The Identity Crisis

One of the greatest challenges I have come to discover is that "day-to-day" awareness of who I am.

No, I'm not talking about my name, or where I live or who my family is...at least not in the sense of the matters of this world.  I am referring to my identity in Christ.

Galatians 2:20  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.

What does it mean to "no longer live; having Christ live in me"?  I used to think I understood this but I believe the Father is revealing more and more, some truths about abiding in Christ, and He abiding in me.

In the past, I used to "qualify" myself based on what I did or didn't do.  If I did good, I felt good and therefore felt as though I had qualified for God's grace and goodness in my life. If I basically did good and treated people right, I was being obedient to God by acting properly and therefore showing others the love of Christ through my good deeds.

 And on those days where I didn't do good, I either felt as though I was disqualified for God's blessings or at least that I had failed God and could expect His disappointment in me.

I discovered that this is just another form of "religion" but God is a God of Righteousness and He desires for us to have relationship with Him.  He is not interested in us measuring ourselves on our good deeds or righteous living.  He gave us the Law of Moses to show us that we cannot live holy. 

So, what does it mean to "live in Christ"?  I believe one way is to acknowledge that God sent Jesus into the earth not to condemn us but to show us the love the Father has for us.

Jesus said in John 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit".

Verse 9 says, "  “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.  How did the Father feel about Jesus?  Matthew 3:17 "A voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased"

This is what Jesus says about you and I.  We are His beloved in whom He is well pleased.  And as we abide in Him...as we identify our right standing with the Father by faith in Christ...by believing that He paid the price for our iniquties; for our shortcomings; for our sins...as we see ourselves victorious in Him, we can face the day with a confidence that we are loved by God the Father because we believe in Christ as our Lord; the Precious Lamb Who was slain for our sin. 

We can see ourselves as righteous (in right standing with the God of the Universe) not because of what we do or don't do but because of what He (Jesus) did for us. 

This was represented in the Gospels right after John the Baptist baptized Jesus.  It was at this point that the voice from heaven said, "This is My Beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased" but shortly thereafter, Jesus was led into the wilderness for 40 days.  Now after not having eaten for many days, the deciever, the tempter came to Jesus and said, "If your are the Son of God, turn these stones into bread".  But Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

What did God say just before this event?  What Word had just proceeded from the mouth of God He said THIS IS MY BELOVED SON.... Notice how Satan came to Jesus once He was suffering.  He was hungry, not having eaten for 40 days. Satan was trying to get Jesus to find his "Sonship" by what He does rather than Who God said He was. If Jesus had fallen for Satan's devices it would have impacted us for eternity, validating the law of rules and regulations. Colossians 2:14 says "blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us" (meaning the law of Moses) Jesus nailed them (the ordinances) to the cross.

Jesus wasn't ignorant of the devil's devices.  The devil came with the law stating that Jesus' Sonship would be validated by His deeds or works rather than God's word.  If he could transform the rocks into bread, thereby relieving Him of His suffering, then He would prove He was the Son of God. 

We are not to identify with what we see in the physical realm. The enemy will try to get us to focus on our works as if to qualify us for right standing in God but we, like Jesus are to identify with who God said we are not how well we perform.  Of course we want to do well. Jesus isn't giving us a license to sin. But when the word of God says, "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me, His strength is made active as I come to realize that God sees me through the eyes of Christ.  The bible says, "As Christ is, so are we in this world"!  Is Christ the Beloved Son of God?  So are we.  Has Christ defeated the enemy?  So have we.  Is Christ struggling with sin or sickness?  Nor are we.  We are not to look at the circumstances that surround us but the Word of God that defines us!  Hallelujah!

Now that is Good News 

More later...