Who We Are in Jesus - March 27, 2011

Our “identity”, according to the dictionary, consists of the “set of characteristics that constitute our personality for life.” These are the attributes we consider to be most essential about ourselves. When we are born again, these attributes are reconstituted and revealed to rest fundamentally on our faith in God and our relationship with Jesus. What are some key features of our new identity when we stand on this Rock of Revelation?

We Are Accepted by Our Heavenly Father. God is love ( 1 John 4:8 ) and God is Spirit ( John 4:24 ). He made us before the foundation of the world, spiritually speaking, to be holy and without blame before Him in love ( Ephesians 1:4 ). He gave us freedom of choice, and knew beforehand that in our flesh we would make choices that separate us from spiritual communion with Him. The Bible calls this separation “sin.” The Good News of Jesus is that God had a “Plan B” from the very beginning to ensure that all who desire it can be restored to a spiritual relationship of love with Him through Jesus. The Apostle John wrote in John 1:1 : “In the beginning was the Word ( Logos in Greek, referring to Jesus), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Our word “logic” comes from the same root as John's word for Jesus: Logos . In short, God's Logic right at the Beginning included both our Creation and our Redemption, or spiritual restoration, to Him through Jesus, His Logos and our Redeemer.

When we are born again we belong to God. We have been bought with a price, which was Jesus' death on the cross ( 1 Cor 6:19-20 ). We have been redeemed and forgiven all of our sins ( Col 1:13-14 ) because “the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins” ( Matt 9:6 ). If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to cleanse us from everything that would prevent us from standing firmly in the spirit before the Father ( 1 John 1:9-10 ).

We Are Secure and Live Our Lives with New Confidence. When Jesus is our Savior and Lord of our lives, we live without condemnation, free from the “law of sin and death” ( Romans 8:1-2 ). What is this law? It simply states that in our flesh we are bound to live spiritually apart from the Source of our being. All flesh eventually dies. No living being is exempt from this harsh reality. But the Bible says we can be restored in our spirit (the most inward part of us that precedes even our heartbeat!) by the “law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.” In other words, our flesh may die, but our innermost spirit can be perfected to live eternally when we receive Jesus as our Redeemer. This is one way to explain what it means to be “born again.”

When we are born again, we know God is for us, so who can be against us? ( Romans 8:31 ) Nothing can really separate us from the love of Christ. We are more than conquerors of death and evil because the love of God through Jesus promises us eternal life! ( Romans 8:35-39 ) Moreover, we can be certain that God will complete the good work He started in us when we were first born again, even when we fall short of His glory ( Philippians 1:6 ). We can live in the power of love, with a sound mind, without fear ( 2 Timothy 1:7 ). We are able to keep ourselves and the wicked one cannot touch us in our spirit ( 1 John 5:18 ). We are secure in the Lord.

We Live Purpose Blessed Lives. When Jesus is Lord of our lives, we know we are made new ( 2 Cor 5:17 ) and ordained to bear fruit for the Kingdom of God ( John 15:16 ). The Greek word for fruit has the connotation of something “plucked” or “grasped”, not merely fruit that falls to the ground. In other words, we are empowered to go forth into the world to actively reconcile others to God. Old things become new as people encounter the Spirit of God in us, not imputing their separation from God to them as sin, but extending God's love, mercy and grace to all who will receive it ( 2 Cor 5:17-21 )—as though God were pleading to others through us!

When our lives are blessed with God's purposes, we can approach God with freedom and confidence ( Eph 3:9-12 ) and “do all things through Christ, who strengthens us” ( Phil 4:13 ). We have learned to be content in any state or circumstances in which we find ourselves! What a great blessing to be accepted, secure and blessed with God's purposes for our lives!

Abba, thank You for Your promises of new life in Christ Jesus. Thank you for Your plan to draw us close to You so that You can be our Creator Source and we can be Your people! Thank you for restoring us to You by Your Spirit and using us to lead other people to their own personal encounter with your love, forgiveness, truth and grace.

For more on this topic, a good resource is Neil T. Anderson's book, “ Victory Over Darkness.”

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