Mentoring Minutes

“I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”    John 15:5

Knowing and Loving Who You Are in Christ

We have explored and revealed that we are fully accepted in Christ and we’ve been working through the reality that we are secure in Him.

As we wrap up this Truth of our security and safety in Christ we look at the fact that, as a wholehearted believer and follower of Jesus Christ, we are a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20). This is not just that we are assured of eternity with God but we presently belong to the citizenry of heaven. We have all the security of protection as a citizen here and now as we walk by faith in Christ.

The struggle comes when we look around and see the struggles, frustrations and temptations of the world and our flesh and then choose to be a citizen of this fallen world (the old natural man or woman of the flesh) rather than choosing by grace through faith, to be a citizen of heaven (the new man or woman in The Spirit). While we must live in this world and flesh at this time, we have all we need in Christ, His Word and Spirit to walk out this citizenship in heaven…here and now (John 17:11, 14-15).

Will you choose by faith and in His grace the decisions in line with His Truth and will that reflect heavenly citizenship or will you continue to choose the emotions, the fleshly desires and the trappings of this world? You can daily and moment-by-moment choose to walk as a citizen of heaven in loving obedience to God because you’ve been given all of this in Christ!

Do you know Him and are you walking as a citizen of heaven today?

Over the past few weeks we’ve been looking at our identity in Christ as being fully accepted by God in Him in numerous ways as well as being completely secure in Him. It truly is incredible and very assuring and comfortable when we walk in faith.

Continuing to add to our identity we now begin to look at our value in Christ…that we are extremely significant in God’s eyes through Christ and all that He is doing and desires to do in and through us!

We begin with one we’ve talked about numerous times in other contexts but none more important than our significance in Christ. We are God’s workmanship in Christ (Ephesians 2:10).

Of course this verse is preceded by what God has done for us by His free gift of grace in Christ’s sacrifice and not by our own works of the flesh (Ephesians 2:8-9). We must understand this or it becomes more about our prideful works done, thinking this is what save us (which can never happen) rather than who and what we are by Christ’s death, burial and resurrection to make us a new masterpiece (the Greek word is “poemia” where we get our word poem from and is translated as “a work done by a craftsman,” in this case literally by the God, The Master Craftsman), creating each of us as His specific masterpiece!

How does that make you feel? Valued, accepted, secure, significant? It should encourage you in all of these as God does not make any junk! We may mess it up ourselves but even then He remembers us as the workmanship of His hands and is always lovingly waiting for us to return to Him.

We can also rest assured that if we will walk with Him and seek Him above all else that He will show us what He has created us for and recreated us in Christ as His masterpiece to do those things He purposed for us to do for His Kingdom and Glory!

Even when you struggle…remember that You are His Masterpiece in Christ!

Do you know Christ as Savior and Lord? Do you know you are God’s masterpiece in Christ? Are you living accordingly?

What a powerful reminder that we are Your workmanship, Lord God, recreated in Christ for Your good will and purposes (Philippians 2:12-13). May we walk in them and submit to You in obedience for You to accomplish all that You desire and all for Your Glory.

I am/We are significant in God’s eyes so may we be assured of this by faith and not live our lives based on the way the world and the enemy would deceive us to believe.

I pray that The Holy Spirit reminds you constantly, and that you will hear, that  am a branch in The Vine of Christ (John 15:1, 5). Instead of trying to prove our worth by producing fruit for You, let us abide in Christ, The Vine, and allow Your Spirit to bring fruit in and through me that I can bear it and others can partake and come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord.  

Love and Lordship…Food for Thought – May we lose our desire to produce any fruit of our own but simply bear all the fruit that He desires for us, and knows we can handle, for His Kingdom and Glory. Thank You for valuing each of us so much that You would graft us into Christ by His sacrifice so that we can be branches of Your love, bearing Your fruit to help others know Jesus. Do you know Him? Are you abiding in Him and bearing His fruit… or are you trying to produce fruit for Him?

