New ‘Identity’ [v220]
JUNE 2017
Salvador was a Cuban spy that turned himself in to the United States government, and they offered him asylum, protection, and a NEW IDENTITY.
Originally, Salvador was sent to Miami as a ‘mole’ in order to learn military secrets from the United States government. However, Cuban nationalists with whom Salvador associated incognito, eventually led him to renounce his loyalties to Castro. As a result, Salvador agreed to ‘turncoat’ and tell all. The U.S. government then masterminded a ‘murder’ of Salvador, so Castro’s officials would assume that their spy got caught and was killed. Once the plan was carried out, Salvador was issued a NEW IDENTITY—a new name, new documents, and a NEW ‘LIFE’.
This kind of thing has been happening since the mid-1960s, when the “Witness Protection Program” was established—now known as the “Witness Security Program,” or “WITSEC.” It is part of the U.S. Marshals Service.
It provides for the security, health, and safety of government witnesses and their immediate dependents, whose lives are in danger as a result of their testimony against drug traffickers, terrorists, organized crime members, major criminals, or even other countries.
The successful operation of this program is widely recognized as providing a unique and valuable tool in the government’s battle against major criminal conspirators and organized crime.
Witnesses and their families typically get new identities with authentic documentation. The U.S. Department of Justice erases their old identities, and places them in a city where they are not likely to be recognized—with new identities.
A new identity also has the benefit of giving witnesses a truly ‘fresh start’. The program is an example of both salience and the liminality of identity. But, the transition to a new life “doesn’t always come easily,” said Gerald Shur, the person who created the program. He added, “It takes time for them to adjust.”
[ This is the trailer for the “In Plain Sight” TV program, a crime drama about the WITSEC Program that ran from 2008-2012 ].
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3lWEzlOy2s
So, since one’s ‘identity’ can be changed at least in the “witness protection” world, can this really happen to us in ‘real life’? Can our identity be changed?
Well, to determine if it can, and what might be able to be changed, let’s first find out what our identity is, then what it entails to change it.
What makes you, you? Well, physical things like your sex, appearance, fingerprints, and your DNA. You are also ‘defined’ by things like your name, family, marital status, where you live, what you do, who you know, how much you have, likes/dislikes, and your past experiences.
Identity is a stable “self-understanding”—the ‘core’ of who you think you are, fundamentally—what you are really about. Then there’s “self-regard,” which is how you feel about who you are.
A more ‘detailed’ definition of identity is—the qualities and beliefs that distinguish you from others. There happens to be a few components associated with it. The major ones are: Self assessment, world view, and self esteem.
“Self assessment” is composed of such things as personality attributes, knowledge of one’s skills and abilities, one’s occupation and hobbies, and even the awareness of one’s physical attributes.
It is also not restricted to the present. It includes our past and future selves. Our past selves have ‘made’ us who we are, but our future selves represent an individual’s ideas of what they would like to become (or are afraid of becoming). Possible selves also may function as an incentive for future behavior and provide an evaluative and interpretive context for the current view of themselves.
One’s “world view” refers to the ‘framework’ a person uses to organize and define what the world means to them. It allows us to understand how the world functions and how it is structured—like the physical universe, the Earth, society, culture, and our minds. It makes up our values and morals, and the rules of how we and others should act, relate, and operate within the world. It is a ‘filter’ which we make judgments of others and ourselves.
“Self esteem” refers to a person’s overall evaluation or appraisal of his or her own ‘worth’. Generally speaking, it is an emotional measure of how well we are living up to our world view. It is perhaps the single most important emotional gauge of measuring our happiness, success, well being, confidence, and assurances. In simple terms, when you experience an event or situation that supports your world view, your esteem increases—and vice versa.
So, the sense of who you are—your self assessment—is your personality and attributes. Your behavior is then dependent upon your world view. How well you measure up to that world view is then reflected based on your self esteem. Each component then works together to define your identity.
Sadly, the majority of people in the world today are suffering from an identity ‘crisis’. Collectively and individually, people today don’t have a strong sense of who they are, what they want, or how to achieve it. They drift through life, following the whims and fads of the world, instead of accepting responsibility and pursuing maturity.
Many people in our society are on a seemingly endless and often frantic quest for personal identity and self-worth. Identity crises are common at almost every age level. They are carrying around the ‘labels’ of divorced, bankrupt, bipolar, abused, immigrant, or disabled as their key identity. Others tend to be proud and label themselves as rich, powerful, or important. Yet, each of these fail to properly describe one’s ‘true’ identity.
That is tragic, yet understandable, since the Bible begins by telling us that God created man to bear His image (identity) and enjoy His fellowship forever. However, when Adam and Eve disobeyed Him, they violated that purpose and plunged the entire human race into sin. That created, within man, a spiritual void and an identity crisis of unimaginable proportions. Throughout the ages, people have tried to fill that void with a myriad of substitutes, but ultimately it ends in despair.
Despite that bleak picture, a ‘true sense’ of identity is available to every Christian. It comes from knowing that God Himself personally ‘selected’ you to be His child!
Christians don’t need to struggle with the kind of identity crisis the world has. They have been redeemed and claimed by Christ, brought into His family, and are being transformed into His likeness. As the Apostle Paul said: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” [ Galatians 2:20 ]. This is referred to as being “in Christ.”
That glorious truth describes the spiritual state of every believer. We are no longer isolated and alone—Jesus ‘bought’ us with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20) and ‘grafted’ us into His family (Romans 11:17). So, if one is “in Christ,” they have a NEW ‘IDENTITY’ and have begun a new ‘life’! “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” [ 2 Corinthians 5:17 ].
With this new birth comes a new identity. We no longer live for ourselves—and we are no longer ourselves. We are a new creation. Paul wrote about this new creation in Galatians: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” [ Galatians 2:20 ]. Being identified with Christ means full and free acceptance by God, the ability to approach Him without condemnation, but with complete forgiveness and righteousness before Him—and presented to Him one day as blameless and perfect. Now, that’s amazing grace!
So, what exactly does this new identity entail? Well, each of us was born with three crucial needs: ACCEPTANCE (knowing I am valued for who I am; Self-worth); SECURITY (knowing I am loved unconditionally); and SIGNIFICANCE (knowing my life has purpose or meaning).
