Walking out of the Woods – Leaving Things Behind and Seeking Him – Purity 613

 

Walking out of the Woods – Leaving Things Behind and Seeking Him – Purity 613

Purity 613 12/28/2021  Purity 613 Podcast

Good morning,

Today’s photo of the of white clouds and blue skies over weather stripped ice coated trees on the edge of Waite Road in Easton NY comes to us from yours truly and my afternoon stroll from this past Sunday.  Let’s face it the weather in upstate New York hasn’t given us too many blue skies as of late, heck they didn’t even last for the duration of that day, so I may be sharing more views from Sunday’s walk in the days ahead.   

Well it’s Tuesday, and I am sharing today’s photo because of its simple beauty and to represent that “we aren’t out of the woods yet” in so many ways.  

Spiritually, as Christians, even though we just finished celebrating Jesus’ coming as a babe in a manger on Saturday, we are still awaiting His second coming where he will come to rule and regain as King. 

In terms of the days on the calendar, we are quickly moving out of December and 2021, but we still have a few days until we get there and still have time to possibly get some business finished and resolve some things before the new year. 

In terms of the season, we may be past the winter solstice and the darkest day of the year and will experience increasing light that will peak at the spring equinox on March 20, 2022, but we still have to walk through a few months of winter to get there.    

And as the news will tell you, although many measures have been instituted to try to control “Covid-19”, and now all of its derivatives, we are apparently still not out of the woods yet of the pandemic according to the media.  Yesterday’s post spoke of my concerns of whether or not people’s fear of death would ever allow us to be “out of the woods” of Covid-19 protective measures and tried to encourage that we seek the Lord and speak of the protection and eternal life that comes through faith in Christ to a world that desperately needs it but that may claim to know better.

In truth, our lives are continuous, and we will always be in the process of leaving or entering wilderness periods in our lives as we face the changing situations that come with the passing of days.  

As we are bearers of the message of God’s light and truth that has been revealed to us in the person of Jesus Christ, sometimes it is extremely challenging to continue walking out our faith and speaking the truth of hope that only comes through Jesus. 

Christians are villainized as ignorant, unloving, intolerant, unscientific, hateful, backwards, and legalistic for the message of the exclusivity of Christ to save and for agreeing with what the word of God defines as sin.    

As much as we would like to please others and just to “get along” with everyone, Christ’s example shows us that we are to stand for the Truth of God’s word and not compromise our convictions. 

The bad news is that, even though we have been forgiven and made spiritually alive because our faith in Jesus Christ, we can still make mistakes and falter in the things we do and the words we say.  

However, the good news is that when we make mistakes we can take corrective action and seek to reestablish our harmony with God by asking for His forgiveness once again and choose to turn again to His truth and His ways for living. 

This process of seeking to know God and to make Him known in the ways we think and act, and the many adjustments that we will make as we progress into the future, is what is referred to as ‘walking in the Spirit” or “being conformed to the image of Christ”. 

It is not always clear sailing of the high seas of Christian Discipleship, and we often find ourselves in conflict with the world, the flesh, and the devil as we try to walk it out our Christian faith.     

Jesus promised persecution to His followers. So we can expect to be bruised and battered on occasion as we go, but as Christ’s disciples we really don’t have a choice but to continue on and to speak the truth in love knowing that the world will hate us because it hated Jesus too.  

So today I would just encourage us all to think about the final days of this year and if possible use the time that remains before the new year to resolve issues that we would like to leave behind in 2021 and seek to prepare ourselves for the hope of yet another “new beginning” in 2022. 

We may be able to put somethings to rest. We may be able to get rid of somethings that weigh us down that we don’t want to carry anymore.  We may be able to take some steps into a direction that leads to increasing freedom and victory.   

Although we can’t control the situations and people in our lives, we can control what we put our hearts, minds, and efforts to.  I would encourage you that the best plan for your life involves coming into agreement with what the word of God says and seeking the purpose that God has for your life.  

