Tuesday, January 22, 2013

The Believer's True Identity

Who are you?  You may think or say, "Well, I am a daughter.  I am a mother.  I am a sister."  Yes.  All of those terms may be true.  However, they are part of your physical identity.  It is just as important, if not more important, to know your spiritual identity.  Can you tell me now, "Who are you in Christ?" 

Through my journey the last few years, I have discovered that a lot of the body of Christ does not know their true identity.  It is very important to know one's true identity especially the believer's true identity in Christ.  A person must know who they are before they can believe and receive everything that is rightfully theirs. 

In order to observe or see yourself in the physical world, you have to look at yourself in a mirror.  The same is true of yourself in the spiritual world.  You also have to look at yourself in a mirror in order to see yourself in the spiritual realm.  However, the "mirror" in the spiritual world is the Bible or God's word.  Therefore, let's go to His word to look at our true identity in the spiritual world. 

Once we have accepted Jesus into our hearts and into our lives, we are new creations.  (2 Corinthians 5:17)  Many believers do not even seem to know and understand that part of their spiritual identity.  They think and act like they are still the 'old man' or the 'old creation'.  However, it is not true.  They are now 'new creations'.  It is important to see ourselves as God sees us in order to think and act like it.

In addition, we are Children of God.  We have been spiritually born into the Family of God.  (Romans 8:15-16; 1 John 3:1-2)  We have a new Father.  We also have a lot more sisters and brothers in our spiritual family. 

Next, we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus.  (Romans 8:17; Galatians 3:29, 4:7)  When someone is an heir, it means they have an inheritance.  When someone is a joint heir, it means that they also have an inheritance but that inheritance is joined to another person.  In this case, it is Jesus.  That is huge.  We receive everything that Jesus receives as an inheritance.  However, if you do not know your spiritual identity, then you will not be able to know and receive your inheritance.

We are also temples of the living God.  (1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 6:19-20)  Our bodies are God's temples.  When we accept Jesus into our hearts, His spirit lives within us.  Therefore, we should honor God our Father with our bodies.

Additionally, we are Saints of God.  (Ephesians 5:3; 1 Thessalonians 3:13)  When God looks at us, He already sees us as a finished person of God.  As far as He is concerned with us, we are His saints.  A saint thinks and acts differently and a lot better than an old sinner who is saved by grace.

Next, we are God's Beloved.  (Colossians 3:12; Ephesians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 1:4; 1 John 3:21, 4:7)  We are part of a special group of people who God loves dearly.  We are loved and cherished so much by God.

In addition, we are God's workmanship.  (Ephesians 2:8-10)  We are created by God for His purpose and plan.  (Jeremiah 29:11)  When you think of a workmanship, what do you think of now?  Personally, I think of a creation, or better yet, a masterpiece.

We are everything that our Father God says we are as we look in His mirror.  New Creations, Children of God, Heirs of God, Joint Heirs with Jesus, God's Temples, Saints of God, God's Beloved, and God's Workmanship.  Those terms are just some of the ones He uses to describe us in His word.  There are plenty more where those came from too.  We will look more into His mirror together at a later time.


Copyright 2013 by Dawn Freeman. All rights reserved.

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