It’s not a coincidence that God ‘designed’ us to find these needs met only through a relationship with Him. These are some things one can expect to experience after being “born-agin,” and receiving their new identity “in Christ”:
ACCEPTANCE
– I am God’s child
– I am a friend of Jesus Christ
– I have been justified (declared righteous)
– I am united with the Lord, and I am one with Him in spirit
– I am valuable, bought with a high price (Jesus’ death)
– I am a member of Christ’s body
– I have been chosen by God and adopted as His child
– I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins
– I am complete in Christ
– I have direct access to God the Father through Jesus Christ
– I am precious and honored in God’s eyes
– The Holy Spirit gives me confidence, not fear
SECURITY
– I am free from condemnation
– I am assured that God works for my good in all circumstances
– I am free from any condemnation and guilt
– I cannot be separated from the love of God
– I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God
– I am hidden with Christ in God
– I am confident that God will complete the good work He started in me
– I am a citizen of Heaven
– I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind
– I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me
– I have been adopted as a child of God
– I am redeemed and called by name
– God has promised never to abandon me
– The Holy Spirit is my guarantee of eternal life
– God will guide my steps if I surrender to Him
SIGNIFICANCE
– I am God’s temple
– I am a minister of reconciliation for God
– I am seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly realm
– I am God’s workmanship
– I may approach God with freedom and confidence
– I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me
– I can call God “Abba! Father!”
– I am an heir of the Kingdom
– I am a branch of Jesus Christ, the true vine, and a channel of His life. I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit
– God has a plan for my life
– Everything, even disaster, can work for good
– The Holy Spirit will guide and show me God’s will
– God will fulfill His plan for my life
So, as you can see, as a born-again Christian, when you fully understand this truth, you will never again have a problem with feeling insignificant. It proves your worth. If you are that important to God (He ‘selected’ you), and He considers that you are valuable enough to be with Him for eternity, what greater significance could you have?!
All this requires a bit of gratitude and humbleness. It is not what you have done or what has been done to you that determines who you are, rather it is WHO YOU ARE “IN CHRIST” that determines that. Your identity in Christ is not achieved; it’s received. It is the unshakable ground upon which you build your life. You will no longer have to base your identity upon what you have done or what others say of you, but rather what God says about you!
In your new identity in Christ, you are no longer ‘slaves’ to sin, and are reconciled to God. This new identity completely changes your relationship with God, just as it changes the way you will see the world. Your new identity in Christ means you are His children—God has adopted you! You are now able to call God “Abba! Father!” (John 1:12-13). You are both joint heirs and friends of Jesus, and this relationship is even stronger than those we have with our earthly families.
You now can ‘approach’ God, and ask of Him what you need. You can ask for His guidance and wisdom, and know that He will ‘consider’ any request.
You are no longer citizens of the world, but set apart from it—nor should you place any importance on things the world values, because you are now a ‘citizen’ of God’s Kingdom. In many respects, you should no longer consider yourself the same person!
Now, some of the things related to your new identity, will be things you will ‘work on’ while you are here on the earth—and you will have to develop them. Before Jesus left this earth, He already had a plan to help us with this—an ‘Advocate’—the Holy Spirit. “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you” [ John 16:7 ].
To be “in Christ” is to be ‘enveloped’ by the Holy Spirit—to be ‘sealed’, and to bear ‘fruits’ of that miracle (Galatians 5:22-23)—to have God ‘living inside’ you! He enables the believer a desire to turn from sin , to pursue righteousness, piety, holiness, prayer, and servanthood.
The Holy Spirit brings about the will of God in a believer’s life. No one “in Christ” is left to their own devices. The Holy Spirit also provides an inward assurance that you belong to God and are His children.
[ For more detailed info about the Holy Spirit, see this pervious “Life’s Deep Thoughts” posts:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/the-spirit-v174/
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/empowered-willpower-v207/ ].
Now, if you are not experiencing these things in your life, one of two things are probably happening—either you have not yet entered into a ‘saving’ relationship with Jesus, or you are under ‘attack’ from the Enemy (the devil).
You may ‘have’ religion and know about God, but you have never been truly “born-again.” Jesus warned, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven” [ Matthew 7:21 ]. Whoa, that’s pretty terrifying! It should give us pause to look at ourselves to be sure that we are of the faith, and have begun a genuine ‘relationship’ with God.
The Apostle Paul said, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?” [ 2 Corinthians 13:5 ].
If you think that you have a relationship with God simply because you prayed the “sinner’s prayer,” got baptized, go to church, actively serve as a volunteer, and do good things for the poor, you still should be concerned. While all of these things are honorable, none of them can “save” you. Notice that “you” are the only one mentioned in every one of the situations—not God.
Back in the times when Jesus was on the earth, the Pharisees did all these thing—and even more—but they didn’t ‘know’ God. That’s why Jesus continually warned them that they would be condemned at the final judgement, despite their self assurances that they were ‘fine’ (Matthew 23:13-33).
Regardless of your denominational preferences, your ‘relationship’ with God must start with repentance of your sins and belief in the ‘atonement’ that Jesus afforded us. [ NOTE: See last month’s post “‘Saved’ From Death” about how to be redeemed and “born-again”: https://markbesh.wordpress.com/saved-from-death-v219/ ].
So, if you are confident you are truly ‘saved’, then one other reason you may not be experiencing all the ‘assets’ of your new identity in Christ is that you may be experiencing “spiritual warfare.”
The “In Plain Sight,” crime drama trailer that was showed at the beginning of this post ended with the main character, U.S. Marshal Mary Shannon—whose job is to ensure the safety of people in the Federal Witness Relocation Program as they attempt to start new lives—saying, “Someone wants them dead.” Well, spiritually speaking, that would be Satan. He wants you to assume that only the superstitious and credulous take him seriously.
The Apostle Peter warned his disciples that Satan is subtle and deceitful: “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith” [ 1 Peter 5:8-9 ]. Satan does not like your new ‘identity’, and will do everything he can to dissuade you from living this new God-given ‘reality’! Thankfully, this is something the Holy Spirit will help you overcome.
Your new identity is not something you achieved by converting yourselves or by trying to enter into it. It was given to you graciously by God, apart from and outside of yourselves. Just as Salvador could never again return to his former identity and owed his loyalty to those who had given him the new identity, so “released from the service of sin, you entered the service of righteousness” (Romans 6:18). Before, righteousness made no claims on you to which you could respond favorably, but now, because you are united to Christ, you have “a new heart and a new spirit within you” (Ezekiel 36:26), and you now can “put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” [ Ephesians 4:22-24 ].
So, are you willing to let go of all the worldly things that you define yourself by? When you do, can you rest fully in your identity as a child of God. Only then will the storms of life—a misstep at work, a financial hit, or a crisis in the home—will cease to shake you. As you mature in faith, God will lovingly strip you of those fragile and fickle identities, so that you might find your worth and refuge in Him alone.
The only way to have a wholesome identity is to live “in Christ” and embrace God’s love and destiny for you. But what a blessed existence! Suddenly you have a purpose, a calling, a destiny, and a destination (Heaven).
The Christian is now the recipient of TRUE RICHES—which no man can steal. They are the riches of God’s grace—and they are yours!
Just like the U.S. government ‘erased’ that Cuban spy Salvador’s old identity and gave him a new one, God can do that for you, too! A new born-again Christian has been given a NEW ‘IDENTITY’—a truly ‘fresh start’—which in turn, leads to a NEW ‘LIFE’, both here on earth and in Heaven, for an eternity!