Christ encouraged us to look past this world and seek His heavenly Father’s ways for living. 

In Matthew 6:33 (NKJV), Christ told us to
³³  … seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

“All these things” was referring to the things we need in life, and our seeking God’s kingdom and His righteousness would result in us receiving them. 

In Matthew 7:7 (NKJV), Jesus again encouraged His disciples to:
⁷  "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Christ encourages us to actively seek and ask for what He has for our lives and, as this verse indicates, when we seek and ask for it, God will give it to us.   

So look at the remaining days of 2021 and contemplate what needs to be left behind to draw closer to what Lord has for your life.  As a fellow disciple of Christ, I encourage you to know that what Christ said is true and that when you seek and ask for it you will receive all the things that God has for you.  

So although we might not be out of the woods yet in many ways, keep walking and talking with God because His ways are the best ways, and He will guide you out of the wilderness and bring you to where you should be.

 

Today’s Bible verse comes to us from “The NLT Bible Promise Book for Men”.

This morning’s meditation verse is: 

Ephesians 1:22 (NLT2)
²²  God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.  

Today’s verse makes it clear that Jesus is in control, and it reminds us that is a good thing for the church.  

Jesus proclaimed the truth of this verse in one of the concluding verses of Matthew’s gospel, when He said in:

Matthew 28:18 (NKJV)
¹⁸  … "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

This spiritual reality will become clear and will ultimately come to bear when Christ returns to reclaim and judge the earth but the truth of this reality exists here and now and can be experienced when we come into a covenant relationship with Jesus and share in His authority as Christians. 

That’s why this verse in Ephesians speaks of the fact that Christ’s receiving authority over all things is for the benefit of the church.  It is for the benefit of the church because we can claim and utilize the authority that Christ has over all things.  

While God may bless us by using Christ’s authority to answer our prayers to give us the desires of our hearts or to give us the gifts of the Spirit, the most profound way that the church can benefit from Christ’s authority over all things is in the area of personal sanctification. 

Christ’s authority is used for God’s purposes, not our personal desires.  So while we might not be successful in claiming Christ’s authority over all situations and in influencing other people because of our lack discernment or wisdom, the word of God states that our sanctification is God’s will for our lives.  

So we can claim the victory over sin and death that Christ’s authority has given us to conquer our fear of death and to align our thoughts and behavior to be more like Christ’s.   

Exercising Christ’s authority over our lives is just a matter of knowing who we are in Christ, believing what the word of God says, and applying it to our lives in our thoughts and actions.  

We most benefit as the church when we exercise Christ’s authority to be more like Him and to encourage others to join His kingdom and us as we seek to do His will for our lives.     

So claim the authority that Christ has intended for our benefit and use it for good in our lives and for God’s purposes. 

 

As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.org where I always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk. 

Today we continue to share from Dr. Neil Anderson’s . “Restored: Experience Life with Jesus”. Today, we continue sharing from Chapter 1.    

As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage all to purchase Dr. Neil Anderson’s books for your own private study and to support his work.

SAVED BY THE GRACE OF GOD THROUGH FAITH

The only way we can enter into this new life is by putting our faith and trust totally in God and relying on the work of Christ alone to save us. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”₂₁ If you have never received this free gift from God, why don’t you do so right now? God knows your heart, and you can respond to Him by praying:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Jesus to die on the cross for my sins. I acknowledge that I have sinned and that I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus came to give me eternal and spiritual life, and by faith I now choose to receive You into my life as my Lord and my Savior. By the power of Your indwelling presence, enable me to be the person You created me to be. I pray that You would grant me repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, so that I can experience my new identity and freedom in Christ and be transformed by the renewing of my mind. In Jesus’ precious name I pray. Amen.

