Identity

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OUTLINE

Identity
  • Most important question you can ask yourself is, ‘Who Am I?’
  • Sadly, many Christians receive their identity messages from the wrong sources.
  • For example:
  •  Achievements
  •  Approval
  •  Appearance

  • I. Who are you?
  • As Christians we do not receive our identity from our achievements,  or appearance, nor from the approval or disapproval of others.
  • Our identity is based upon the one with whom we are identified.
  • Romans 5:12-21 tells us:
  •  We were ‘in Adam’ people
  •  Now we are ‘in Christ’ people
  •  Understanding our new creation identity is vital to spiritual health,
  • because:
  • ‘It’s not what we do that determines who we are, but knowing who we are that will determine what we do.’
  • Our brain will steer our lives in the direction of the picture we have of ourselves.
  • The problem many Christians struggle with is this: They have a new identity, but have kept their old mentality.
  • Making the transition from old identity thinking to new identity thinking
 
  •  in Paul's letter to the Romans,
  • He gives four important truths to holdfast and apply to change our  old identity mentality to a new identity mentality
  • In Romans 6:1-14 Paul shares 4 important stages in this process:
  • ​
  • 1) KNOW
  • Romans 6:3-4 – KNOW that you died to your old identity in Adam and have been raised a new creation, with a brand new identity in Christ.
  •  It is the truth that sets us free.
  •  Satan’s only power is deception.
  • He can bring a person into bondage by making them believe a lie.
  •  We don’t need a power encounter; but we do need a truth encounter.

  • 2)BELIEVE
  • Romans 6:8 – BELIEVE that you are now a new creation in Christ Jesus.
  •  Knowing the truth is not sufficient.
  • We must believe it.
  •  Some Christians are unbelieving believers!

  • 3) RECKON
  • Romans 6:11 – RECKON it to be so, i.e. live according to what is now true of us.
  •  To reckon means to consider or conclude what is true of us and live accordingly.

  • 4) PRESENT
  • Romans 6:13 – PRESENT the members of your body as instruments of righteousness.
  •  The Christian has a new nature living in the old body. The body we live in is the same body we had before we were saved.
  •  Previously, we obeyed the dictates and demands of the body; but now we are free from sin’s dominion.
  •  We can choose to present the members of our bodies as instruments of righteousness.