Just as it is for a person in the Witness Security Program, the transition to a new life “doesn’t always come easily,” and it may take some time for you to ‘adjust’ to your new identity, but it’s just your ‘preparation’ for Heaven!
To understand the identity you have “in Christ,” is vital for living a life that matters. So, it’s time to EMBRACE YOUR TRUE ‘IDENTITY’ IN CHRIST! It’s time to live out your God-created identity!
[ Excerpts from: Dr. Neil T. Anderson; Dr. Andrew Dobson; John MacArthur; Jeremiah Johnson; Tim Keller ]
“PRAYER OF REPENTANCE”
In the Bible, there is a parable that Jesus told about a Pharisee and a tax collector praying in the Temple. He notes that the tax collector didn’t even dare to lift his eyes toward Heaven as he prayed. Instead he “beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner’”—and Jesus said that the tax collector “went home justified,” he had been “born again” and ‘reconciled’ by God. (Luke 18:9-14).
If you are ‘sensing’ something like that right now, let me strongly encourage you to HUMBLE YOURSELF, CRY OUT to God, and PLEAD for Him to mercifully ‘SAVE’ YOU! None of us have a ‘claim’ on our salvation, nor do we have any ‘works’ that would cause us to deserve it or earn it—it is purely a gift of Divine grace—and all any of us can do is ask. So, CONFESS YOUR SINS and acknowledge to God that you have no hope for Heaven apart from what He provides through Jesus.
There is no ‘formula’ or certain words for this. So just talk to God, in your own words—He knows your ‘heart’. If you are genuinely sincere, and God does respond to your plea, one will usually have a sense of joy and peace.
Jesus said, “He that comes to Me, I will not cast out” [ John 6:37 ].
[ NOTE: If you have ‘tasted the kindness of the Lord’, please e-mail me—I would love to CELEBRATE with you, and help you get started on your ‘journey’ with Jesus! ].
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RESOURCES:
“Witsec: Inside the Federal Witness Protection Program”
By: Pete Earley
For decades no law enforcement program has been as cloaked in controversy and mystery as the Federal Witness Protection Program. Now, for the first time, Gerald Shur, the man credited with the creation of WITSEC, teams with acclaimed investigative journalist Pete Earley to tell the inside story of turncoats, crime-fighters, killers, and ordinary human beings caught up in a life-and-death game of deception in the name of justice.
WITSEC
Inside the Federal Witness Protection Program
When the government was losing the war on organized crime in the early 1960s, Gerald Shur, a young attorney in the Justice Department’s Organized Crime and Racketeering Section, urged the department to entice mobsters into breaking their code of silence with promises of protection and relocation. But as high-ranking mob figures came into the program, Shur discovered that keeping his witnesses alive in the face of death threats involved more than eradicating old identities and creating new ones. It also meant cutting off families from their pasts and giving new identities to wives and children, as well as to mob girlfriends and mistresses.
It meant getting late-night phone calls from protected witnesses unable to cope with their new lives. It meant arranging funerals, providing financial support, and in one instance even helping a mobster’s wife get breast implants. And all too often it meant odds that a protected witness would return to what he knew best–crime.
In this book Shur gives a you-are-there account of infamous witnesses, from Joseph Valachi to “Sammy the Bull” Gravano to “Fat Vinnie” Teresa, of the lengths the program goes to to keep its charges safe, and of cases that went very wrong and occasionally even protected those who went on to kill again.
He describes the agony endured by innocent people who found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time and ended up in a program tailored to criminals. And along with Shur’s war stories, WITSEC draws on the haunting words of one mob wife, who vividly describes her life of lies, secrecy, and loss inside the program.
A powerful true story of the inner workings of one of the most effective and controversial weapons in the war against organized crime and the inner workings of organized crime itself–and more recently against Colombian drug dealers, outlaw motorcycle gang members, white-collar con men, and international terrorists–this book takes us into a tense, dangerous twilight world carefully hidden in plain sight: where the family living next door might not be who they say they are. . .
https://www.amazon.com/Witsec-Federal-Witness-Protection-Program/dp/0553801457/
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“Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ”
By: John MacArthur
Centuries ago, English translators perpetrated a fraud in the New Testament, and it s been purposely hidden and covered up ever since. Your own Bible is probably included in the cover-up! In this book, John MacArthur unveils the essential and clarifying revelation that may be keeping you from a fulfilling, and correct, relationship with God. It s powerful. It s controversial. And with new eyes you ll see the riches of your salvation in a radically new way. What does it mean to be a Christian the way Jesus defined it? MacArthur says it all boils down to one word: SLAVE.
We have been bought with a price. We belong to Christ. We are His own possession.
https://www.amazon.com/Slave-Hidden-Truth-Identity-Christ/dp/1594154368
The most profound reality for every believer is a relationship with Jesus Christ. He is our Savior, our teacher, and our friend. But the Bible teaches that at the most basic level Jesus is our Lord, our Master, which means we are His slaves.
Peruse most Bible translations and it’s easy to miss that crucial reality. That’s because many find the notion of slavery to be a cruel and embarrassing concept. John MacArthur’s new book, Slave, uncovers the conspiracy, bringing the doctrine of our slavery to Christ to its proper place in our thinking.
Embrace for yourself what the Bible really teaches about slavery—your relationship with Jesus Christ will never be the same.
When you fill out the form below to join our mailing list, we’ll automatically mail you an offer in January for a FREE copy of Slave. No pressure, no obligation—we simply want to minister to you.
If you’re already on our mailing list, there’s no need to fill out the form; you’ll automatically receive John’s letter and book offer in your mailbox in January. It’s our gift to you—an expression of our commitment to “Unleashing God’s Truth, One Verse at a Time.”
Book Overview Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUduFEo29e0
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“Who Am I?: Identity in Christ”
By: Jerry Bridges
Best-selling author Jerry Brides (The Pursuit of Holiness, The Discipline of Grace, The Bookends of the Christian Life, and many other books) asks perhaps the most fundamental question of existence: “Who am I?” He then turns to scripture to unpack for the Christian eight clear, interlocking, illuminating answers:
– I am a creature
– I am in Christ
– I am justified
– I am an adopted son of God
– I am a new creation
– I am a saint
– I am a servant of Jesus Christ
– I am not yet perfect
A direct, honest presentation of biblical truth and all-new material from Jerry Bridges, Who Am I? demonstrates for believers that they can and should rightfully claim for themselves an unshakeable, lifelong, personal foundation of confidence in one thing and one thing alone: the gospel of a victorious, resurrected Savior.
https://www.amazon.com/Who-Am-I-Identity-Christ/dp/1936760479/
Audiobook:
https://www.amazon.com/Who-Am-I-Identity-Christ/dp/B011ACO8HW
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“Hello, My Name Is: Discover Your True Identity”
By: Matthew West
The world goes out of its way to make you believe you are not good enough. Maybe you aren’t sure you like where you’ve been, or who you’ve become. Maybe someone has made you believe a lie about who you are by speaking damaging words to you. The discovery of our true identities does not begin by looking within ourselves, but by looking to the One who made us. Hello, My Name Is will inspire you to not wear the name tag that someone else gave you, but to wear the name of who God says you are.
