Girlfriends in God - Mar. 13, 2012
March 13, 2012
You are Who God Says You Are
Sharon Jaynes
Today’s Truth:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)
Friend to Friend
There’s a game I’ve watched women play at retreats as an icebreaker activity. Each person has the name of a famous or infamous person taped to her back. Then the women walk around giving each other clues about “who they are.”
“You always put off worrying until tomorrow.” “You had so many children you didn’t know what to do.” “You were the queen of soul.”
The point of the game is to figure out your identity. Once you guess correctly, you sit down.
One night, as I watched the ladies play the game, I was struck with its similarity to real life. Many times we determine our identity, by what others tell us about ourselves. You are so smart. You are a loser. You are so pretty. You can do anything you set your mind to. You are so ugly. You are so fat. After a while, those messages determine how we see ourselves, whether true or false. It is only a mature person who realizes that just because a person says that you are this or that, doesn’t make it true.
One of the greatest blessings of becoming a Christian is receiving a new identity. In the Bible, when God touched and changed a person’s life, many times He changed his or her name. He said, “You will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow” (Isaiah 62:2). Saul became Paul. Abram became Abraham. Sarai became Sarah. Jacob became Israel. Simon became Peter.
Likewise, when you accepted Christ, God gave you a new identity and a new name. If you want to know who you really are, then you need to look in the Bible and see who God says you are. It may be different from what you’ve heard others say about you, but which do you think is more accurate? Who do you think has a better perception of who you are, your Creator, or other creatures just like yourself? If you are a Christian today, the following verses describe your new identity.
My Identity in Christ
Matthew 5:13 I am the salt of the earth.
Matthew 5:14 I am the light of the world.
John 1:12 I am a child of God.
John 15:15 I am part of the true vine, a channel (branch) of Christ's life.
John 15:15 I am Christ's friend.
John 15:16 I am chosen and appointed by Christ to bear His fruit.
Romans 8:14,15 I am a joint-heir with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him.
I Corinthians 3:16 I am a temple of God. His Spirit dwells in me.
I Corinthians 12:27 I am a member (part) of Christ's body
2 Corinthians 5:17 I am a new creation.
2 Corinthians 5:18,19 I am reconciled to God and am a minister of reconciliation...
Ephesians 1:1 I am a saint.
Ephesians 1:3 I am blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places.
Ephesians 1:11 I am sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit who has been given as a pledge of my inheritance.
Ephesians 2:10 I am God's workmanship created in Christ to do His work that He planned beforehand that I should do.
Ephesians 4:24 I am righteous and holy.
That is a lot to put on a nametag, but that is your new identity. Neil Anderson, in his book Victory over the Darkness notes, “The reason so many Christians are not enjoying the maturity and freedom which is their inheritance in Christ is because they hold wrong self-perceptions. They don’t see themselves as they really are in Christ. They don’t understand the dramatic change which occurred in them the moment they trusted in Him. They don’t see themselves the way God sees them, and to that degree they suffer from a poor self-image. They don’t grasp their true identity.”
In that paragraph, Dr. Anderson described me perfectly. I had no idea who I was, what I had, or where I was in Christ. As God opened my eyes to the truth, I realized that how I saw myself and how God saw me were very different. I decided to start believing God.
How about you? Are you ready to start seeing yourself as God sees you today? After all, it is the truth!
Let’s Pray
Dear God, I thank You that I am a new creation in Christ. I admit that sometimes I feel just like the old me and act like the old me, but I believe by faith that I am brand new. Thank You that my identity is based on my position in Christ rather than my performance on earth.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Do have any labels from your past that are in conflict with what the Bible tells you about who you are as a child of God?
Look at the above verses. Do have a difficult time believing the truth about who you are?
Now here’s the big question. Are you going to believe what others have told you in the past or are you going to believe God?
Now, go back up to the list of verses again and read them to yourself a loud.
More from the Girlfriends
Someone once told me that faith is believing that God tells the truth. But many of us don’t know the truth about who we are in Christ, what we have in Christ, and where we are in Christ. If you would like to learn more about your true identity as a child of God, and begin seeing yourself as God sees you, check out my book, Becoming Spiritually Beautiful. It is just for you. Also in the site, you can find a handy laminated card filled with verses about your Identity in Christ
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