If you’re like most people, then your ID photo is a little embarrassing. But your identity document defines some basic information about you. This month we’ll be looking at our identity in Christ and what that means for every day living.
Who or what defines your identity? How does knowing your identity in Christ help you?
We allow other voices to tell us who we are and don’t allow God to tell us who we are. There are some great truths about who we are in Christ and knowing and applying these truths in our lives can really help us grow.
Does what you do determine who you are…or does who you are determine what you do?
God wants us to know who we are so we can start living accordingly. Knowing our identity in Christ should determine what we do….then we are working out our salvation (Philip.2:12) not for our salvation.
This week we looked at this truth: You are a child of God.
I shared four implications on Sunday night:
1. You are LOVED
As a child of God you are loved… for who you are….With all your shame, sin, secrets…you are loved by God… created in love, by love and for love… You are loved, not for your doing, but for your being.
2. You have VALUE
Ever been kidnapped for ransom? Yes you have. Satan kidnapped you….sin trapped you… and because you’re loved and valuable…Jesus paid the ransom to set you free.
As a child of God you have value!
3. You BELONG
The Christian life was never intended to be lived alone. Psychologists tell us that it is difficult for people to maintain mental health unless they have at least one person with whom they can be emotionally honest. As a child of God you belong to God’s family. You fit in, and the church is a wonderful place to explore your belongingness.
4. You are going to be like Jesus
1 John 3:1-3: 1How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.
2 Cor 3:18: And we …. are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory…
As you and I co-operate with the Spirit’s work in our lives we are slowly being transformed to more like Jesus. Often only people around us can see it so why not tell others when you see them becoming more like Jesus? And when someone says that to you…can you dare to believe it? That doesn’t make us proud (because you know that you haven’t arrived!) but then you can give glory to God who is working in your life.
May we grow as we discover more about our identity in Christ in the coming weeks.
Who or what defines your identity? How does knowing your identity in Christ help you?
We allow other voices to tell us who we are and don’t allow God to tell us who we are. There are some great truths about who we are in Christ and knowing and applying these truths in our lives can really help us grow.
Does what you do determine who you are…or does who you are determine what you do?
God wants us to know who we are so we can start living accordingly. Knowing our identity in Christ should determine what we do….then we are working out our salvation (Philip.2:12) not for our salvation.
This week we looked at this truth: You are a child of God.
I shared four implications on Sunday night:
1. You are LOVED
As a child of God you are loved… for who you are….With all your shame, sin, secrets…you are loved by God… created in love, by love and for love… You are loved, not for your doing, but for your being.
2. You have VALUE
Ever been kidnapped for ransom? Yes you have. Satan kidnapped you….sin trapped you… and because you’re loved and valuable…Jesus paid the ransom to set you free.
As a child of God you have value!
3. You BELONG
The Christian life was never intended to be lived alone. Psychologists tell us that it is difficult for people to maintain mental health unless they have at least one person with whom they can be emotionally honest. As a child of God you belong to God’s family. You fit in, and the church is a wonderful place to explore your belongingness.
4. You are going to be like Jesus
1 John 3:1-3: 1How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.
2 Cor 3:18: And we …. are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory…
As you and I co-operate with the Spirit’s work in our lives we are slowly being transformed to more like Jesus. Often only people around us can see it so why not tell others when you see them becoming more like Jesus? And when someone says that to you…can you dare to believe it? That doesn’t make us proud (because you know that you haven’t arrived!) but then you can give glory to God who is working in your life.
May we grow as we discover more about our identity in Christ in the coming weeks.
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