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Christ: Our identity
Many Christians are not living
free and productive lives
because they don’t understand
who they really are…
But:This is the truth!and the truth will set you free!
Do you have aAbba Father (daddy)
relationship with God ? Rom. 8:15
Or is he an angry Godthat you one day fear to meet?
Our sense of worth is not a question of giftedness, talent, intelligence or beauty.
Our sense of worth comes from knowing who you are
as a child of God
The apostle Paul always starts his letters by proclaiming
who we are as Christians
Then he goes on to explain how we are to live out the
Christian life
Who are you ?
Or more precisely:Who does the bible say that you are ?
It is not what you do as a Christian that determines who you are – it is who you are that determines what you do
2 Cor. 5:17 – Eph. 2:10 - 1 Peter 2:9-10 -1 John 3:1-2
Get thisREVELATION
Understanding your identity in Christ is essential for
living the Christian life
If you perceive yourself wrongly, you will live wrongly
But if you see yourself as a child of God who is spiritually alive in Christ, you will begin to live accordingly
The devil don’t want us to understand this principle.
He is trying to get us to believe a lie – that we don’t
have our identity in Christ
The apostle Paul was aware of the devils tactics:
To remind the church of their identity, he called them “Saints”
(believers in Christ or holy ones)
In fact, in the Bible believers are called “Saints” or “Holy ones”
more then 240 times
And unbelievers are called “sinners” more then 330 times
Clearly the term “Saint” is used in scripture to refer to believer
(only), and “sinner” is used in reference to
unbeliever (only)
Either you are a Saint – or you are a sinner,
You can never be a Saint and a sinner at the same time
You can not have it both ways
And you don’t go back and forth
between the two…
A Christian is never “a sinner” in the biblical definition of
the word…
This is one of the biggest misunderstandings
in Christianity
Let’s look a little closer:
What is a sinner ?
Webster’s (on line) dictionary (2008) gives this definition of
a sinner:
“A person that sins without repentance”
(without remorse or feeling sorry for his sinful action)
This is clearly a non-believer / unbeliever
In other words:
If you are sorry for your sinful behavior when you have done
something wrong,you are not “a sinner”
And if you have a clear understanding of what Christ accomplished on the cross,
You will go to Him,You will praise Him,You will thank Him,
…that the wrong you just didalso was included in the sin He
bore on the cross…
And do you know what:
The new testament does not mention one time that
Christians had to ask God’s forgiveness to have
forgiveness.
Not once!!!
Does that mean that Christians don’t sin?
Absolutely not.
Christians do sin on occasion.
(I remember back in 1974…)
But they are not “sinners”
Don’t confuse the verb “to sin”with the noun “a sinner”
What you (occasionally) do does not
determine who “you are”
as we mentioned earlier…
Get this:
How about the Apostle Paul talking about himself being the worst of “sinners” ? (1 Tim chapter 1)
This term was clearly describing him in remembrance of what he was before
Christ transformed him
There is wide agreement among the scholars that Paul was not the worst of sinners after his conversion…
Before we received Christ we were all sinners – but not any more!
Why is this distinction
important?
It is important for out self-imageto understand who we are
that we are Saints – not sinners.
That we are made Saints by His grace – that we are not sinners
under the burden of the law
Listen closely:
Many Christians are deceived by the devil and dominated by the
flesh…
To constantly be told that you are a sinner
only fastens the devils grip and keeps you in bondage
John 16 tells us:
The Holy Spirit came to convict us (the believer) of our
righteousness….
as a counterweight to Satan – the accuser –
who constantly try to tell us (the believer) that we are
sinning – sinners – no good – worthless and useless…
Stop listening to the accuser…
What believers need to hear is that they are
Saints which we truly are – by the grace
of God…
Realizing the power of your identity in Christ, gives
victory in your daily living
Positive confessionof biblical truths,
is a powerful tool to “get in to”
who you really are…
The more you reaffirm who you are in Christ,
the more your behavior will begin to
reflect your true identity…
Let us together confess
who the Bible say’s we are!
“I AM ACCEPTED”
Speak itout loud:
I am Gods childJohn 1:12
Speak itout loud:
I have been justifiedRom 5:1
Speak itout loud:
I am united with the Lord, and I am one Spirit with Him
1 Cor. 6:17
Speak itout loud:
I have been bought with a price and I belong to God
1 Cor. 6:20
Speak itout loud:
I am a friend of JesusJohn 15:15
Speak itout loud:
Who I am in Christ:
I am a member of Christ’s body
1 Cor 12:27
Speak itout loud:
I am a SaintEph. 1:1
Speak itout loud:
I have been adopted as Gods child
Eph. 1:5
Speak itout loud:
I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit
Eph 2:18
Speak itout loud:
I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins
Col 1:14
Speak itout loud:
I am complete in ChristCol 2:10
Speak itout loud:
“I am Secure”
Speak itout loud:
I am free from condemnation
Rom 8:1-2
Speak itout loud:
I am assured that all thing work together for good
Rom 8:28
Speak itout loud:
I am free from all condemning charges against me
Rom 8:31-34
Speak itout loud:
I can not be separated from the love of God
Rom 8:35-39
Speak itout loud:
I am confident that the good work God has begun in me
will be completedPhil 1:6
Speak itout loud:
I am a citizen of heavenPhil 3:20
Speak itout loud:
I am hidden with Christ in GodCol 3:3
Speak itout loud:
I have not been given a spirit of fear
2 Tim 1:7
Speak itout loud:
I can find grace and mercy in time of need
Heb 4:16
Speak itout loud:
I am born of God1 John 5:18
Speak itout loud:
“The evil one” cannot touch me
1 John 5:18
Speak itout loud:
“I am significant”
Speak itout loud:
I am God’s temple1 Cor. 3:16
Speak itout loud:
I am God’s co-worker2 Cor 6:1
Speak itout loud:
I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm
Eph. 2:6
Speak itout loud:
I am God’s workmanshipEph 2:10
Speak itout loud:
I may approach God with freedom and confidence
Eph 3:12
Speak itout loud:
I can do all things through Christ
Phil 4:13
Speak itout loud:
“I am somebody”
Speak itout loud:
Now I understand who I am in Christ
Speak itout loud:
The Devil shall never again rob me of my
confidence
Speak itout loud:
I am a child of God for ever!!!
Speak itout loud:
Hallelujah
Speak itout loud:
Praise the Lord !
Speak itout loud:
In Christ alone my hope is found,He is my light, my strength, my song;this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.What heights of love, what depths of peace,when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,here in the love of Christ I stand.
Verse 1:
Verse 2: In Christ alone! who took on fleshFullness of God in helpless babe!This gift of love and righteousnessScorned by the ones he came to save:Till on that cross as Jesus died,The wrath of God was satisfied -For every sin on Him was laid;Here in the death of Christ I live.
Chorus 3 There in the ground His body layLight of the world by darkness slain:Then bursting forth in glorious DayUp from the grave he rose again!And as He stands in victorySin's curse has lost its grip on me,For I am His and He is mine -Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
Chorus 4 No guilt in life, no fear in death,This is the power of Christ in me;From life's first cry to final breath.Jesus commands my destiny.No power of hell, no scheme of man,Can ever pluck me from His hand;Till He returns or calls me home,Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
