Here's the latest Bible study, starting a whole series by the same name. Do have a listen to the audio as well!
Blessings!
Chris
Who I am in Jesus Christ - An Introduction
Know (head) and Know (heart)
Acts 17:21 For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing. (NKJV)
We are not here to learn new things but to reinforce truths we have already heard. We can learn head truths with no end, but only truths that become a part of us, that become our second nature that we perceive deep in our hearts will set us free (John 8:32).
1 John 2:7 Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. (NKJV)
John said in this passage above that there is no new commandment – the commandment remains the same, that we should love one another as He has loved us (John 13:34)! We can only love as we have been loved (1 John 4:19) and this love causes us to have faith (Galatians 5:6, Ephesians 3:17-19)
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (NKJV)
To get into this, we take the step of faith and move by what He says. The command is simple – seek Him, seek to know His love, knowing that He is a GOOD God.
Many people believe that God exists but most don’t believe that He is good beyond our thinking (Ephesians 3:20). How good we know God to be to us will determine how much we can love our fellow man. This in turn will determine how much the glory of God is reflected in us. If we think He is an angry God, then we will reflect Him thus. If we think He is good but cannot believe that He is that good for fear of turning back to sin, then we will never understand and enjoy His goodness and faithfulness.
Life in a half-way mode like that as a Christian is just plain miserable. Either God is really infinitely good, the epitome of love modelled for us, or He is not.
Spirit-know is More Important
Knowing the Spirit realm is more important than knowing the physical realm. This is like like what you see being more important than what you hear.
The most important part of you, the part that is like the image of God, is not in the realm of the 5 senses. We cannot see God for He is spirit (John 4:24) and we are like Him in Spirit. If it was physical, Jesus would not have had to die on the Cross for us, because there are many people out there who are not Christians look physically much better than us! These who do not have Jesus in their lives are spiritually dead, but not so for us.
Jesus has made us Spiritually alive. This is the most important truth in the Gospel, more important that having all our sins forgiven, more important than “going to heaven”, now heaven has come to us in the form of the Holy Spirit, in our hearts as a seal! The kingdom of God is here and spreading in the hearts of men! We are the kingdom of Heaven and the Holy Spirit is ONE with each of us. We were, however, not designed to dwell or operate alone. Collectively, the people who are one with the spirit of God coming together is known as the church.
What is Truth to You Today?
What are some truths about you? These are natural truths. (who you are, what you do, what you have, what problems you face etc.) We need to know that is spiritual truths are the higher truths.
John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. (NKJV)
Spiritual Truths are the REAL Truths
What we will embark upon over the next few months will be about who we really are. The most important part of us is the Spirit, and truths that are in the spirit are the real truths.
Truths in the physical realm are like sounds we hear. They may be there, yes we do hear them, but no, they don’t represent reality. I may hear a car coming behind me when I am cycling, but until I turn to look, I cannot necessarily confirm it. We need to see in the Spirit. We need to walk by faith. Let’s look at the passage where this famous verse is found:
2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
This is the first spiritual truth for Christians! Not a Plan B as an alternative to life on here on the Earth but an infinitely better place. When we fully grasp this truth, the only difference whether we live or die is that we really should much better want to be in Heaven with the Lord, but know that He has a will for my life here in the purpose of His Kingdom. This is what Paul said, that to live is Christ, but to die is gain (Philippians 1:21). The only purposes our lives have are Kingdom purposes and all other things that do not add to Kingdom purposes have no value.
2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, 3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. 4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. 6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.
We are working way below our potential while we are here in the flesh, but because we have the Holy Spirit we are confident, even though while in the flesh, it is not like being with the Lord by a LARGE margin. This is what we see with our eyes but we have a solution to that:
7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. (NKJV)
Who We Are in the Spirit…
…is far more important than who we are in the flesh.
16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (NKJV)
As we know the love of God and who He has made us to be in the Spirit, we see each other as spirit beings, made in the image of God. Yes, in the flesh, we have our imperfections, but we know that these are issues that need the renewal of the mind (Romans 12:2, Ephesians 4:17-24). As we encounter God in the Word daily (2 Corinthians 3:18) we are transformed from glory to glory and we do not lose heart, (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) knowing that the things we see are temporal, against the eternal nature of spiritual things.
We ALL are new creations. Let’s allow spiritual truths replace physical truths in our minds, our souls, one truth at a time.
