MAINTAIN YOUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST

A person's identity is who they are: what sets them apart. Who are you? Who do you claim to be? Do people know you, and does their knowledge of you match who you claim to be? Don't make room for them to assume who you are, and don't make room for them to guess, but if they do guess, make it possible for them to guess correctly. Just be who you are in Christ! 

For example, if you see an individual in a hospital with a stethoscope around their neck, you could assume they are in the medical profession. If you see an individual in a courtroom, wearing a robe, sitting behind the bench, holding a gavel, you could safely assume they're the judge.

In our natural world, everyone has parents. So, it is in the spiritual world. You either have God or Satan as your father. Do you call yourself a child of God? If you do, then be a child of God. When you meet people, do they notice something about you that causes them to assume or guess you are a Christian, or are they uncertain? If they don't think you are a child of God, you are left with only one other option: they must think you are a child of the devil. But if you are a Christian, you are presenting the wrong identity.

If you became a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, it should be evident to people around you. If you live a life of obedience to God, you will, in essence, be saying you love Him (see John 14:15). On the other hand, if you are living in disobedience, people can quickly assume you are not a Christian, even if you claim to be one. 

Jesus is not interested in lip service, and He made that clear to the disciples when He asked them, "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not what I say?" (Luke 6:46). When Jesus was warning against false prophets, He said, "By their fruit you'll recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit" (Matthew 7:16-18).

If you are a child of God, the characteristics (fruit) you exhibit should clearly indicate that you are His child. There is no better way of demonstrating that you are a child of God than through obedience. The Bible says, "Be holy for I (God) am holy." In other words, we should exhibit His traits of holiness in the way we live.

Developing these traits is an ongoing effort. We will arrive at holiness after some time. According to the apostle Paul, we must work at it with fear and trembling (see Philippians 2:12). It takes meditation on God's Word:  allowing it to transform us into His nature by renewing our minds. Then we will shine, as the Scripture says, like stars in the universe (see Philippians 2:15). 

Observing the disciples' lives, the Jewish leaders could accurately conclude that they had been with Jesus. If we have been with Jesus, it should be evident to others. Claiming to be a Christian and yet living as an unbeliever is proof of an identity crisis. It means you are still determining who you are.

A Christian should not live comfortably in sin. So, if you claim to be a Christian but are living comfortably in sin, you must revisit God's plan of salvation to ensure you are born again. We need to turn our backs on worldliness and all appearances of evil. If we fall into sin, which we occasionally do, we should quickly repent, confess, and seek forgiveness. That is the mark of a Christian: the fear of evil and the concern for displeasing God (see 1 John 1:9). 

Are you experiencing an identity crisis? The cure for an identity crisis is putting on the armor of God and keeping it on (see Ephesians 6:11-18), 24/7. You can overcome this crisis by determining to live a God-pleasing life and then seeking the help of the Spirit to accomplish it.

THE SECOND STAGE OF SALVATION

  

Salvation is the deliverance from the power and effects of sin by God’s intervention through the death of His Son, Jesus. The Bible says we are all sinners and therefore separated from God. If this separation continues past this earthly life, it will become permanent, and we will spend eternity in hell. Jesus took our sins on Himself to bridge that separation and died in our place. Anyone who puts their faith in Jesus as their sin-bearer is forgiven (saved) and comes into a personal relationship with God. “We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are” (Romans 3:22). This, you might say, is the first stage of salvation.

One might ask, why is salvation in two stages? It’s in two parts because becoming a child of God begins a lifetime of becoming more like Christ. During this process, we have to continue to live in this world, struggle with our sinful nature, the devil, and the difficulties of this life, and win victories that will gradually transform us (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). But there’s coming a day when Jesus will usher us to our heavenly home. At this point, our salvation will be complete. There’ll no longer be sin, evil, temptations, pain, or suffering; they’ll all be gone forever, and we’ll be free to serve our God and Father without hindrance from the devil and his agents. We will reign with God forever.

So, what should we do while waiting for the culmination of our salvation? We should continue to grow spiritually and bear fruit. We should grow in our knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord, living holy, godly, and peaceful lives and looking forward to the Lord’s return (see 2 Peter 1:2; 3:11-14). We should also be mindful of the plight of the unsaved and do all we can to share the gospel with them because the Lord does not want them to perish, but to come to faith in Him and be saved, just as we’ve been.

What we do should not be the result of our abilities.  Instead, we should depend on God’s promises and all He has made available through His divine power (see 2 Peter 1:3-4).

When that day comes, we’ll have nothing to be ashamed of. Our new home will take our breath away; we will be at a loss for words. Even so, Lord Jesus, come! God will give us a grand entrance into His eternal kingdom (see 2 Peter 1:11). The amazing promises He has made should help us keep our eyes on the prize, including a new heaven and a new earth, streets of gold, walls of jasper, and gates of pearls; arriving at our new home will be the second and final stage of our salvation. 

MAINTAIN YOUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST

 

A person's identity is who they are, which sets them apart. Who are you? Who do you claim to be? Do people know you, and does their knowledge of you match who you claim to be? Don't make room for them to assume who you are, and don't make room for them to guess, but if they do guess, make it possible for them to guess correctly. Just be who you are in Christ! 

For example, if you see an individual with a stethoscope around their neck, you could assume they are in the medical profession. If you see an individual in a courtroom, wearing a robe, sitting behind the bench, and holding a gavel, you could safely assume they're the judge.

