Citrusdal | Clanwilliam | Graafwater | Kompas Gemeente Vredendal | Somerset-Wes

How not to loose your Identity in Christ

We fail in life when we forget who we are in Christ. We forget who we really are, and because of our mistaken identity we fall into sin and error. This is actually the root of the word sin, mistaken identity. The Greek word for sin is “hamartia” which literally means “to miss the mark”. When you look up the word mark in any dictionary it has the following meaning: identity, blueprint, to make you mark, signature, consciousness.
Jesus had no sin, why? He knew who He was, and He never forgot or gave up who He was. Even when he was still a young boy he explained to His earthly parents why he remained behind in the temple; “do you not know that I’m busy with My Father’s business.” (luk 2:49) This is such in contrast with most of our teenagers today, who suffer an identity crisis, and conform so easily to the images of the world. Jesus’ struggle was never to understand or believe who he was, it was getting people to believe who He was. (John 6:28-29; Mat 16:15)
We are sons and co-heirs with Christ, a holy priesthood, seated in heavenly places, more than conquerors, set apart, sanctified, justified, righteous, well accepted and loved by God our Father. We have great boldness through the Spirit working it in us, to call the Creator of the universe “Dad”!
And raised us up together, and MADE US SIT TOGETHER IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST JESUS (Ephesians 2:6)
To the praise of the glory of His grace, by WHICH HE HAS MADE US ACCEPTED IN THE BELOVED. (Ephesians 1:6)
I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:1) Yet in all these THINGS WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH HIM who loved us. (Romans 8:3)
IN HIM ALSO We Have Obtained An Inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, (Ephesians 1:11)
But now IN CHRIST JESUS YOU WHO ONCE WERE FAR OFF HAVE BEEN BROUGHT NEAR by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:13)
Nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:39)
Now thanks be to God who ALWAYS LEADS US IN TRIUMPH IN CHRIST, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. (2 Corinthians 2:14)
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)
For YOU ARE ALL SONS OF GOD THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS.(Galatians 3:26)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has BLESSED US WITH EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST, (Ephesians 1:3)
For we are His workmanship, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS FOR GOOD WORKS, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)
The curse of work, is not work itself. “In toil you shall eat of it” & “in the sweat of your face you shall eat your bread” Gen 3:17-18. God gave Adam & Eve work to do before they sinned. “Subdue the earth, multiply and be fruitful” Gen 1:28 Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. Gen 2:15 and later to give all the animals their names. Gen 2:19. We say “rest in peace” when someone has died, because we think there is no one working in heaven. Working and being productive is enjoyable. Many people when they retire, work harder than ever, now having time for their passions. Work is not a curse, loosing your identity, and continue work without purpose is the curse. Adam & Eve did not realize they were already made in God’s image. They did not have to eat of the fruit to be like God. Gen 3:5-6 But to satisfy their immediate fleshly needs, they missed their purpose and identity. The root of sin – missing the mark, mistaken identity. Esau selling his birthright. Gen 25:32; Heb 12:16
We recognize our true identity when we discover and see Jesus face to face. When one turns to Him, the veil is removed. 2 Cor 3:14. As we continue to look at Him, we are changed and restored to our true identity. 2 Cor 3:18 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. Heb 12:1 our lives are hidden in Him Col 3:2 because we were made, destined, fore-ordained to be like Jesus. Rom 8:29.
Reasons why we loose our Identity in Him.
1) False beliefs. We have not heard the truth. We believe the lies of what we have been told and experienced over years. Know the truth Joh 8:32
2) Why do we forget so easily who we are? But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:22-25) The word must become flesh in our lives.
3) We do not know how to feed our Spirit, Soul and flesh. Luk 12:16-31 The man did not know what his soul required. Like feeding your wood table some marmight. Jesus offered spiritual water to the women at the well. Joh 4. He knew how to feed himself in the Word, when satan tried to test Him with bread. Mat 4:4
Our body: Food, sleep, exercise,
Our soul: Connections, growth in learning something new, accomplishing and being fruitful to help someone.
Spirit: Encounters with the Word & Spirit, winning souls, hearing God’s voice.