A Matter of Being Someone




I read Neil Anderson's daily devotional. I thought this one was especially good and worth passing on....it speaks for itself.....

2 Corinthians 5:17 If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.


Being a Christian is not just a matter of getting something; it's a matter of being someone. A Christian is not simply a person who gets forgiveness, who gets to go to heaven, who gets the Holy Spirit, who gets a new nature. A Christian, in terms of our deepest identity, is a saint, a spiritually born child of God, a divine masterpiece, a child of light, a citizen of heaven. Being born again transformed you into someone who didn't exist before. What you receive as a Christian isn't the point; it's who you are. It's not what you do as a Christian that determines who you are; it's who you are that determines what you do (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:10; 1 Peter 2:9, 10; 1 John 3:1, 2).

Understanding your identity in Christ is absolutely essential to your success at living the Christian life. No person can consistently behave in a way that's inconsistent with the way he perceives himself. If you think you're a no-good bum, you'll probably live like a no-good bum. But if you see yourself as a child of God who is spiritually alive in Christ, you'll begin to live in victory and freedom as He lived. Next to a knowledge of God, a knowledge of who you are is by far the most important truth you can possess.

After years of working with people who are in deep spiritual conflict, I found one common denominator: None of them knew who they were in Christ. None knew of their spiritual heritage. All questioned their salvation and the love of God. Are you aware that there is someone alive and active in the world today who is dead set against you seeing yourself as spiritually alive and complete in Christ? Satan can do nothing to damage your position in Christ. But if he can deceive you into believing his lie--that you are not acceptable to God and that you'll never amount to anything as a Christian--then you will live as if you have no position or identity in Christ.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I take my stand as a child of God in Christ. Thank You for giving me this gracious and unwarranted position.

Comments

Anonymous said…
What is worth remembering is that all mankind bears the mark of the Creator God. All men are made in His image; all men are the focus of the King. He loves every single man and woman the same; the sinner and the saint. It is, however, our choices that give us our reward with God. We choose to accept Jesus as Lord or we do not. But our poor choices does not nullify God's love...but justice keeps Him from granting mercy to all. It is amazing what a correct view of God will do for you.
Good blog and good devotion.
December 23, 2006 at 8:10:00 AM EST
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