian

Scripture:  1 Peter 4:7-11

But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore of sound mind, and be sober unto

prayer: above all things being fervent in your love among yourselves; for love covereth a

multitude of sins: using hospitality one to another without murmuring: according as each

hath received a gift, ministering it among yourselves, as good stewards of the manifold

grace of God; if any man speaketh, speaking as it were oracles of God; if any man

ministereth, ministering as of the strength which God supplieth: that in all things God may

be glorified through Jesus Christ, whose is the glory and the dominion forever and ever.

Amen. (ASV)

The apostle Peter was speaking to many homeless and suffering Christians that were scattered abroad, trying to encourage them, trying to strengthen them. These believers were suffering from various political, social and spiritual trials as they sought to live a godly lifestyle in the midst of an increasingly decadent Roman Empire. Imagine what it would be like if you were wandering around some place with your family trying to avoid persecution. You need encouragement and this encouragement comes from understanding the glorious nature of your salvation and the benefit of it.

In the verses prior to this, he has called them to holy living. He has reminded them of the importance of feeding upon the word and growing by the word. He has taught them about the importance of submission. And he reminded them of some very important attitudes that they must have in order to endure suffering and persecution.

He instructed them on these marks of spiritual maturity. And I want to share them with you today that we should measure our life against these standards.

There are 5 priorities that should characterize our lives that flow from these texts. Why not let us look at them together:

1) A continual watch for the Lord’s return

2) A consuming passion for holiness

3) A committed love for fellow Christians

4) A consecrated love for the Church

5) A contagious zeal for God’s glory

First of all, notice the importance of having a continual watch for the Lord’s return in verse 7.

He said, “The end of all things is near”. In this context, Peter was talking about the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. “It is,” he said, “at hand”, meaning that the Lord’s return is forth coming, it is impending and it is on its way. And certainly we are much closer to it today than when these words were first penned. It could happen at any time. You see, this is the profound incentive for each of us to love the Lord because the Lord is coming back.

The Lord reminds us in Luke chapter 12, beginning in verse 35 to be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those whom the master will find on the alert when he comes. But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Now, to be sure, Peter lived with a sense of divine urgency. And he was calling on the Christians to do the same, to live in the same way. He knew that the Lord’s Return is Imminent. And we know today that it is imminent. It could happen at any Time.