Love and Lordship…Action Items –

1. Read the Scriptures in this article and ask The Holy Spirit to teach you.
2. Journal what you’ve learned about your identity in Christ in this post. 
3. Give some thought and write out what it means for you to be a citizen of Heaven.
4. Discuss with a fellow Christian what it means to abide in Christ and bear fruit for God’s Kingdom rather than trying to produce fruit.

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.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear or timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline (sound mind).”       2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)

If last week’s post didn’t light a fire in you, then your woods all wet (as Brother Wayne B. Smith used to say). How awesome is it that God has recreated us in Christ for specific purposes that align with His Kingdom will and that He will finish what He started. However, we must remember that He will never force the issue but graciously and lovingly teach, guide, correct and even punish to move us toward that end as long as we will listen and submit.

With this in mind we look at our identity today found in another incredibly reassuring and comforting passage, and yet it is one that is so often manipulated by our flesh for our own selfish ends.

Romans 8:28 tells us that in every situation, circumstance and outcome, God is working for good in and through and to all those who love Him and are called for what…according to His purpose (look back at yesterday’s devo). This is when we are most fulfilled, content and confident when we are finding our purpose not in what we desire but in Him and His desires for they are always selfless, perfect and loving, and far above our thoughts and ways (Isaiah 55:8-11)!

Ultimately this is found in our eternal salvation but it must be lived out in the here and now…for now. This means that my hardship may work in and through me as one who loves God to challenge, encourage and/or bless another, or others, who love God as we are all called according to His purpose and love Him. While it may certainly work out on the individual level it is also much greater than this as it includes the influence and impact that He has through every situation on all who love Him and walk in His will.

Are you seeing His work in your life in every situation and calling it good according to His Word, even when it’s difficult. Are you trusting in His Word or in your emotions and circumstances?

Christ has made it so we can walk in His Love, love for Him and in line with His Kingdom will and purpose as we put our faith in Him. Will you trust Him…no matter what? Do you know Christ as Savior and Lord?

As we continue to thank The Lord for all that He has given us and recreated us to walk in, knowing that we are secure in Him, we look today at the reality, the Truth, that we have been given a spirit of love, power and a sound mind (or discipline). We’ve not been given a spirit of fear or timidity (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT).

By faith this should assure us that no matter what we face, what others say about us, or how the world and culture may look at us, we can walk in confidence, boldness and contentment because we know who we are in Christ. No fear of man, only fear and reverence of God which gives us the wisdom (Proverbs 9:10) to walk out the love and power that He has placed within us and upon us…and the discipline of a sound mind to do so.

What is your confidence and assurance found in? Is it fleeting and shallow because it is rooted in your flesh, the world and its deceptions and ever-changing standards? Or is it in the Way, the Truth and the Life that is Jesus Christ and the Spirit that He has given us?

All those who know Christ as Savior and Lord are no longer slaves to fear because you are a child of God!

We’ve looked at all the ways we are accepted in Christ and have been working through all the ways we are secure in Him. We have a couple more to explore regarding the reality of our security in Him. We are love, forgiven, free, not condemned, always in His Love and many more.

Today we look at the fact that as we receive Christ and are recreated in Him, we are hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:2-3). This means that no matter what our trials and struggles, no matter how the enemy may come after us we are assured that we can count on Christ to hide us from anything that would destroy us.

This does not mean that we can live as we please and claim this promise or assurance. The next few verses in Colossians 3:4-17 to on to state how we are to die to the old self of our own natural flesh (selfish, sinful desires) and how we are now to put on the new person in Christ. This is how we are hidden and secure in Him.

It also means that no matter what we face, as we turn to Him by grace in faith, we can know that there will be nothing that can come against us that He doesn’t already know and that He has not already overcome. He will provide the protection as we go through it and a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13)! Through His Word and Spirit He has already provided a way out but we must choose, being hidden in Christ to do so and not choose to satisfy our sinful desires and then wonder why He didn’t “pull us out of” our own selfish choices and actions.