Your name may be Lonely. . . He calls you Friend.
Your name may be Failure. . . He calls you Redeemed.
Your name may be Broken. . . He calls you Beloved.
It is time to tear off the false name tags that cover up your true identity. Understanding who you are begins with knowing Whose you are so you can embrace your destiny as a child of the one true King.
Hello, My Name Is will silence the lies of the enemy so you can hear God whisper, ‘You are mine. You are wanted. You are so incredibly loved.’ — Lysa Terkeurst, New York Times best-selling author and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries
Hello, My Name Is gets to the heart of an issue that haunts the homeless and the hero, the kid and the king, the disabled and the diva — our identity. — Randy Frazee, Senior Minister at Oak Hills Church, author of The Heart of the Story
Matthew West brings the rare combination of songwriter and pastor to his ministry. He is a modern-day King David, creating Psalms that touch the heart of God and God’s children. Now, as an added blessing to us all, he has compiled his thoughts into a book. A person can almost hear Matthew sing through the pages. I’m deeply grateful for this work, this singer, this friend. — Max Lucado, New York Times best-selling author
Matthew West has always written honestly in his songs and stories. In his latest book, Hello, My Name Is, Matthew may offer his greatest truth yet: how to discover our God-given identity while building a closer relationship with our Lord. I gained a lot of insight while reading this book, and I know you will as well. — Scotty McCreery, ACM, BMI, and CMT award-winning country music entertainer and author of Go Big or Go Home: The Journey Toward the Dream
https://www.amazon.com/Hello-My-Name-Discover-Identity/dp/1617958603
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“Ephesians: Finding Your Identity in Christ”
By: Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz
Pound for pound, verse for verse, the book of Ephesians is one of the most profound, powerful, and practical books in the entire Bible. This inviting little guide to the book of Ephesians gets straight to the heart of Paul’s teaching on the believer’s identity in Christ and provides
– straightforward explanations of the major themes of Ephesians
- detailed comments on the most important words and phrases
- thought-provoking, open-ended questions
The up-to-date language and interactive style of Ephesians: Finding Your Identity in Christ will help readers feel as if Ephesians were written just to them!
https://www.amazon.com/Ephesians-Finding-Identity-Christianity-Studies/dp/0736907920/
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“Who I Am in Christ”
By: David Jeremiah
(Fold-Out Booklet)
I’ve been born again… so who am I now?
When you believe in Jesus Christ, you become a new creation. But what exactly does that mean? And what does that look like?
Who I Am in Christ reminds us what God has done through His Son, Jesus Christ, and includes a list of God’s new names for you.
Includes sections on:
Living with confidence and hope because you have a new identity in Christ.
You are Forgiven
You are Alive
You are Accepted
You are Beloved
You are Chosen
… and more
6 Ways God Created You To Be:
I am a creature crafted by God
I am made for worship
I am known by God
… and more
Who I Am in Christ Explains Your New Identity in Jesus
Your 30 new names and identity in Christ
Explanation of each name or title
Bible reference for your new name in Jesus Christ
http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/monthly/0317_WAIBL_POLCDSET.aspx
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“Identity: Who You Are in Christ”
By: Eric Geiger
Everyone searches for a clear identity and craves to be known for something. Some find identity in their career, working overtime to do more than just pay the bills, but to stroke the ego and experience the feelings that go along with high-profile accomplishments.
Others define themselves in relationships, sometimes enduring unhealthy ones because, “Hey, it’s better than being alone.” Possessions can be identifiers. The new car becomes an expression of self; he likes the way other people look at his ride in traffic.
While careers, relationships, possessions, and other things are important aspects of our daily lives, they do not last forever. It is God who breathes purpose and meaning into the details of our lives, and when we seek our identity in places other than Christ, we find ourselves empty.
Identity, by bestselling author Eric Geiger (Simple Church, Designed to Lead, Creature of the Word) presents an exciting choice: to bounce back and forth between fleeting earthly fulfillments or to embrace God’s invitation to lose our lives and find our identity in Him.
Come discover who you really are in Christ.
https://www.amazon.com/Identity-Who-You-Are-Christ/dp/0805446893
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“Identity Crisis: From Crisis to Christ, a Case of Mistaken Identity”
By: Dr. Bobby M. Wagner
THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO EXPERIENCE ALL YOU WERE CREATED FOR
In Identity Crisis you will find power and purpose by putting your faith in the One who can transform your identity. Even in crisis, He can do far beyond anything you can imagine. What’s the greatest crisis in our world today? Dr. Bobby Wagner, contends it is our inability to believe in the power of God in our lives. Is it possible to read the Bible and believe God does not work powerfully through His people? Our miraculous identity in Christ has not ceased, our faith in it has. It seems we are losing our faith in our God given identity, in the Bible, in the church, and in our world.
A dramatic transformation takes place when you believe in the power of the Gospel. As our unbelief continues one more person misses the Good News. As a result, of the nearly 75 million Americans who have trusted Jesus Christ for salvation, more than 70 million have never shared the Good News. In a postmodern and post Christian culture in the midst of a crisis of unbelief, the only way souls will be touched is if God’s people become witnesses of the power of the Gospel.
https://www.amazon.com/Identity-Crisis-Christ-Case-Mistaken/dp/1944187111/
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“FRUITS OF THE BEATITUDES” WEB SITE
(The ATTITUDES of Jesus that produce the CHARACTER of Jesus)
CLICK ON THE LINK to view:
http://fruitsofthebeatitudes.org/
FACEBOOK PAGE:
https://www.facebook.com/FruitsOfTheBeatitudes/
[ Mark Besh ]
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[ P.S.: If you would like to investigate further about what does it really mean to “believe,” visit the following link:
http://4vis.com/sfm/sfm_pres/sp_q10_d1_1of10.html
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ARTICLES:
“In Plain Sight”
A crime drama starring Mary McCormack as Mary Shannon, a U.S. Marshal attached to the highly secretive Federal Witness Protection Program (WITSEC).
Based in the greater Albuquerque/Santa Fe area, Mary Shannon is the ultimate protector. For some witnesses, WITSEC signals a fresh start, but for others it means leaving behind everything they hold dear. In relocating federal witnesses, Mary must protect not only the innocent, but also some of the world’s most nefarious criminals and gangsters. For better or worse, testimony guarantees a witnesses’ safety at the cost of their previous life. Regardless of their history, Mary helps each of her witnesses stay alive by smoothly transitioning them into their new identities. After all, there’s only thing that every federal witness shares in common: someone wants them dead.