The Apostle John wrote, “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.”₂₂ “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.”₂₃ Jesus instructed His disciples to address our prayers to, “Our Father who is in heaven,”₂₄ which also means that we are His children. Knowing who you are as a child of God is critical for your growth in Christ and in becoming the person God intends you to be. No person can consistently behave in a way that is inconsistent with what they believe about themselves. That is why the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.₂₅ Our heavenly Father wants us to know that we are His children.

Yet Jesus came not only came to die for our sins and give us new life in Him, but also to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.₂₆ He gave us life, and this life gives us our true identity as children of God. He meets our needs of acceptance, security, and significance as follows:

IN CHRIST

I am accepted:

John 1:12            I am God’s child.

John 15:15          I am Jesus’ chosen friend.

Rom 5:1               I have been made holy and accepted by God (justified).

1 Cor 6:17            I am united with the Lord and one with Him in spirit.

1 Cor 6:20            I have been bought with a price-- I belong to God.

1 Cor 12:27          I am a member of Christ’s body, part of His family.

Eph1:1                I am a saint, a holy one.

Eph 1:5               I have been adopted as God’s child.

Eph 2:18              I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit.

Col1:14                I have been bought back (redeemed) and forgiven of all my sins.

Col 2:10               I am complete in Christ.

I am secure:

Rom 8:1, 2           I am free forever from punishment (condemnation).

Rom 8:28             I am assured that all things work together for my good.

Rom 8:31F           I am free from any condemning charges against me.

Rom 8:35F           I cannot be separated from the love of God.

2 Cor 1:21            I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God.

Col 3:3                 I am hidden with Christ in God.

Phil 1:6                I am sure the good work God has started in me will be finished.

Phil 3:20              I am a citizen of heaven.

2 Tim 1:7             I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.

Heb 4:16              I can find grace and mercy in time of need.

1 John 5:18         I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me.

I am significant:

Matt 5:13             I am salt and light for everyone around me.

John 15:1-5         I am a part of the true vine, joined to Christ and able to produce much fruit.

John 15:16          I have been handpicked by Jesus to bear fruit.

Acts 1:8               I am a personal witness of Christ’s.

1 Cor 3:16            I am God’s temple where the Holy Spirit lives.

2 Cor 5:17            I am at peace with God, and He has given me the work of making peace between Himself and other people. I am a minister of reconciliation.

2 Cor 6:1             I am God’s co-worker.

Eph 2:6               I am seated with Christ in the heavenly places.

Eph 2:10              I am God’s workmanship.

Eph 3:12              I may approach God with freedom and confidence.

Phil 4:13              I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

All these statements are true because of our union with God. This new life in Christ, which is our union with God, is most often referred to in the Bible as being “in Christ” or “in Him.” For every verse in the Bible that talks about Christ being in God’s children, there are ten verses that talk about God’s children being “in Christ.” For instance, the six chapters of the book of Ephesians contain forty references to being “in Christ.” In total, there are 27 books in the New Testament. The first four are historical and are called the gospels, which describe the birth, life, death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. The fifth book of Acts is an historical book depicting the life of the early church and the work of the Apostles, who also wrote the rest of the New Testament under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. These Epistles provide instruction for the church, which is the living body of Christ. The entire Bible was written over a period of 1400 years by forty different authors who all wrote under the inspiration of God. The Bible is therefore the authoritative Word for life and practice of all God’s people. After Jesus was resurrected, He appeared to His disciples and hundreds of others who were still alive when the New Testament was being written.₂₇ He was with them for around fifty days, and then went home to Heaven. He now sits at the right hand of God the Father, which is the spiritual throne and the seat of authority for the universe.

After Jesus was glorified in Heaven, the Holy Spirit was sent to all those who believe in the finished work of Jesus. The pouring out of the Holy Spirit came at the Jewish feast of Pentecost, which marks the beginning of the Church. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth₂₈ and dwells in every believer the moment they are born again spiritually. The Holy Spirit will lead you into all truth, and that truth will set you free.

