To begin with, a foundational truth:
Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
Genesis 1:26-28
Image and Likeness, Dominion:
Identity and Authority are linked together. Authority comes out of our identity. A lot of our insecurity is due to a lack of identity. The ploy of the enemy is to prevent us knowing our identity; the enemy undermines us in our identity.
A policeman has authority, has an identity. His identity is through the uniform he wears. When he puts on the uniform he is immediately recognised as a man of authority and in that he knows that authority. His authority is given by the rulers of this country and he is under authority.
We have an Identity, we have an Authority only found in Jesus Christ.
Jesus – The Way, The Truth, The Life – John 14:6
Jesus knew His Identity, and He knew His God given authority. He was secure in that He knew who He was and is. He knew the strength of the Word of God, He is the Living Word.
Jesus tempted (Matthew 4:3-4) Son of God.
The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Building Blocks for Identity (Matthew 7:24-27) Revelation of Christ
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
Could This Be Said Of Us? Fall of Man:
Sons of Sceva (Acts 19:13-16) Secure in who you are.
Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. (One day) the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.
Fundamental Error:
If you will do, you will be. (Fall of Man – Genesis 3:9 – “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”)
Identity through – Function, Success, Groups, etc.
Take heed, dear Friends, to the promptings of love and truth in your hearts, which are the leadings of God. Resist not His strivings within you. It is His light that shows us our darkness and leads to true repentance. The love of God draws us to Him, a redemptive love shown forth by Jesus Christ in His life and on the cross. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. As His disciples, we are called to live in the life and power of the Holy Spirit.
For Christianity is not a matter of conformity to doctrine and the observance of forms, but an overwhelming sense of the nearness of God, through the indwelling Spirit of Christ. It’s the rediscovery of primitive Christianity, proclaiming that ‘Christ had come to teach His people Himself.’ It’s having that direct communion with God without the mediation of church or priests, relying on the inward authority of the Spirit rather than on the outward authority of the church and tradition. It’s knowing and loving the Bible but also getting behind the written word to the sources of its inspiration.
John the Baptist new that in himself he was no-one and that his priority was to prepare for the one to come as to why he said in John 3:30, He must become greater; I must become less.
Foundation of Identity:
Jesus asked the question (Matthew 16:13-18) “Who do they say that I am?”
Our foundation is that, “He is the Christ.” Our foundation is on Christ.
Who you are is who you are in Christ. Who you are will never be found outside of Christ.
(Ephesians 1:1-20) Identity In Christ. (In Christ, In Him):
Word and Spirit need to come together.
V4 Chosen before foundations of the world. God had the whole plan in mind before it began.God knew me. Who I was going to be, all of me before the foundation of the world. We are not accidents. (Psalm 139:13-16)
V5 Predestined to be adopted as sons.We cannot say we were not wanted.
1. Birth (Born Again), New Creation by the Holy Spirit. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
2. Adoption. A decision to make someone part of your family.God’s initiative, not ours. A chosen identity. (1 Peter 2:9-10)
V6 It’s an unearned identity. It was freely given to us. God does not look at failure but at what we are to come and who we are in Christ.It is not an excuse for laziness, but if we did nothing else for Christ, He would still love us.
V7 If we don’t deal with sin, we will not deal with identity. Our problems is sin. We have the same value to the Father as Jesus Christ did. The King has paid the price for us. We are not called for success but to be faithful.
V10-12 The identity we have is eternal. No-one can take it away. It is an eternal security of our identity. An identity with a future hope that we shall be with Him, throughout all eternity.
V13-14 We are sealed by the Holy Spirit. Access is by the Holy Spirit giving us revelation, imparted, dynamic truth.
Who you are is in Christ alone. Do you know your Identity?
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