Luckily for Mary, she never has to work alone. No matter the situation, her partner Marshall Mann (Fred Weller), always has her back. Despite their significant differences in personality, the two not only make the perfect team, but also the best of friends. The only thing they enjoy more than teasing each other, is teasing their boss, Stan McQueen (Paul Ben-Victor).
Although it’s never easy leading the life of a WITSEC inspector, Mary’s family has always forced her to take on double duty. While in the past, calling them dysfunctional would be an understatement, things are starting to change for the better. For the first time in recent memory, Mary no longer shares her home with her mother and sister. Gone are the days of alcoholism and meth-filled suitcases. Both Brandi (Nichole Hiltz) and Jinx (Lesley Anne Warren) are gainfully employed, and what’s more, Brandi’s relationship with Peter Alpert (Josh Malina) is going better than ever. While history tells us that all good things must come to an end, until they do, Mary must learn to interact with a family that no longer needs her protection.
Pilot:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDS211La9yQ
TV Series Website:
http://www2.usanetwork.com/series/inplainsight/
*****************************
“Witness Protection” (Movie)
Think about everything that makes your life complete – your home, your spouse, your children. Include in that list your neighborhood, your car, even your Social Security number, not to mention your name on your yearbook photo and your personal checking account. Now imagine all of that gone, forever, not by earthquake or fire but because one day you woke to find yourself in the Federal Witness Protection Program.
“Witness Protection,” an HBO original movie, examines this scenario. A unique aspect of this fact-based drama is that in the nearly 30 years of the federal program’s existence, the government has never allowed an outside observer to come inside.
Until now.
The TV film is based on the work of a New York Times reporter, Robert Sabbag, who was allowed extraordinary access into one of the most securely guarded of all federal agencies.
“Probably the greatest measure of the layers of security that the witness program puts on these people is that it took me a year,” Mr. Sabbag says, “from the time the Marshal Service agreed to cooperate, until the time that I actually interviewed the family.”
The movie focuses on a fictional family, narrowing in on the emotionally treacherous journey it must make as it passes from the familiar into the unknown. One of the most difficult aspects of putting anyone in the witness protection program is the burden it places on the innocent relatives of federal witnesses, who become unwilling participants as they leave behind all they know to create new lives.
“When I was talking to the families, before they came into the program, when we were doing what we call a preliminary interview,” says Bud McPherson, a former US marshal, 20-year veteran of the Witness Protection Program, and technical adviser for the show, “I would tell them, ‘If you have any other option, exercise it. This is the most difficult thing you’ll ever be asked to do in your life.’ ”
He always emphasizes, “If it’s not a matter of life and death, don’t do it.”
The film focuses on the five days of actual transition from the old life to the new, revealing the personal journeys each participant must take through denial and acceptance of the inevitable.
“Think about all the lies you’ve ever told when you’re a legitimate person,” says Tom Sizemore (“Saving Private Ryan,” “The Relic”), who plays Mafia underboss “Bobby Batton,” who is entering the program. Batton has kept his profession a secret from his family.
“All the lies you told the people you love … and having them laid on the table in front of the person you lied to,” Mr. Sizemore says. “That’s what happens to this family, particularly the protagonist.
“[He] is a very tough guy,” adds the actor, “who has, for want of a better term, beaten and killed his way to the top of the food chain of the Mafia in Boston. So he’s not automatically going to go [into protection] when this [US marshal] tells him, ‘You’re going to do x, y, and z.’ … It takes a period of breaking him to make the transition…. After that, he must deal with the harsh reality of laying his past bare to his family.”
In order to create a foundation for a new life, Sizemore says, his character must face who he has been, as well as look for the positive areas from his former life on which to build. “He has something in himself because his son is going to Harvard,” he says. “The character’s wife decides to stay with [Batton] even knowing information she previously did not.”
The success rate of the real-life program has been 100 percent, Marshal McPherson says. “No one has ever been found because of their connection to the witness program.
“The only fatalities and injuries they ever had since they started in 1971 were [to] those who quit the program and returned to the danger area.”
McPherson estimates that some 25,000 people have been “laundered” through the Witness Protection Program. While 90 percent were Italian Mafia in the early days, he says today the breakdown is more in proportion to the diversity of the population at large.
While the film is fascinating on its own terms, it is even more compelling for the fact that it may well be a one-time peek into one of the most secretive agencies that taxpayers fund.
[ Gloria Goodale ]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kvfAH4AWBk
*****************************
“Finding Benjaman” (Documentary)
“Benjaman Kyle” was the placeholder name given to an American man who had severe dissociative amnesia, which meant that between 2004 and 2015, neither he nor the authorities were sure of his real identity or background, despite widespread publicity. In late 2015, genetic detective work discovered his real name, William Burgess Powell.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orn8cCycp1c
*****************************
“Who Am I? A Philosophical Inquiry”
Throughout the history of mankind, the subject of identity has sent poets to the blank page, philosophers to the agora and seekers to the oracles. These murky waters of abstract thinking are tricky to navigate, so it’s probably fitting that to demonstrate the complexity, the Greek historian Plutarch used the story of a ship. Amy Adkins illuminates Plutarch’s Ship of Theseus.
[ Amy Adkins ]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHwVyplU3Pg
*****************************
Electronic Identity
Companies like “MyID,” which store and provide vital your medical profile that is immediately available anytime, anywhere—for those unthinkable moments.
*****************************
“Who Am I?: Identity In Christ”
Navigators staff member and author, Jerry Bridges, gives a sermon about what it means to be “in Christ.”
[ Jerry Bridges ]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzBVtterX2I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VF2–tqVjc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6Z2TYYfCfw
———
Our Identity in Christ: We are Holy – Jerry Bridges:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLNcSIBWspo
*****************************
“My Identity In Christ”
BELOVED
“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you
with unfailing kindness.” – Jeremiah 31:3
A CHILD OF GOD
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we
should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”
– 1 John 3:1
DELIGHTED IN
“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who
saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no
longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”
– Zephaniah 3:17
FORGIVEN
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that
we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his
wounds you have been healed.” – 1 Peter 2:24
WASHED CLEAN
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white
as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like
wool.” – Isaiah 1:18
FREE
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm,
then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a
yoke of slavery.” – Galatians 5:1
A TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy
Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?”
– 1 Corinthians 6:19
ADOPTED INTO GOD’S FAMILY
“The Spirit you received brought about your adoption to
sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” – Romans 8:15
CO-HEIR WITH CHRIST
“Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God
and co-heirs with Christ.” – Romans 8:17
RIGHTEOUS
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that
we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
– 2 Corinthians 5:21
NEW
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: The
old has gone, the new has come!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17
A SAINT
“You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified
in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of
our God.” – 1 Corinthians 6:11
SET APART
“You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a
people for his own possession.” – 1 Peter 2:9
AN AMBASSADOR OF CHRIST
“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God
were making his appeal through us.” – 2 Corinthians 5:20
A CO-LABORER
“For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s
field, God’s building.” – 1 Corinthians 3:9
A SWEET AROMA
“For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among
those who are being saved and those who are perishing.”