---------------------------more tomorrow------------------------

 

Join our “Victory over the Darkness” or “The Bondage Breaker” series of Discipleship Classes via the mt4christ247 podcast!

at https://mt4christ247.podbean.com, You can also find it on Apple podcasts

(https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mt4christ247s-podcast/id1551615154). The mt4christ247 podcast is also available on Google Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartradio, and Audible.com. 

Email me at mt4christ247@gmail.com to receive the class materials, share your progress, and to be encouraged.

 

Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship

In the Word with Darren Duso - Guest Appearance - Identity

 In the Word with Darren Duso - Identity Part 2 Podcast - with MT Clark

I recently went on "In the Word with Darren Duso" and discussed Our Identity in Christ using Dr. Neil Anderson' Who I am in Christ and included the scriptures for each statement. 

For more episodes of "In the Word with Darren Duso" go to: In the Word with Darren Duso

We didn't get through all the items on the list in the time allotted so I am reproducing that resource here in it's entirety.: 

Who I am in Christ

I AM ACCEPTED IN CHRIST

·       I am God’s Child (John 1:12)

John 1:11-13 (NKJV)
¹¹ He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
¹² But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
¹³ who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

·       I am Christ’s Friend (John 15:15)

John 15:13-15 (NKJV)
¹³ Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.
¹⁴ You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
¹⁵ No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.

·       I have been justified (Romans 5:1)

Romans 5:1-5 (NKJV)
¹ Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
² through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
³ And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;
⁴ and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
⁵ Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

·       I am united with the Lord and one with Him in Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17)

1 Corinthians 6:17-18 (NKJV)
¹⁷ But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

·       I have been bought with a price; I belong to God (1 Corinthians 6:20)

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NKJV)
¹⁹ Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
²⁰ For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

·       I am a member of Christ’s body (1 Corinthians 12:27)

1 Corinthians 12:27 (NKJV)
²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

·       I am a saint (Ephesians 1:1)

Ephesians 1:1 (NKJV)
¹ Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:

·       I have been adopted as God’s child (Ephesians 1:5)

Ephesians 1:3-6 (NKJV)
³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
⁴ just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
⁵ having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
⁶ to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.

·       I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:18)

Ephesians 2:18 (NKJV)
¹⁸ For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

·       I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins (Colossians 1:14)

Colossians 1:13-14 (NKJV)
¹³ He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
¹⁴ in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

·       I am complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10)

Colossians 2:9-10 (NKJV)
⁹ For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
¹⁰ and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. 

Who I am in Christ

I AM SECURE IN CHRIST

·       I am free forever from condemnation (Romans 8:1)

Romans 8:1-2 (NKJV)
¹ There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

 

·       I am assured that all things work together for good (Romans 8:28)

Romans 8:27-28 (NKJV)
²⁷ Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

·       I am free from the condemning charges against me (Romans 8:33-34)

Romans 8:31-34 (NKJV)
³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
³² He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
³³ Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.
³⁴ Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

·       I cannot be separated from the love of God (Romans 8:35, 38-39)

Romans 8:35-39 (NKJV)
³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
³⁶ As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."
³⁷ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

·       I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)

2 Corinthians 1:20-22 (NKJV)
²⁰ For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.
²¹ Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God,
²² who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

·       I am a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20)

Philippians 3:20-21 (NKJV)
²⁰ For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
²¹ who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

·       I am hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3)

Colossians 3:1-4 (NKJV)
¹ If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
² Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
³ For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
⁴ When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

 

·       I can find grace and mercy to help me in time of need (Hebrews 4:16)

Hebrews 4:14-16 (NKJV)
¹⁴ Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
¹⁵ For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

·       I am born of God, and the evil one cannot touch me (1 John 5:18)  

1 John 5:18 (NKJV)
¹⁸ We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.

·  I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Tim 1:7)

2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)
⁷ For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

·  I am confident that the good work God has begun in me will be perfected (Phil 1:6)

Philippians 1:6 (NKJV)
⁶ being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

Who I am in Christ

I AM SIGNIFICANT IN CHRIST

·       I am the salt and light of the earth (Matthew 5:13-16)