Spiritual Need is the Bigger Need
Every need we have stems from a spiritual need fulfilled in our Lord’s finished work that we have not realised. If I have a fear of failure, I have not realised that I can do all things in Christ (Philippians 4:13). If I worry about money it is because I don’t realise that Christ became poor that I might be rich (2 Corinthians 8:9), that He is able to make all grace abound, that we have sufficiency for every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8), a promise He had given in Matthew 6:33; our part is to seek the Kingdom. This is why Paul said:
Galatians 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. (NKJV)
When we understand that Spiritual needs have been met in Christ, we won’t fall prey to the needs of the flesh.
Ultimately, soul prosperity more important that body prosperity. The flesh always wants every comfort and that alone can keep us discontented. And discontentment always quickly leads to contentiousness.
When our souls are dominated by spiritual truths, when we are walking close to the Lord in the power of His promises in His Word, we prosper in all areas.
3 John 1:2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (NKJV)
Spiritual Know Frees Us
This is where we enjoy true freedom. Not in having everything the flesh needs, but in knowing that God loves us, that as we realise who we really are in Christ, in His love, we can deny ourselves to live in His completeness.
2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. (NKJV)
Situations may not change, but when we are renewed in His likeness, like great men in the Bible (Joseph, David, Paul, Our Lord Himself) we rise above the situations, because our purposes extend beyond our own fleshly needs.
So, Really, Just Who Are You?
Your identity in Christ is the single most important thing for life in the flesh. This is Paul’s declaration of his identity in the flesh:
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (NKJV)
He lives by believing in who Christ says he is, because he (like all of us born-again) was purchased by the precious blood of Jesus. He who freely gave us His Son, how will He not freely give us ALL things?
The Word says who you are in Christ. We can preach it, teach it, but only when YOU start to take these truths and make them the very truths you live in, the ones that power your life, can they start to make a difference. When we’re not just quoting another “Bible promise” but are realising that because of the precious blood of Jesus, He who loves us has opened this promise to us, made us who we really are.
This Year, I want for all of us to change our view of who we are, because of this finished work of Jesus.
Who You Are in Jesus Christ
Here is the list as it is. I certainly expect that it will be updated as we go along in the next few months:
- I am God’s Own Son
- Made into a Son and Blessed
- Led by God Himself
- Redeemed
- Needs are Provided
- Possess a Great Inheritance
- Have No Cause for Worry
- Have Revelation from Him
I am Loved and Accepted Completely in Christ
- Loved First!
- Great Love
- Great Grace
- Enduring, Everlasting Love
- Have Great Peace
- Recipient of His Mercy
- Set Free by Love
- A Love I Need to Know
I am Intimately One with God in Christ
- Born Again, A New Creation, A New Man
- One with God Through Jesus Christ.
- God’s Temple
- Know His Will
- Have God's Glory, His HS
- Am as Christ Is in This World.
- Joint Heir with Christ
- Great Glory in Me Awaits Revelation!
- Connected to Eternity
- Can Be Full of Him
I am Justified, Made Righteous, Sanctified and New
- Love Made Me Righteous
- Justified, Righteous
- Dead to Sin, Alive to God
- Sanctified in Christ
- As Holy as Christ
- Delivered from Darkness
- Set Free from Sin and Death
- Redeemed from the Curse
- At Rest from Works
I Have Authority in Christ
- Seated with Christ
- King and Priest unto God.
- Have His Authority
- Ambassador for Christ.
- Able Minister of the New Covenant
- Am a “living letter” of Jesus Christ
- Steward of the Mysteries of God
- No Fear
I am Empowered in Christ
- Know the God of All Creation Intimately
- Have His Word
- Empowered to Love
- Can Walk in Faith
- Have Power in Him
- Empowered to Know and Do His Will
- Protected in Trials
- Weapons to Win
I am Made Whole in Christ
- Complete in Christ
- Clothed with salvation.
- Healed in Jesus
- Possess a Sound Mind
- Have the Wisdom of Christ
- Have Freedom in Christ
- Am Being Transformed
I am a Winner in Christ
- More Than a Conqueror
- Have Victory in Him
- God is For Me
- Able to Do Exceedingly, Abundantly
I Have Promises of Great Rewards [very long list here]
I am The Blessed in Christ
- Blessings of Deuteronomy 28
- Blessed Because I Trust in Him
- Have Every Spiritual Blessing
- Have His Benefits
- Have Abundance in Him
- Have All Things for Life and Godliness
- Being Filled with Good Things
- Delivered from Evil
- Holy Partaker of the Heavenly Calling.
- God’s Workmanship in Christ
- Have All Things Freely Given
- Full of His Joy
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