– 2 Corinthians 2:15
NEVER ALONE
“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he
will never leave you nor forsake you.” – Deuteronomy 31:8
A MASTERPIECE
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in
Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for
us long ago.” – Ephesians 2:10
WONDERFULLY MADE
“I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” – Psalm 139:14
BOLD
“Since we have such a hope, we are very bold.”
– 2 Corinthians 3:12
HAVING GUARANTEED VICTORY
“You have given me your shield of victory. Your right hand
sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.”
– Psalm 18:35
HOLDING A SECURED FUTURE
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord,
‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give
you hope and a future.’” – Jeremiah 29:11
WHOLE IN CHRIST
“In Christ you have been brought to fullness.”
– Colossians 2:10
[ Ben Malcolmson ]
*****************************
“31 Days to Knowing Your Identity in Christ”
When my daughter is having a bad day, I often tell her that I wish she could see herself through God’s eyes. I wish we could all see ourselves through God’s eyes! So why don’t we explore just that?
Knowing your identity in Christ frees you to become the woman God made you to be! It’s time to let go of our own, imperfect perceptions of ourselves and learn just who we are in Christ! For the next 31 days, we’re going to learn exactly what God says about us in the Bible. I pray it’s a life changing experience for all of us!
Who Are You?
You are Adopted.
You Were Planned.
You are Known.
You are Forgiven.
You are Saved.
You are Justified.
You are Righteous.
You are Victorious!
You are Dependent.
You are God’s Handiwork.
You have a Purpose.
You are Loved.
You are a New Creation.
You are Reconciled.
You are a Stranger.
You are an Ambassador.
You are a Servant.
You are Enough.
You are Gifted.
You are God’s Delight
You are Indwelled by the Holy Spirit
You are an Heir
You are Growing {Hopefully}.
You are Responsible.
You are Capable.
You have Access to Wisdom.
You are Bound for Heaven.
You are Blessed.
You were Purchased.
You Know Who You Are – Now What Will You Do?
[ Lynnae McCoy ]
*****************************
“What’s Your Identity?”
What makes you…you?
– DNA?
– Fingerprints?
– Height? Weight?
– Appearance
What Defines You?
– Your name
– Your parents?
– Your experiences?
– Your mistakes?
– Your successes?
– Where you live?
– What you do?
– Who you know?
– How much you have?
These thing go away.
All these things are temporary.
When everything else fails, at your ‘core’… John 1:12 (children of God).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMq7QkR4fGI
[ Bluefish TV ]
*****************************
“Today In The Word”
(April 2016 devotional – Excerpts)
Salvation through Jesus Alone (Acts 4:12)
Who are we? What is our true identity? What do we know about our family?
Faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 4:25)
The result of faith is being made righteous in God’s sight.
Justified in Christ (Galatians 2:20)
Justification means we are declared righteous before God. Our identity of being justified in Christ is entirely based on what He has done for us—not our own goodness.
Called to Be Holy (1 Corinthians 1:8)
being sanctified in Christ transforms our lives to look more like Jesus. Jesus secures the victory of our holiness.
Fruit of Righteousness
Our identity in Christ will produce what the apostle Paul calls “the fruit of righteousness.” growing in both love and spiritual discernment.
Mature in Christ (Colossians 2:6)
God calls us to maturity and enables us to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ.
Godliness and Persecution (2 Timothy 3:12)
Will not inoculate us against persecution. Our pursuit of godliness.
Dead to Sin, Alive to Christ (Romans 6:11)
in Christ, we are free from the power of sin and death. Sin is no longer our master; we have the power of God to resist sinful desires, choosing to live in a way that brings glory to God.
Eternal Life in Christ (Romans 6:23)
God gives us the gift of eternal life. eternal life with God.
Victory of Life in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57)
Death will never have the last word over believers. Our bodies will be transformed and we will be able to dwell with God forever.
New Creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Believers in Jesus have a new name and a new destiny. we are now a new creation. freed from old habits and old perspectives. We are the ambassadors, the messengers of the good news of new life in Christ.
Made Alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:4-5)
Being made alive in Christ changes our cravings from worldly desires to “good works” that bring glory to God. permeates all the way down to the desires of our hearts.
Raised with Christ (Colossians 3:12)
Life in Christ means pursuing peace and unity with each other. Kindness, compassion, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and above all love should be the clothing we are choosing to wear.
Called to a Holy Life (2 Timothy 1:9)
Our life in Christ includes the call to a holy life now, empowered by His Spirit.
Free from Condemnation (Romans 8:1)
The law of sin condemned us to death. But now we are free from that condemnation! free to experience life and peace.
No Barriers to God’s Love (Romans 8:38-39)
God has made it possible for us to be free to accept and enjoy His love in Christ. Nothing can separate us from this love.
Freedom of the New Covenant (2 Corinthians 3:17)
The new covenant means we now are free to know God.
Jesus, the Vine (Galatians 5:5)
Christ has freed us from the deception and drudgery of trying to do all the right things so God will love us.
Different Gifts, One Body (Romans 12:5)
Just as a physical body is comprised of individual parts—finger, toes, lungs, nerves, etc.—so too is the spiritual body of Christ composed of individual believers who are part of a whole. we are now an integral part of a spiritual family
Coworkers in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:58)
we are spiritual colleagues with other believers based on our shared commitment to Jesus and His gospel.
One Body Without Division (1 Corinthians 12:27)
We must be joined to the body for our spiritual health as well as theirs. give and receive love and concern (vv. 25–26). We share in one another’s joys and sorrows. We are part of each other’s triumphs and sufferings.
United as Heirs of God (Galatians 3:26)
Through faith in Jesus, we are children of God. We are children of God, heirs. We are free, redeemed, and adopted as God’s children. Jesus has redeemed us and God has adopted us.
Eternal Purpose in Christ (Ephesians 3:!2)
We are part of something beyond ourselves, and this eternal purpose transforms our lives even now. Not only are we part of God’s glorious eternal purpose, we also receive blessings now.
Spirit Living Within (Romans 8:14)
An essential part of our identity is the blessing of the Holy Spirit, who indwells our hearts. shaping our true identity to look more like Jesus. The Holy Spirit also confirms our identity as the children of God. Even when we don’t know how to pray or what to pray for, the Holy Spirit is interceding on our behalf.
Answered Promises (2 Corinthians 1:20)
God has made us many incredibly wonderful promises—and He fulfills them all in Christ. In Christ, God has redeemed us, sanctified us, and given us His Spirit.
Spiritual Blessings (Ephesians 1:3)
now serves as our Advocate in heaven. We have been given “every spiritual blessing in Christ” Chosen; adopted; redemption; forgiveness; wisdom; understand; eternal purpose; fulfillment
Forgiven in Christ (Ephesians 4:32)
Our hearts were opposed to God and our minds were ignorant of Him. our identity as forgiven people in Christ. Because we are forgiven, our lives should be different now. encouragement, kindness and compassion.