Matthew 5:13-16 (NKJV)
¹³ "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
¹⁴ You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
¹⁵ Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

·       I am a branch of the true vine, a channel to His life (John 15:1,5)

John 15:1-8 (NKJV)
¹ "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
² Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
³ You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
⁴ Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
⁵ I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
⁶ If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
⁷ If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
⁸ By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

·       I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16)

John 15:16 (NKJV)
¹⁶ You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

·       I am a personal witness of Christ (Acts 1:8)

Acts 1:8 (NKJV)
⁸ But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

 

·       I am God’s temple (1 Corinthians 3:16)

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (NKJV)
¹⁶ Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
¹⁷ If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

·       I am a minister of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:17-20)

2 Corinthians 5:17-20 (NKJV)
¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
¹⁸ Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,
¹⁹ that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
²⁰ Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.

·       I am God’s coworker (2 Corinthians 6:1)

2 Corinthians 6:1 (NKJV)
¹ We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

***We receive the grace of God in vain when we don’t work with God”

·       I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6)

Ephesians 2:4-7 (NKJV)
⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
⁵ even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
⁶ and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
⁷ that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

·       I am God’s workmanship (Ephesians 2:10)

Ephesians 2:8-10 (NKJV)
⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast.
¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

·       I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Ephesians 3:12)

Ephesians 3:11-12 (NKJV)
¹¹ according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,
¹² in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.

·       I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13)

Philippians 4:11-13 (NKJV)
¹¹ Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:
¹² I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
¹³ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

 

 Freedom in Christ Lesson 2 Podcast

Freedom in Christ Lesson 2: Who am I? 

Focus Verse:

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)
¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Objective: To realize that deep down inside we are now completely new creations in Christ, “holy ones” who are accepted, secure, and significant.  

Focus Truth: Your decision to follow Christ was the defining moment of your life and led to a complete change in who you are now.

Psalm 33:10-11 (NKJV)
¹⁰ The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.
¹¹ The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations.

 

Job 42:2 (NKJV)
² "I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.

 Proverbs 19:21 (NKJV)

²¹ There are many plans in a man's heart, Nevertheless the LORD'S counsel--that will stand.

 What was God’s The Original Design for us?  

John 4:24 (NKJV)
²⁴ God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

John 3:5-6 (NKJV)
⁵ Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
⁶ That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

This spiritual life, this connection to God, gave Adam three very significant things:

1.    Acceptance

Adam had an intimate relationship with God. He could talk with Him at any time and have His full attention.  

2.    Significance

Adam was given a purpose for being –

Genesis 1:26 (NKJV)
²⁶  Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

3.    Security

He was totally safe and secure in God’s presence. Everything he needed was provided for – food, shelter, companionship – everything!

Here’s the key thing to get hold of. You were created for that kind of life: One that includes:

·       complete acceptance by God and other people, - Christian Community

·       significance – having a real purpose and a designation of value and importance; and

·       absolute security – with no need to worry about a single thing.  

Pause for Thought 1

Questions:

What prompted you to come to the Freedom in Christ Course and what are your hopes for it?

What were the consequences of Adam and Eve’s sin? What are the ways it caused their relationship with God to change?

What sort of things in our daily lives promise to make us feel accepted, significant, and secure?

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What Jesus Came to Do

John 10:10 (NKJV)

¹⁰ …. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Other verses in John referring to the life Jesus came to bring: John 6:48; 11:25; 14:6.

John 6:48-50 (NKJV)
⁴⁸  I am the bread of life.
⁴⁹  Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
⁵⁰  This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.

John 11:25 (NKJV)
²⁵  Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

John 14:6 (NKJV)
⁶  Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

 Eternal life is not just something you get when you die, It’s a whole different quality of life right now (John 5:24). 

John 5:24 (NKJV) ²⁴  "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. 

