Identity Theft is one of the biggest crimes being committed in recent times. Many unsuspecting people have had their personal information appropriated by varies ones and is being used for their own advantage and gain at the expense of the victim , that is, they are obtaining for themselves what should belong to another and keeping someone from what is rightfully theirs.
Often this Identity Theft is not even realized until it is too late, the victim dose not even know it has occurred until the bill arrives.
Spiritual Identity Theft
Satan wants to commit the same crime against Christians today, he wants to rob Christians of their Identity in Christ, he attempts to appropriate for himself what rightfully belongs to us through Jesus Christ.
Many Christians have had their Identity in Christ taken from them, or maybe better said, their identity has been it is hid or confused, and they do not know it. Satan does not want you know who you are in Christ, he want to cast a pall of illegitimacy over you, and your life and ministry he wants to keep you from your true identity n Jesus. In short, he wants to commit spiritual identity theft.
Satan will use any means to accomplish this, even sadly to say , other Christians. He does not want you to be who you were called to be in Christ.
As Satan lusted after position and power and the place of God, and attempted to take it In the eternity past so, he now attempts to take your identity and place as well or keep you from it.
Embrace Your Rightful Identity in Christ
No matter who you were born as in Adam, through your first birth, in Christ, you have a new identity all thru and in Jesus, who is the second or the last Adam.
"So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit."1Crth:15:45
Jesus came that we might have an all new Identity in him. Rooted in Christ not the World. The time has come for Christians to embrace their true Identity in Jesus.
What is Your Identity in Christ
Our Lord Jesus shares all things which are his, with us , except his deity. From Jesus, issues forth our true Identity, everything that he has Jesus shares with us .
Jhn: 16:15-tells us that all the spiritual resources that belong to him—"All that belongs to the Father is mine...the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you"
Our God had blessed us even now in Jesus, not just someday, but even now.
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ,"Eph:1:3-5b
When we heard the message of the Gospel, and accept the truth of that message, and came to see what our Lord has accomplished for each and all humanity, if they will but freely receive it, we then experience the blessings which our God has determined that we all should share in.
"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory." Eph:1:13-14
We all are included in these great blessings all in and thru Jesus.
This is, and has been,even from Eternity past , the will and purpose and pleasure of our God, to bless us all thru his son Jesus. Our God is pleased to grant us every good thing in his son Jesus. Our God is for us, and always graciously incline to all humanity , even if humanity is in ignorance, indifference or even in defiance, our God still loves us.
"it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom."Lk:12:32b
It is literally the will of God that we all be identified as the very Children of the Creator God"
Jhn: 1:12-13- Tells us that it is by own God’s will we are “children of God”- not man’s will ,but God’s will.
This is the very reason for which our Lord Jesus has come, so that we may be who we were , from eternity past, always meant to be.
"Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God." Jhn:1:12-13
A New Life
We have, in Jesus , been given an all new life.This is the life which St.Paul lived, this life was not just theoretical, but practical for everyday living.It was a life lived out in "participation" with Jesus, thru Jesus' perfect faith, which never fails.
Now in Heaven
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me"Gal: 2:20
Even now, in the view of our Father in Heaven, each and all of us seated in the very highth of Heaven with and all thru Jesus,that is, our God , the Holy Trinity , has elevated us , that each and all, to such lofty highth in and thru his Holy Son Jesus Christ.
"And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus," Eph: 2:6
If we could but catch but a glimpse of what this truly speaks to us, we all would fall down and worship our God in the person of his Son Jesus. There would never be one empty seat in any Church, any where , upon the Earth, so glorious is this truth, it defies our understanding.
The language in which St.Paul writes is all present tense, that indicates that this is the current realty for us, not just some day. This is true for us even here and now.
That when our God looks upon his holy Son Jesus, in his glorified resurrected humanity, the Father see all of us as well, and when the Father looks upon us he sees Jesus. That is , Jesus is not just Emanuel, "God with us", Jesus is "us with God". Jesus is there in the Heavens being each and all of us as we were all meant to be, for us.
Jesus Shares With Us, Everything but His Deity.