Needs Met in Christ (Philippians 4:19)
the blessing of being cared for by his fellow believers
Rescued and Reconciled (Colossians 1:23)
we have been rescued and redeemed from the power of sin. we are reconciled to God.
Eternity with Christ (Revelation 21:5)
the new heaven and new earth. We will dwell there, blessed by the light of God, worshiping the Son who reigns forever.
[ Moody Global Ministries ]
*****************************
“So, What Defines Who You Are?”
Your family background? Your profession? Your wealth (or lack of it)? Your properties? Your intelligence? Your looks? Your past?
Nope, none of these things define you—the Word of God defines you!
You are the son or daughter of the Living God who created the Heaven and Earth, and the Universe!
You are the CHILD OF GOD, born again from the incorruptible seed of the living and eternal Word of God (1 Peter 1:23)
You are a NEW CREATION in Christ (2 Cor 5:17)
You have received the gift of RIGHTEOUSNESS and abundant provision of GRACE in Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17)
You are part of a CHOSEN GENERATION, a ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, and GOD’S SPECIAL POSSESSION (1 Pet 2:9)
You are SPIRITUALLY HEALED (1 Pet 2:24).
You are the TEMPLE of the HOLY SPIRIT, you are not your own (1 Cor 6:19)
You are GREATLY LOVED by God (Eph 2:4; Romans 5:8) and inseparable from His Love (Romans 8:38-39).
All these are the TRUTHS of who we are in Jesus Christ, as believers and joint heirs with Him (Romans 8:17).
Only when we base our identity on Christ, will we possess an unshakeable, immovable, everlasting, and absolute confidence of who we are.
[ Adeline Lum ]
*****************************
“Our Identity In Christ”
A short introductory talk about what it means to find one’s identity in Christ. This is intended to lead one into a discussion of identity. Finding one’s identity is extremely complex, so in no way do I intend to solve the issue but rather encourage.
[ Videoscribe ]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFpOHecByKw
*****************************
“Identity In Christ”
Who are you? What is your identity? What voices are you listening to?
[ Chris McCann ]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBfHjyiQ3pk
*****************************
“Who I Am In Christ”
[ Stephen LeBlanc ]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOryLAjXQfQ
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“Identity In Christ”
What is your identity in Christ? What do you think, say, or believe about yourself? Spoken Word poetry by Nathan Wagner.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWPhhpaUTiM
*****************************
“Experiencing Spiritual Identity”
Sermon on “Identity Theft.”
[ Tony Evans ]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdPUc7xjJaI
*****************************
“Putting On The New Man”
[ John MacArthur ]
https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/2147
https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/2148
*****************************
“Integrity And Identity”
[ Jeremiah Johnson ]
https://www.gty.org/library/blog/B160525
*****************************
“Your Identity In Christ”
Who am I? Am I what I do? An artist? An accountant? A teacher? A mother?
Or am what I’ve achieved? An honor student? An MVP? A winner?
Am I the things I’ve done right” Or am i defined by the things I’ve done wrong? Am I a saint? A sinner?
What about what others think of me? Am I all of these things? None of these things?
Who am I?
How I identify myself determines how I approach life. If I am what I do, I always need to do more and achieve more to find my value. If I am what others say, I always try to please people instead of my Heavenly Father. But, if I listen to who God says I am and embrace His identity in me, I’ll find the freedom to live out all He has planned for me.
God calls me His child. He says I am wise and restored. That I’m a brand new creation in Christ. I am chosen and holy and blameless before God. He called me His masterpiece.
I am loved by God. He says I am made complete through the grace and mercy of Jesus, my Savior. And when I see myself the way God sees me, I walk with confidence, because I trust the one Who answers the question, “Who am I?”
[ Cleon Alleyne ]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsDQEb-qlyM
*****************************
“The Stupendous Reality of Being “in Christ Jesus”
Being “in Christ Jesus” is a stupendous reality. It is breathtaking what it means to be in Christ. United to Christ. Bound to Christ. If you are “in Christ” listen to what it means for you…
[ John Piper ]
http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-stupendous-reality-of-being-in-christ-jesus
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“Christian Identity and Christian Destiny”
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
[ John Piper ]
http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/christian-identity-and-christian-destiny
*****************************
“What God Thinks About You”
We all want to know who we are. We seek and search and try to “find ourselves.” Many of us have taken personality tests and other assessments. We learn that we are a lion, a beaver, an ENFP, an activator, a competitor, a high I, high D.
But as helpful as those tests can be, have you ever stopped to ask, “What does God think about me? Who does he say that I am?”
In all my years as a Christian, I had never asked the question quite this way until recently. And what I found is that God has a lot to say about what he thinks about us — a whole Bible full. But if we could summarize it in a short space, here’s how it might sound.
[ John Rinehart ]
http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/what-god-thinks-about-you
*****************************
“An Identity That Can Handle Either Success or Failure”
Tim Keller at the New Canaan Society Washington DC 2015 Weekend Retreat sharing about “An Identity That Can Handle Either Success or Failure”
[ Tim Keller ]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N_178ASBg0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQgxuDl8DXs
*****************************
The TRANSFORMING LIFE series is based on a curriculum developed at Dallas Theological Seminary for its Spiritual Formation program, under the guidance of the Center for Christian Leadership. Hundreds of seminary students have benefited from this material, and now this adapted version makes it available to local churches and ministries.
This is the first part in a four part series on Spiritual Formation:
https://bible.org/book/export/html/6375
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“Identity In Christ”
Before Christ, I was a different person; This person was my old nature.
My old self. But, that person died, and my life is now hidden…
[ Tim Balow ]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0wggyu9cqA
*****************************
“Who Am I?”
Who am I? What am I doing here? What is my identity? What is my purpose? These questions are asked by nearly every living person. How we answer them will make a life-changing impact on how we see our world and how we live our life.
