Giving Thanks – Our Ultimate Identity in Christ
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
Love and Lordship in Focus…Perhaps the greatest identity we have in Christ is that He makes us completely new in Him. The old person and selfish flesh no longer have to rule over us as we choose Christ and His Holy Spirit in us by faith. Are you choosing to live as a new creation in Christ…or still living in the flesh?
As we celebrate Thanksgiving and look forward to CHRISTmas, because of Christ and who we are in Him we have everything to be thankful for. Stay with me here as we wrap up our series on our identity in Christ and I pray you are not only thankful but are becoming more confident and content in who you are in Him…and loving the new self He has recreated you to be in His Kingdom!
Because I am a believer and follower (disciple) of Jesus Christ, I am a personal witness to Him in and through my life (Acts 1:8).
In Christ I have been given the power (the Greek word for power that is given to all true believers is “dunamis” where we get our word, “dynamite”…now that’s powerful) of The Holy Spirit in me to shine The Light of His Truth and Love (these are inseparable) to the world.
My life should reflect in every way that He is my Lord and His Truth and Love comes through me in every motive, thought, decision, action and relationship. In this way I am a testimony of His Love and Authority for others to see in every situation I engage or encounter…in your home, across the street or around the world!
God has chosen to partner with us in Truth and Love to show the world Who He Is. The way we think, choose, act and relate every moment of every day reveals whose Lord of our life and reflects, positively or negatively, on what others see of Jesus in us.
How awesome is it that God chose us, you and me, to be a testimony of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world! Do you realize your identity in Him?
What is your witness of Jesus Christ? Savior only and you live the way you like otherwise…not possible according to Scripture. Do others know He is Lord of your life…spouse, children, family, church, coworkers, acquaintances, even enemies?
Is your life a living witness of His grace, mercy, Truth and Love in and through you so others might know Him as Savior and Lord?
Think about this…because God values you and me so greatly as His temple, His workmanship, a personal witness of Christ, chosen and appointed to bear His Kingdom and Spirit fruit…and so much more, He has called and equipped us to be salt and light in this world (Matthew 5:13-14)!
This is one of the very first proclamations that Jesus made in His public ministry in what we have come to know as The Sermon on the Mount. If you doubt it think of what those who heard Him said at the end of that message…”they were amazed because He spoke as one who had great authority” (Matthew 7:28-29).
Salt sharpens, enlivens and preserves. Light illuminates, clarifies and exposes. In some cases we like salt and light…and in others we don’t. However, in both cases God has a great and perfect purpose for us to be both salt and light to a sin-ridden, lost and dying world. Sin must be exposed, Truth must be revealed and we are His witnesses to graciously make Him known.
Don’t let your salt lose its saltiness and be good for nothing but the manure pile. Don’t let your light…His Light in you be dimmed and extinguished. He has a great purpose for you in His Kingdom!
Are you salt and light to those around you? Do they see Jesus as the Way, the Truth and the Life and the only way to The Father (John 14:6) through your life and mine?
As we conclude our 2nd series on fulfilling the Greatest Commands (Mark 12:29-31). The 1st series was the Names of God with 70 or so names to encourage us to know and love Him more and with all our being and to worship Him alone (1st and Greatest Command).
This 2nd series has been on our identity in Christ and through His Word He has shown us very plainly and graciously that we are fully accepted, totally secure and of great value and significance to God in Christ and by His Holy Spirit in and through us!
As we wrap up all of this comes together in this final assurance of our great value to Him…He has reconciled us to Himself (we have an intimate, personal relationship with Him) in Christ and He has given us this same ministry of reconciliation to share with others (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). Think about it…God has made you a brand-new creation in Christ and has entrusted you with the Gospel of Christ so that you can minister to and help others be reconciled to Him just as you are in Christ.
You are made righteous in Christ and are recreated to help reconcile others to this same new creation and righteousness in Him! Whatever else He entrusts to us in terms of time, wealth, abilities, etc., the greatest thing that He can trust us with is the eternal souls of men and women so that we can point them to the reconciled relationship they can have individually and we can have collectively as Christ’s Body, The Church, with God in Christ! How absolutely awesome is that?
You and I have EVERYTHING to be thankful for in Christ…and because of Christ! Are you living a life of gratitude that reflects the new creation that He has made you to be in Him for God’s Kingdom and Glory?
Food for Thought…A few questions to reflect on our Identity in Christ… How are you doing with this great trust that God has given to you as a new creation in Christ? Do you know and are you sharing Christ, the Great Reconciler, with others so they can be in an intimate, loving, personal relationship with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit? Are you thankful? How does it show?
Love in Action –
- Read the Scriptures in this article and ask The Holy Spirit to teach you.
- Journal what you’ve learned about your identity in Christ in this post.
- Write down what it means for you to be a witness to Christ, salt and light of His Truth and Love.
- Take time to meditate on who you are as a new creation in Christ. Give Him thanks in all things because of all that He’s done for you.
If you have not accepted Him as Savior and Lord, find someone to talk to find out more.
Let me know if you have any questions or concerns and we’ll walk through them together in The Lord and His Spirit.
Contact us at loveandlordship@gmail.com to find out more about how you can know God the Father, Christ His Son and The Holy Spirit.
Love and Lordship Prayer Focus Heavenly Father, to think that You would not only save and reconcile us to an intimate relationship with You by grace through faith in Christ but that You entrust us with this ministry of reconciliation to help others know Him as Savior and Lord and be reconciled to You as well! That’s amazing and THANK YOU for making me a part of this. May I be found trustworthy with this ministry that You have entrusted to me (and to all) who believe in and walk by faith as a new person in Christ. In His Name. Amen.