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)
¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

“If you are not sure that you are that you are a Christian then it’s a matter of choosing to receive God’s free gift and making Him your Lord. Simply thank God that He sent Jesus to die for you when you were in a completely hopeless state and accept Him as your Lord and Savior. There’ll be an opportunity to do this at the end of the session.”

Can you be partly old creation and partly new? No!

Ephesians 5:8 (NKJV)
⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light

Can you be both light and darkness? Not according to that verse. 

Many of us have come to think of ourselves as a “sinner saved by grace.”

You certainly were a sinner, and you were saved by grace alone. But here’s an interesting verse.

Romans 5:8 (NKJV)
⁸ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Past tense. This verse seems to imply that we’re no longer sinners. 

In the New Testament, the word “sinner” appears over 300 times. But it’s clearly a shorthand way of referring to people who are not yet Christians. You never see it applied to a Christian, at least not in terms of who they are now, only in terms of who they used to be. 

There’s another word that is shorthand for believers and you’ll find it over 200 times.  Traditionally in English this word has been translated “saint”, but it really means “holy ones,” Languages such as Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and French don’t have this problem “– the same word still means both “holy one” and “saint’. 

 “Although in some traditions it is common to use the word “saint” to refer to a Christian role mode whose life on earth is complete, the Bible uses it to refer to Christian believers in local churches”.

Yes, you are holy. Set apart by God. Special. At the moment you became a Christian – even if you can’t pinpoint the exact moment – you became completely new in your inner person. Who you are deep down inside changed from being someone who couldn’t help but displease God to someone who is accepted, significant, and secure in Christ.

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Pause for Thought 2

Questions:

John 10:10 says that Jesus came to bring us life in all its fullness. What do you think that might look like in practice? 

How might knowing that we are “saints” or “holy ones” instead of “sinners” change how we see ourselves?

What are some of the things that could prevent us from fully knowing that we are now new creations in Christ who are completely forgiven?

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 What Happens When I Go Wrong?

 One of the main problems we have with seeing ourselves as saints rather than sinners is: we are painfully aware that we still sin.  

However, that doesn’t mean that we are living in a state of sinless perfection. The Bible is clear:

1 John 1:8 (NKJV)
⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

We will go wrong from time to time.

Perhaps an accurate way to describe us would be “saints who sometimes sin.” 

When we do wrong, we need simply to go to our loving Father, agree with Him that we were wrong, change our thinking about sin, turn away from it, and know our sin is already forgiven because of Christ’s work on the cross. 

The truth is: nothing you do can make God love you any more – or any less. If you were the only person in the whole world who needed Christ to die, He would have died just for you. That’s how special you are!

I’ve posted the “Who I am in Christ” list on the mt4christ.org blog post for Lesson 2 of The Freedom in Christ Course. Neil Anderson has taken a variety of verses from the Bible that tells us who we really are if we have decided to follow Jesus and has put them in the “I” form.   Let’s read them together.  

Who I am in Christ

I AM ACCEPTED IN CHRIST

I renounce the lie that I am rejected, unloved, or shameful. In Christ, I am accepted. God says:

          I am God’s Child (John 1:12)

          I am Christ’s Friend (John 15:15)

          I have been justified (Romans 5:1)

          I am united with the Lord and one with Him in Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17)

          I have been bought with a price; I belong to God (1 Corinthians 6:20)

          I am a member of Christ’s body (1 Corinthians 12:27)

          I am a saint, a holy one (Ephesians 1:1)

          I have been adopted as God’s child (Ephesians 1:5)

          I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:18)

          I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins (Colossians 1:14)

          I am complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10)

I AM SECURE IN CHRIST

I renounce the lie that I am guilty, unprotected, alone, or abandoned. In Christ, I am secure. God says:

          I am free forever from condemnation (Romans 8:1)

          I am assured that all things work together for good (Romans 8:28)

          I am free from the condemning charges against me (Romans 8:33-34)  

          I cannot be separated from the love of God (Romans 8:35, 38-39)

I am a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20)

I am hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3)