[ David Bowden ]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw62CpjP0v8
*****************************
“Hello, My Name Is”
Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh (ah oh),
Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh (ah oh),
Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh
Hello, my name is regret
I’m pretty sure we have met
Every single day of your life
I’m the whisper inside
That won’t let you forget
Hello, my name is defeat
I know you recognize me
Just when you think you can win
I’ll drag you right back down again
‘Til you’ve lost all belief
Oh, these are the voices. Oh, these are the lies
And I have believed them for the very last time
Hello, my name is child of the one true King
I’ve been saved, I’ve been changed, I have been set free
“Amazing Grace” is the song I sing
Hello, my name is child of the one true King
Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh
Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh
Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh
I am no longer defined
By all the wreckage behind
The one who makes all things new
Has proven it’s true
Just take a look at my life
Hello, my name is child of the one true King
I’ve been saved, I’ve been changed, I have been set free
“Amazing Grace” is the song I sing
Hello, my name is child of the one true King
Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh (ah oh),
Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh (ah oh),
Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh
What love the Father has lavished upon us that we should be called His children
I am a child of the one true King
What love the Father has lavished upon us that we should be called His children
Hello, my name is child of the one true King
I’ve been saved, I’ve been changed, I have been set free
“Amazing Grace” is the song I sing
Hello, my name is child of the one true King
Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh (ah oh),
Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh (ah oh),
Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh
I am a child of the one true King
Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh (ah oh),
Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh (ah oh),
Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh…
[ Matthew West – “Into The Light” album ]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuJWQzjfU3o
*****************************
“Identity Transformation”
Many of us are tempted to find our identity in our profession, family name, or net worth. From these wells, we often draw a false sense of security or confidence. In his 14-part series Identity Transformation, Dr. Michael Youssef demonstrates from 1 Peter how every one of us can begin to find our true identity in Christ alone. Beginning with the example of the apostle Peter himself, this series will encourage your heart with the foundation, privilege, and responsibility of a life transformed by Christ. [ Scripture: 1 Peter ].
[ Michael Youssef ]
http://www.ltw.org/watch/teaching/series/identity-transformation/part-1
http://www.ltw.org/watch/teaching/series/identity-transformation/part-2
http://www.ltw.org/watch/teaching/series/identity-transformation/part-3
http://www.ltw.org/watch/teaching/series/identity-transformation/part-4
http://www.ltw.org/watch/teaching/series/identity-transformation/part-5
*****************************
“Herman’s Sermon”
(Parody of “I’m Henry VIII, I Am” by Herman’s Hermits)
Christ said that He knew Abraham
And He was the great I AM I AM
Find John verse 8:58 to make sure
And read His words in John 8:24
And every one of His enemies (enemies)
They wouldn’t ever really understand (no sir)
But He stated His identity
Said He was the great I AM
Second verse, frames up the first
Christ said that He knew Abraham
And He was the great I AM I AM
Find John verse 8:58 to make sure
And read His words in John 8:24
And every one of His enemies (enemies)
They wouldn’t ever really understand (no sir)
But He stated His identity
Said He was the great I AM
Yeah!
LEAD
Christ said that He knew Abraham
And He was the great I AM I AM
Find John verse 8:58 to make sure
And read His words in John 8:24
And every one of His enemies (enemies)
They wouldn’t ever really understand (no sir)
But He stated His identity
Said He was the great I AM
Taste! See! Am I right?
Let Him in! (Let Him in!)
Let Him in! (Let Him in!)
Let Him be your great I AM I AM
Let Him be the great I AM
Yeah!
[ ApologetiX -“Unconditional Releases” album ]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PKJ3csuDdY
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DEEP THOUGHTS:
“We know what we are, but not what we may be.”
[ William Shakespeare ]
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
[ Mahatma Gandhi ]
“Jesus doesn’t put the word “self” in front of “identity,” but He put it before “denial.”
[ Sam Allberry ]
“You don’t need another teaching on self-image. You simply need to believe what God says about you.”
[ Debbie Lindell ]
“Over the years, I have come to realize that the greatest trap in our life is not success, popularity, or power, but self-rejection. Success, popularity, and power can indeed present a great temptation, but their seductive quality often comes from the way they are part of the much larger temptation to self-rejection. When we have come to believe in the voices that call us worthless and unlovable, then success, popularity, and power are easily perceived as attractive solutions. The real trap, however, is self-rejection. As soon as someone accuses me or criticizes me, as soon as I am rejected, left alone, or abandoned, I find myself thinking, “Well, that proves once again that I am a nobody.” … [My dark side says,] I am no good… I deserve to be pushed aside, forgotten, rejected, and abandoned. Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the “Beloved.” Being the Beloved constitutes the core truth of our existence.”
[ Henri J.M. Nouwen ]
“Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. This is the true self. Every other identity is illusion.”
[ Brennan Manning ]
“I would rather be what God chose to make me than the most glorious creature that I could think of; for to have been thought about, born in God’s thought, and then made by God, is the dearest, grandest and most precious thing in all thinking.”
[ George MacDonald ]
“Our vocation is not simply to be, but to work together with God in the creation of our own life, our own identity, our own destiny….To work out our identity in God.”
[ Thomas Merton ]
“Jesus came to announce to us that an identity based on success, popularity and power is a false identity- an illusion! Loudly and clearly he says: ‘You are not what the world makes you; but you are children of God.”
[ Henri J.M. Nouwen ]
“Preparing ourselves for death is an important task of life, at least when we believe that death is not the total dissolution or our identity but the way to its fullest revelation.”
[ Henri J.M. Nouwen ]
“If our identity is in our work, rather than Christ, success will go to our heads, and failure will go to our hearts.”
[ Timothy Keller ]
“Religion: ‘My identity is built on being a good person.’ Gospel: ‘My identity is not built on my record or my performance but on Christ’s.’”
[ Timothy Keller ]
“Our need for worth is so powerful that whatever we base our identity and value on we essentially ‘deify.’ We will look to it with all the passion and intensity of worship and devotion, even if we think ourselves as highly irreligious.”
[ Timothy Keller ]
“The Bible says that our real problem is that every one of us is building our identity on something besides Jesus.”
[ Timothy Keller ]
“Do I as a Christian understand myself? Do I know my own real identity? My own real destiny? I am a child of God, God is my Father; heaven is my home; every day is one day nearer. My Saviour is my brother; every Christian is my brother too. Say it over and over again to yourself first thing in the morning, last thing at night, as you wait for the bus, any time when your mind is free, and ask God that you may be enabled to live as one who knows it is all utterly and completely true. For this is the Christians secret of the Christian life, of a God-honouring life.”
[ J. I. Packer ]
“Christians have a new identity. We are no longer ‘in Adam’ but ‘in Christ’; no longer in the flesh, but in the Spirit.”
[ Sinclair B. Ferguson ]
“A quick summary of the Christian “Gospel”:
JESUS’ PROPITIATION made our SINS FORGIVEN and IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS to us so that we have GOD’S ACCEPTANCE into His Heaven and ETERNAL LIFE.”
[ Mark Besh ]
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Hope you enjoyed some of these insights—share them with your friends and colleagues—so we can have a larger ‘pool’ to receive from, and more to share with! Also, remember to include your name as the “source,” if some of this wisdom is of your doing—I would like to give credit where credit is due!
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
[ 2 Corinthians 5:17 ]
“My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”
[ Galatians 2:20a ]
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
[ Ephesians 4:22-24 ].
Mark
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If you have a ‘neat’ story or some thoughts about an issue or current event that you would like me to try to respond to, I would be glad to give it a try…so, send them to me at: mbesh@comcast.net
Disclaimer: All the above jokes & inspirations are obtained from various sources and copyright are used when known. Other than our name and headers, we do not own the copyright to any of the materials sent to this list. We just want to spread the ministry of God’s love and cheerfulness throughout the world.
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LIFE'S DEEP THOUGHTS 