Love and Lordship…Food for Thought – When you choose the Truth that He has provided you will always be able to walk away from that struggle or temptation and/or be strengthened to endure through it because you are hidden with God in Christ! By His Spirit in you, you can choose the power, love and discipline needed to make the decisions in keeping with His Truth…this is the walk of faith that you can have when you are in Christ! Are you secure in your relationship with and in Christ? You can be!

Love and Lordship…Action Items –

1. Read the Scriptures in this article and ask The Holy Spirit to teach you.
2. Journal what you’ve learned about your identity in Christ in this post. 
3. Reflect on and write about what it means for you to have a spirit of power, love and self-discipline as you are hidden with God in Christ.
4. What does it mean for you to know that He is working all things for good as you love Him and walk according to His purpose? How does this give you confidence to know you can face all struggles and temptations and He provides a way out for you?

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.

“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.”           2 Corinthians 1:21-22

Here’s one of the most powerful and fulfilling promises that we have in Christ…I (You) am (are) established, anointed and sealed by God with the promise and presence of The Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)!

In all these promises that we’ve been talking about as our identity in Christ, as well as so many more to come, every one of them are “Yes” in Christ. You are anointed…which is taken from the pouring of oil on the head and beard of the High Priest (and any others), allowing it to run down over the garments of the person so that they were being set apart for God’s specific purposes. The anointing of the Holy Spirit has set you apart for God’s Kingdom purposes that He created, and recreated in Christ, for His Glory and your good.

All of this has been sealed by the giving and filling of The Holy Spirit it you. He is the deposit dwelling in you that guarantees that you belong to God and He is Your Heavenly Father and will always care for you!

You are established in every condition and every Truth that His Word has said that you are. Now, don’t let the world or others compare, rate or rank you in any way…you have the very Spirit of God in you if you are a believer in Christ and He will show you all that He has in store for you as you seek, know and love Him!

Do you know Him or are you still trying to figure it out yourself and allowing the world to define who you are? You can know and it is the greatest thing you will ever know…established, anointed and sealed by Him and for Him…and as you are you will come to know what it means to be free and fulfilled!

I pray that you’ve been encouraged and blessed by walking through the Truths of God’s Word that declare who you are in Christ. Nothing in this world or the spiritual realm can take this identity away from you. The only way you step out of this identity is if you choose to do so, walk away from and reject Christ.

Even then, and this a beautiful part of our identity because of Who He Is…He still loves you and like the father of the prodigal son, he waits with open arms to show you that love. You need to know this and remember it at all times so you will continue to grow and walk in who He is showing you that you are in Christ… nothing can separate you from His Love (Romans 8:35-39)!

Don’t let your past, your present, those around you, the world, your selfish desires or anything else keep you from His Love that is always available to you because of what Christ has done.

This is what He wants you to desperately know so that you not only know His Love but can truly know and love who you are in Christ!

Do you know Him and His Love? Are you beginning to know and love more and more who He has recreated you to be in Christ? You can because He died and rose again!

As I pray we are becoming very aware that our identity in Christ is very fulfilling, our focus today should encourage us to know and love not only who we are in Christ but what He has called us to.

Paul describes it in Philippians 1:6 when he states that God is at work among us and in and through us. He goes so far as to say that he’s very confident (and wants us to be as well) that our Great God who has begun a work in each and every one of us is faithful to complete that work by the return of Christ.

We need to be assured that Christ has not only saved us but as we walk with Him as Lord, He is fulfilling every purpose and the specific purpose that God has created us for and that Christ gave Himself so we could be recreated to accomplish that end (Ephesians 2:10)!

Love and Lordship…Food for Thought – We can continue to strive in our own strength to fulfill what we would like to do to please or impress others…or we can rest and abide in God through Christ who has given us all we need. As we do so we will find that the greatest confidence and contentment are found in Him and His perfect purpose in and through us. I pray you know Him and are finding out all He has in store for you.

Love and Lordship…Action Items –

1. Read the Scriptures in this article and ask The Holy Spirit to teach you.
2. Journal what you’ve learned about your identity in Christ in this post. 
3. Reflect on and write about what it means for God to “seal” you by His Holy Spirit.
4. Reflect on and write about what it means that nothing can separate you from God’s Love.

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.