          I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)

          I can find grace and mercy to help me in time of need (Hebrews 4:16)

          I am born of God, and the evil one cannot touch me (1 John 5:18)  

I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Tim 1:7)

I am confident that the good work God has begun in me will be perfected. (Phil 1:6)

 

I AM SIGNIFICANT IN CHRIST

I renounce the lie that I am worthless, inadequate, helpless, or hopeless. In Christ, I am significant. God says:

          I am the salt and light of the earth (Matthew 5:13-14)

          I am a branch of the true vine, a channel to His life (John 15:1,5)

          I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16)

          I am a personal Spirit-empowered witness of Christ (Acts 1:8)

          I am God’s temple (1 Corinthians 3:16)

          I am a minister of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:17-20)

          I am fellow worker with God (2 Corinthians 6:1)

          I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6)

          I am God’s workmanship, created for good works (Ephesians 2:10)

          I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Ephesians 3:12)

          I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13)

I am not the great “I Am,” but by the grace of God I am what I am.

 

You may have been sitting here thinking “Does all this apply to me?” If you are a Christian the answer is a definite yes- but if you are not a Christian it doesn’t. If you are not quite sure you are a Christian or know that you are not, it’s very easy for you to make a decision to make Jesus the Lord of your life. You can do that by speaking to Him in your own heart. 

If you want to, you can pray it with me. Let’s pray: Thank You, Jesus, for dying in my place to take away all of my sin. Right now I accept Your free gift of life. I choose to make you Lord of my life so that I can become someone completely new. Thank you that I belong to You and now am Your child.”  

If you prayed that prayer for the first time, go and tell someone. It will make their day. It means that the list of Biblical facts we read now definitely apply to you. 

There was a pastor who loved skiing. One season he was given a brand-new electric pass you don’t even have to take out of your pocket to go through the gate to the ski lift. But sometimes when he tried to get through the gate the screen said, “not valid.”

However, he found that if he jumped around in front of the gate long enough, it would eventually let him through, He finally discovered the problem. In another pocket in his ski jacket, he was carrying the old card from the previous year and the machine sometimes reading the old card rather than the new one. The moment he got rid of the old card, the problem disappeared.

As a believer in Christ you now have a new card, a new identity. Get rid of your old way of thinking because your old identity has gone, and your new identity has come. Begin to recognize who you really are in Christ!

Reflection 

Encourage people to face each other and look at each other as they speak. Ask them to speak slowly, deliberately, and meaningfully. Some will find this a little uncomfortable, but it can be incredibly powerful.      

Get together with one other person and have the first person read the Who I AM in Christ statements to the other changing the I am to You Are:  

Read the List

Now that you have said these statements about yourself, and I have confirmed them personally to you as true. Use this week to reflect on them. I also invite you to look up the Bible verses for each statement and to read and reflect on them. 

Think about which statements impacted you and why. Spend some time praying to God to thank Him for the new person He has made you to be in your inner person. Ask God to give you a deeper understanding of the acceptance, security, and significance that you have received in Christ.   

Let me close in prayer:

Dear heavenly Father, 

Thank you for giving us a new eternal life through our faith in Jesus Christ. I pray that all who attend the class in person or via the podcast come to a better understanding of who they are in Christ in both their minds and in their hearts. I pray that the Holy Spirit will bless them with new revelations and insights and a new passion to experience and live out their freedom in Christ.  In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

 

 Witness: If you were asked by a neighbor to explain the difference between a Christian and someone who is not yet a Christian, what would you say? Do you think that a Christian is in any way better than a non-Christian? What would you say to someone who asks you, “Why should I become a Christian?”

In the Coming Week: Read the Who I Am in Christ List out loud every day. Then pick one of the truths that is particularly meaningful to you and spend some time reading it in its context and asking God to help you understand it more fully.   

Thank You for your interest! 

We pray that you have made Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior of your life and that you are becoming to know your acceptance, security, and significance in Christ.