In our natural world, everyone has parents. So, it is in the spiritual world. You either have God or Satan for your father. Do you call yourself a child of God? If you do, then be a child of God. When you meet people, do they notice something about you that causes them to assume or guess you are a Christian, or will they be uncertain? If they don't think you are a child of God, you are left with only one other option: they must think you are a child of the devil. But if you are a Christian, you are presenting the wrong identity. What could be the cause of this discrepancy?  

If you become a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, your person should be evident to people around you. If you live a life of obedience to God, you will, in essence, be saying you love Him (see John 14:15). On the other hand, if you are living in disobedience, people can quickly assume you are not a Christian, even if you claim to be one. 

Jesus is not interested in lip service, and He made that clear to the disciples when He asked them, "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not what I say?" (Luke 6:46). When Jesus was warning against false prophets, He said, "By their fruit you'll recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit" (Matthew 7:16-18).

If you are a child of God, the characteristics (fruit) you exhibit should clearly indicate that you are His child. There is no better way of demonstrating that you are a child of God than through obedience. The Bible says, "Be holy for I (God) am holy." In other words, we should exhibit His traits of holiness in the way we live.

Developing those traits is an ongoing effort. We will arrive at holiness after some time. According to the apostle Paul, we must work at it with fear and trembling (see Philippians 2:12). It takes meditation on God's Word and allowing it to transform us into His nature by renewing our minds. Then we will shine, as the Scripture says, like stars in the universe (see Philippians 2:15). 

Observing the disciples' lives, the Jewish leaders could accurately conclude that they had been with Jesus. If we have been with Jesus, it should be evident to others. Claiming to be a Christian and yet living as an unbeliever is proof of an identity crisis. It means one is still determining who they are.

A Christian should not live comfortably in sin. So, if you claim to be a Christian but living comfortably in sin, you must revisit God's plan of salvation to ensure you are born again. We need to turn our backs on worldliness and all appearances of evil. If we fall into sin, which we occasionally do, we should quickly repent, confess, and seek forgiveness. That is the mark of a Christian: the fear of evil and the concern for displeasing God (see 1 John 1:9). 

Are you experiencing an identity crisis? You can overcome that crisis by determining to live a God-pleasing life and then seeking the help of the Spirit to accomplish it. The cure for identity crisis is: putting on the armor of God and keeping it on (see Ephesians 6:11-18), 24/7.

GOD LOVES TO BEQUEATH LEGACIES TO HIS PEOPLE

  

Bequeath transfers property from one person to another, typically through a will or other legal document. One has to be the owner of what they bequeath to another.

God has the authority to give away whatever He wishes because "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him" (Psalm 24:1). And talking about legality, God's Word is more trustworthy than legal documents from our courts and can be trusted fully.

Many years ago, God chose the Israelites to be His people, beginning with Abraham and his descendants. From the beginning, He promised them a possession, a land flowing with milk and honey that they did not build. He displaced the original dwellers and gave it to His people as an inheritance.

How about today? Today, He's created a people for Himself by redeeming them from sin through the death of His Son, Jesus: "God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body, God declared an end to sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins" (Romans 8:3).

To the redeemed, also known as the Church, His Body, and His children, He has made innumerable promises for life here on earth—provision, protection, healing, you name it. In addition to the promises on earth, He has promised us an inheritance in heaven. The promises of heaven are out of this world; our imagination cannot do them justice. And He will be there with us around the clock! (See Revelation 21:3).

Here's John's description of what was revealed concerning our inheritance: A new heaven and a new earth, and the holy city- the new Jerusalem. It's a large city made of pure gold, as clear as glass, with walls of jasper (see Rev 21:18). It shines with the glory of God and sparkles like a precious stone. The gates are made of pearls, and the main street is pure gold, as clear as glass (see Rev 21:21). There's a guardian angel at each of the twelve gates (see Rev21:11-12). What an inheritance!

Although we will worship day and night, the city will have no temples because the Father and the Son will be the temple. We won't need the sun or moon because God's glory will illuminate it, the Son will be its light, and the gates will remain open around the clock (see Rev 21:22-23, 25).

No matter how diligently one searches, there are things one cannot find in this new city. Nothing evil, no one who practices shameful idolatry, immorality, dishonesty, unbelievers, liars, criminals, or cowards (see Rev 21:8, 27). In addition, there'll be no sickness, crying, death, or pain (see Revelation 21:4).

So, who is going to possess this unimaginable place? The bride of Christ, of course-the Church, those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. We will be clothed in white, have His name written on our foreheads, and worship Him.

Before Jesus came to earth to reconcile us to God, God chose a nation through whom to accomplish His plans for the world; He provided lavishly for them. After salvation through Jesus became available, He decided that all who believed in Him would become his children for whom He prepared this great inheritance.

Dear reader, if you don't inherit heaven, there'll be only one other place to inherit--hell. Hell is the exact opposite of heaven; the devil and his agents and all those whose names are not written in the Lamb's Book of Life will be there, and there'll be torment and gnashing of teeth that goes on forever. At that point, it will be too late to do anything different; you'll be in hell to stay. Think about it, and call on Jesus today before it is too late. I invite you to pray the prayer below:

  "Dear God, I know I'm a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe that He died for my sin and that you raised Him to life. I want to trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen."

Jesus promised: "Look, I am coming soon!" (See Rev 22:7). Let's look forward to His return when He will make all His promises about our inheritance good. And as we look forward to His return, let's walk in obedience to His Word and make disciples.