Determining Our Identity in Christ

Next on Renewed Mindsets. How we identify is a hot topic these days. How do you identify? Is it something of this natural world or is it something supernatural? We're going to find out. Maybe answer the question. I think he's already been there. Let's go, boys. Hey, welcome to Renewed Mindsets. I'm Rick and I'm so glad you're here Today. We're going to talk about identity, not based on what we look like or how we happen to be feeling on a particular day. No, we will discuss our true identity in Christ, what it is, what it isn't and how to know the difference. Let's start off with some scripture Today. It's from Proverbs 21-2. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart. So let me ask you a question who are you? What gives you your identity? On what foundation are you building on to define yourself? Whether it's good or bad, it defines you. The wrong ways we define ourselves come naturally to us. We live in the world money, job, success, the football team you like, from the college. You never went to political leanings, the college you attended. Maybe you define yourself by what was summed up in a Myers-Briggs category ISFP over here. These are all examples of a false identity. Your true identity is a gift from God. It's a gift that's given to you and it becomes an awesome surprise when we see it, and it finally ends up being a choice that we have. Well, that we have to be committed to Some people out there. Some of us define ourselves by the sins that we've committed oh, I'm an angry man, or I'm a drug addict, or I got a divorce, or I'm a homosexual, or even by a disability or a sickness like cancer. All those things are used by people to define themselves, and even us as Christians can get it wrong. You know, thinking that, thinking that Bible knowledge or your gift in preaching, or even the denomination that you're in, are things that define your identity. All of these, these senses of identity, are totally separate from God. They're totally separate from the God who actually defines you. God defines us in ways that go against what we are conditioned to believe, and you know there's people out there who operate in a secret identity. Not that kind of secret identity, clark. Hiding who you really are, hiding your true identity to conform to social norms, will get you nowhere. You really hear now that we're in the end times. You know, as Christians we're going to be targets, and there may be a time that comes where you've got to stand up or get off the pot. Or is that sit down and get off the pot? I don't know. Anyway, something to think about. It's not really what we're getting into tonight let's talk about. Let's talk about your true identity. First of all. Your true identity is who God says you are. No amount of soul searching or affirmations from your boss or your girlfriend or your wife will ever hold up. God gets that privilege and daily you should be modeling him because in the end, god is going to do the ultimate performance review on your life. The next thing about your true identity is that it directly connects you to God. God is everything. God has everything good all at once. So, whatever, whatever you learn about him now becomes something specific about you. Yeah, whatever you learn about God at that moment, it becomes something specific about your identity and you realize that Jesus Christ is your Lord. You should realize that you are a servant because of who Jesus is. That was almost hard to say. Because of who Jesus is. The next thing is your expression of your identity. Your core identity is based on who God is. God's relationship with us is like that of a father to his children, and as you mature in your identity, you become a father to your own children. Now here's some info. Did you know that your true identity can be stolen? Identity theft is not a joke, jim. Millions of families suffer every year. It gets messed up when you go against God's word Because he is his word, so that means you should be also. But when we forget God and I've used the word forget because it's on purpose, which means when you go against God's word to do something to please yourself, whatever it is, whatever that sin is, but when you leave God to decide to do your own thing, you forget who you are to. You forgot your identity. The problem with that is now, no matter what that sin is, on the back end of that, you're susceptible to think that that is your identity. Now you got to start all over and ask forgiveness and accept God's grace and then get back on track and, speaking of grace, continuing in your God identity is a matter of grace. It's a gift from Christ. The Holy Spirit is that gift and it spends our whole lifetime I hate saying it. The Holy Spirit spends our whole lifetime strengthening our identity so that when we meet Jesus face to face, we'll recognize him because we recognize ourself. Isn't that awesome? We don't know what Jesus looks like, but at some point in the future we will all stand in front of him. In him we'll recognize him. We'll see ourself standing there. It's awesome. True identity that connects us to God, that connects all of us to God, connects all of us together. We're all parts of the living body of Christ. So not only does our identity connect us to God, the Father, and Jesus, the Son and the Holy Spirit, it also connects us to other Christians. That's why going to church is so important for a Christian, because not only do you have the opportunity to worship God and praise him corporately and fellowship, but you're spending time with other people who have the same identity as you and God. No one ever thinks of that, no one ever looks at it that way. But that is awesome. I think that's the third time I said awesome in this podcast. There's got to be some prize for that. I feel like it's 1982. Pretty good year. So what does our identity look like? First of all, the Lord gives us provision, just like our parents did. He feeds us. He feeds us physically and from his word. Jesus is the bread of life. So the first thing that our identity looks like is that we are God's dependence. The next thing is that our identity in life was complicated by sin and suffering, but knowing that should make us know that we need God's help. So the second identifier of our identity is that we are weak. I am weak, but thou art strong. Sorry, I can't sing, but it reminded me of that old hymn. The next thing, in what does our identity look like is God forgives us in all our faults, because at our core we know we sin and are forgiven. So our identity we are his dependent, we are weak, and that we are forgiven sinners. Well, that doesn't sound right because we are not sinners. We are forgiven from sin. Next, god is our father and the Holy Spirit in us changes our heart so that we are like a child, a child that needs our father. We need his care and his attention and his instruction and, yes, even his discipline, just like our own fathers. Here, what does our identity look like? We are God's child. The next thing our lives are full of danger and trials and tests and disappointments and it's horrible sometimes and alone you see it every day People abusing alcohol and drugs and so many other things just to get their mind off their troubles and, in extreme cases, suicide. We are defenseless against all the things of this world, but their safety, their safety in the arms of God. We are refugees. Yey, tom Petty. Alright, I got it out of my system, but it's plain in my mind. What else does our identity look like? The Lord is our shepherd. You've heard it. