Hello, my name is Jeremiah, and I was born a male a little while ago – only about sixteen years ago. In addition to this, I am a sophomore in high school, and I am a born US citizen with a mixed heritage. That is who and what I am from a worldly perspective; that’s my identity. However, what does that mean in heaven? All the above means absolutely nothing in the kingdom of God. I am not saying that who I am on earth isn’t important; I’m saying that in the eyes of God, we are all people in need of salvation. To boil the concept down, only two types of people exist: people who are saved and people who are not saved. Everyone will be judged according to his choices in life. Therefore, our identity in Christ is what really matters.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28
So, who are we in Christ? To start this off, let’s go back to the beginning when God first created man. In Genesis 1, God created man in His own image. Therefore, everyone is special and has a mind of choice, creativity, and freewill like God does. Look at every precise design around you! Look at all the good and exploring you do out of your own curiosity! You are not an animal; you are a creation made in God’s likeness. Since all people are created by God, whether you are a Christian or not, this applies to you, but only Christians can truly be used for God’s glory.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Genesis 1:27
Next, you are a creation loved by God. No matter who you are, God loves you, and you will always be loved by God. Even if you live the most wicked life, God will still love you. Let me give you an idea of how much God loves you. The fact that God created you shows that He loves you, but He also gave His Son Jesus so that you could be saved. In the Bible, Jesus said that there is no greater love than to give your life for your friends. If you are a Christian, you are Jesus’ friend, and He died for you. In addition to this, the Father loves you as a son. If you are unsaved, you are still greatly loved, and God longs for you to come to Him so that you can know Him intimately. However, you are an enemy of the Lord, but the Lord still longs for you to surrender and repent to Him. Simply put, whether you are a Christian or an unbeliever, you are loved of God, but you are a child of God if you are a follower of Christ.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. John 3:16-17
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. John 15:13-14
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. John 14:23
Since you are a loved creation of God and made in His image, God has an amazing plan and purpose for your life. You are predestined to an amazing life serving the King with the mission He has for you, but you will never fulfill this calling unless you are a Christian listening carefully to what the Holy Spirit is leading you to do. If you follow God’s plan on your life, you will be successful and peaceful. Never believe that you are worthless! God will use you in great ways if you submit to him.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. Jeremiah 29:11-12
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. Ephesians 1:5-6
The past three points focused on who we are because we are humans created by God along with more to say about those who are already saved, but the next points are only applicable if you are Christian because our focus will move to identity in Christ, and you have no identity in Christ if you are an unbeliever. However, if you are a true believer in Christ, then you are a new creation. When you gave your life to Christ, you let go of your identity as a child of the devil and put on your identity as a son or daughter of Christ. You are now dead to yourself but alive spiritually. Since you are dead to your sinful self, you now are to live by faith in Jesus who died for you because of His unfailing love. Remember that your identity is no longer of the devil but of Christ.
Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him not more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. II Corinthians 5:16-17
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20
As I explained earlier, you are child of God, and the Father loves us as sons and daughters. Since you have believed in the name of Christ and received Him in your heart, you have the power to be a child of God, and you are a child of God. Like you have a relationship with your father, you also have a relationship with your Father in heaven because the Holy Spirit speaks to you the will of the Father, and Jesus intercedes for you with the Father. When you know what God’s will is and are constantly listening for it, you will be in tune with the Holy Spirit living a pure and holy life. By praying and reading the Word, you will grow in your relationship with God.
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12-13
What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. I Corinthians 6:16-17
Since you are a Christian, you have been called to live holy. As you may know, I use the words “pure and holy” a lot, but what does that mean? Simply put, the Biblical definition of holy is to be clean and set apart from sin or sanctified. Pure means clear of all blemish; not even one spot of evil will allow for purity. As I already stated, God has called you live set apart from evil. As Janelle explained last month in “G.I.G.O.,”[1] what you put into your soul will come out of your soul. Therefore, we must be careful to what we watch, listen, and partake. To add to what she wrote, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, Who dwells within you. Would you like to live in dump? No, of course not!!! Therefore, do you think that the Holy Spirit would like to live in a dump either? The answer is simply no; He wouldn’t. You are called to mimic God in every way. In addition to this, when you are holy, God will influence others around you revealing the evil that is in the midst just like the sun brings light that exposes what we wouldn’t see otherwise. So, glorify God with your body and be holy because the Lord our God is holy as well.
Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. I Corinthians 6:18-20
For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. Leviticus 11:45
I’ve explained that you are the temple of the Holy Spirit, but in addition to this, you are a member of the body of Christ. Everyone in the body serves a purpose, and you have your own spiritual gifts. Just like feeding trash into yourself grieves the Holy Spirit, spewing out trash will affect those around you. When you hurt, the whole body of Christ hurts. When you fulfill the calling that God has on your life, the whole body benefits. However, if you forsake your faith or backslide, you will hurt the body of Christ, and you will not be doing the work that God has given you to fulfill the Great Commission, which was Jesus’ commandment to spread the Word to the world baptizing everyone in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As a result, the Lord will have to raise another to fulfill your calling. In addition to this, one man’s sin can lead to the failure of a whole people group. In Joshua 7, Israel could not defeat the city of Ai because Achan disobeyed the Lord. If Achan could stop Israel’s success by not heeding to the Word of the Lord, then our sins will surely hurt the growth of the congregation of the Lord.
But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. I Corinthians 12:11-13
As you probably know, the two most important commandments are to love God with everything you have and to love your neighbor as yourself.[2] Let’s focus on the second commandment for a bit. When you love someone, you want the best for him. In depth, think of the many people that you know; do you want any of them to eternally burn in hell? No, of course you don’t, and if you do, you need to rethink your answer because true love does not wish evil upon anyone, no matter who he is. What greater way to show God’s love than to spread the Word of God to everyone! Since you are child of God, you are also the light of the world because of the Holy Spirit Who lives inside you. As you spread the Word of God, He will change the atmosphere, exposing that which is evil and hiding. Never be afraid of spreading the Word of God to all those around you.
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Matthew 28:18-20
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. I Peter 2:9-10
If you have already given your life to the Lord, remember that we are saved by the grace of the Lord and that God’s grace will empower you to live holy, shining God’s light wherever the Lord sends you. If you are not a Christian and would like to have an identity in Christ to spread the good news to all around you, repent of your sin and believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and you will be saved. No matter who you are right now, God is calling you to come to the altar and lay down whatever is prohibiting you from fulfilling the call on your life. Remember that your identity as a Christian is not what you are but who you are: a loved child of God who is a light to shine to the world. Living in such a way won’t always be easy, but it will always be possible and spiritually rewarding.
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:9-10
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13
In this blog post, I’ve explained who you are simply by being created by God: a creation made in His image that is loved by Him. I have also explained who you are as a Christian: a child of our Father in heaven being used to spread the Word of God everywhere by living pure and holy. As life goes on, you will be faced with challenges to walking with the identity that you have been given, but the grace of God will strengthen you to stand up for your faith, even when life gets difficult. God will always be with you, and He will never leave you nor forsake you. Don’t forget who you are now in Christ and look forward to what you will do later in life as you build your identity in Jesus Christ our Lord!
Have a great week!
PARA LA GLORIA DEL SEÑOR,
Jeremiah Yonemura
[1] See “The Good Old G.I.G.O.”
[2] See Matthew 23:34-40.