What ever Jesus is , there is corresponding imputation to us, and to our Identity. He is the Heir of God, we then , are heirs of God
Rm: 8:17- Heirs with Christ
Jesus is in the body, that is Jesus is humanity thru the incarnation, therefore we are part of Jesus' body.
1Crth:12:27- Part of the body of Christ.
Jesus is the one who reconciles , we are the reconciled.
2Crth:5:18-19- We are reconciled back to God.
Jesus is the King and Kingdom of God embodied, we are now citizens of the Kingdom.
Phlp: 3:20- Citizens of the Kingdom.
Jesus is our High Priest, we are now made priest of God.
1Ptr:2:9- A Priest hood.
Jesus is the Redeemer, we are the Redeemed.
Jesus is the Savior, we are the saved.
What ever Jesus is, there is corresponding imputation to us and our Identities.
Christians Need to Know
We need to know who we are in Christ, And not allow Satan to rob us, to steal our identities, that who we are in our Lord Jesus. Some Christians lack legitimacy , they do not know who they are in Christ.
In the world, legitimacy is derived by the acceptance and approbation of men, for Christians legitimacy comes only through Christ. Jesus' worth, who Jesus is is, is imputed to us, and when we come to believe the Gospel message, which invites us to share in, and be who we were always meant to be, we then experience our true identities in Jesus.
Too many Christians have had their Spiritual Identities taken from them and they live in that uncertainty an d sure hope. Some feeling doubt as to God's good and gracious intent and desire toward and for them, these Christians lack what that God has intended them to have, they lack worth or legitimacy. But this is only in their own minds not God's . The Father loves them more than they , or any of us, can ever know or understand.
Our Father accepts them fully as Children of his house hold. In God's heart and mind they, and we all, have complete legitimacy in Jesus.
To the believer, we do not need the approval of man, it comes from God only .Our Identity, our worth, our legitimacy ,everything that we are to be, we are in Jesus.
Some Christians live in fear that they might fail and loses out on salvation thru their own lack, but this is the very reason why our Lord Jesus came,we can not save our selves. Jesus came to provide all these blessing and to be for us all what we could never be of our own selves.
Do not allow Satan commit Identity Theft. Do not let him appropriate for himself what God has given us in his Son Jesus Christ, or keep you from accepting your true identity as a Child of God, thru Jesus.
Every thing Jesus has, and is, he shares with us, that is our Identity, who we were all meant to be.
Our Identification
We need to keep our minds fixed on Jesus;by having a singular focus on the person of Jesus Christ, by coming into regular Worship, Study, Prayer, Fellowship, our understanding of our Identity in Jesus, is strengthen and made a more sure reality.
Jesus prayed to his Father that we all would come to know him, and by so doing, experience the realities of the eternal life which he has secured for each and all of us, if we will be freely receive it.
"this is eternal life that they may know you , the only true God and Jesus Christ :whom you have sent" Jhn:17:3
When we know who Jesus is then we know who we are, and our identity as Children of our God all thru and in Jesus.
Benediction:May we each and all, know our true identity in our Lord Jesus Christ, today, tomorrow and forevermore.Amen.
Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor
The Fountain of life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion 2101 Old National Pike, Washington, Pennsylvania, 15301 www.gcfountainoflife.org
The Fountain of Life is heard on the RKP Radio Network 1710 and 1670 AM in Washington and North Franklin ,and 1790 AM in the Arden Fair Grounds area of Washington Pennsylvania, and on 1710 AM in Bentleyville and Monongahela, Pennsylvania. And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com
You can follow the Fountain of Life on Face Book - Click on our Face Book link : https://www.facebook.com/Fountain-of-Life-Church-349595355088375/
The Fountain of life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion 2101 Old National Pike, Washington, Pennsylvania, 15301 www.gcfountainoflife.org
The Fountain of Life is heard on the RKP Radio Network 1710 and 1670 AM in Washington and North Franklin ,and 1790 AM in the Arden Fair Grounds area of Washington Pennsylvania, and on 1710 AM in Bentleyville and Monongahela, Pennsylvania. And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com
You can follow the Fountain of Life on Face Book - Click on our Face Book link : https://www.facebook.com/Fountain-of-Life-Church-349595355088375/
"If It Is Not About Jesus, It Is Not About Anything"
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