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want he maketh me to lie down in green pastures. The Lord is our shepherd. Jesus laid down his life for his sheep. He watches over us like a shepherd. He looks after our needs like a shepherd. So our identity, part of our identity, is that we are sheep in his flock. Alright, god is our master. We were bought with a price. The blood of Jesus. You were bought with a price. Innocent blood was shed. We have to have him tell us what to do and how to do it. If you want to live a God spirit filled life. You're not doing it on your own. Your master has to tell you what to do and how to do it. Part of your identity is we are servants of God for life. The next thing Jesus is married to his people. He loves us, he cherishes us, the church, me and you and everybody out there that's a Christian. We're his wife and, like a husband is supposed to be, he's patient and he takes care of his wife. He's faithful and he's kind and he's protective and generous, just like a husband should be. So another part of your identity no, it's not that you're a wife, unless you're a wife Another part of your identity is that we submit to Jesus. God knows our heart, our inside man, our inside woman. That's scary. So another part of our identity is that we are a God fearing people. God is so good and glorious and mighty and worthy of our love and our esteem and our gratitude. We are worshipers and we need to remember that, with all the busy that's in our lives and all the important callings we deal with, it'll be over and done with. One day we will be old and broken and sitting in a nursing home, will be frail, old people that others are going to be in charge of. But you know what? Your identity cannot grow old and frail. As long as you follow Christ and allow him to guide you in your thoughts and let him guide you in your actions, your identity will remain strong, and when you're standing in front of him and he's smiling with his arms wide open, ready to receive you, you will be in glory forever. So what does our identity look like? We're his dependent. We're weak, we sin and are forgiven. We're God's child. We are refugees and we are sheep. We are servants for life. We submit to Jesus. We are God fearing people and we are worshipers. And when you recognize that in yourself, you can know that you will be in glory forever. How awesome is that. Forever in glory, and your identity is yours to keep. We've all heard about identity theft. Well, the only one that can allow their identity to be stolen is you. No one's going to take it from you. If you want to allow yourself to live in oppression and listen to the whispers in your ear from the evil demonic forces that are all around us and forget your identity, then in a way, you can say that it was stolen. But as long as you want it and stay strong in that, it's yours to keep. It's who you are. It's not who the world thinks you are. It's who God thinks you are. Now, what does the Bible say about your identity in Christ? Well, you don't have to take my word for it. For real, god wants you to find all this out for yourself by reading His Word. It's so important that you go to the Bible to find out how he feels about you. Your identity should never be based on a hope or a guess. God gave us His Word, the Bible, so you can know Him and know who he is making you to be in Him. Ephesians 2, verse 19, says you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of His household. We're members of God's household. We're not strangers. If you follow Christ, you belong in God's household and with His people. And what I just read in Ephesians Paul is encouraging the followers of Christ to remember that they are all part of one family, that they're supposed to be unified with each other. And this can only happen if you understand that you are a legitimate child of God. You are part of His family. That is your identity. So if you put your faith in Jesus, you have a new identity in Him. And the more you get to know Jesus through His Word and time and prayer, the more you'll understand your identity in Him. The more you get to know Jesus, the more you'll be able to identify areas in your life that you're not living this identity by the power of the Holy Spirit. If you believe that you were all that God says you are in Christ, how would that change the way you lived, the way you interact with others or the way that you relate to the Lord? As you find your identity in Christ, you will grow to look more like Him and less like the world. You will grow in intimacy with Him and with other believers. That is my prayer for you. That is the reason that I recorded this for you. And now, deep Thoughts by Jack Handy. From Rick Uhaas. The memories of my family outings are still a source of strength to me. I remember we'd all pile into the car and forget what kind it was, and drive and drive. I'm not sure where we'd go, but I think there were some trees there. The smell of something was strong in the air as we played whatever sport we played. I remember a bigger, older guy we called Dad. We'd eat some stuff or not, and then I think we went home. I guess some things never leave you. Well, that's it for this episode of Renewed Mindsets. My prayer is you learn something today. That will help you grow as a child of God and become more like Christ. If you enjoyed the show, do me a favor and tell someone about it. You know your recommendation goes a long way towards influencing them towards the truth a whole lot more than mine. You can listen to all the past episodes at our website, at RenewedMindsetscom, and also wherever you listen to podcasts. While you're on the website, click the gray microphone button at the bottom of the page and leave a voicemail. I just might play it on a future show. I'm going to end the show this morning in prayer, a Proverbs 21-2 prayer. The way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart. Father God, you know my heart. You also know my struggles and my temptations. I pray that you give me the ability to understand what is right, and not just what is right in my own eyes. I ask you to give me the wisdom so I don't fool myself. Instead, teach me to purify my heart so that the choices that I make are good. I assist in Jesus' precious name, amen. The intro and outro music for the renewed mindset show is Are you Ready? By Floodgate from the album Are you Ready? Copyright 2002, offbeat Ministries Inc. Floodgate can be found on Apple Music and iTunes. Music used with permission. Until next time, I'm Rick, I love you See. Ya, I'd like to say a few words to you listening. This morning, I sit here behind this microphone with a heart full of gratitude. Today marks a special occasion, not just for me, but for each of you who have decided to make the renewed mindset show a part of your morning or your afternoon or your evening. I'm profoundly thankful for your support and the time that you dedicate to tuning in. These days, it's hard to find people committed to choosing appropriate entertainment. We live in a world filled with noise. Your decision to start your day with a message of faith and inspiration speaks volumes. Your listening to my faith-based show is a testament to the power of community, shared values and the need for positivity in our lives. 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