“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 NKJV)
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:32 NKJV)
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
Yesterday I shared what I have learned about “Recognition” and “Identification.” The main thought that I want to emphasize today is just how critical my perception of my “Identity” is. As a born again, Spirit filled, disciple of Jesus, how I see myself is probably the most important element of my Christian life. If I see myself as merely “an old sinner saved by grace,” then that is how I will live. I will spend my life dominated by sin, in constant need of rescue. However, if I see myself as a “New Creation, righteous, redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb,” then I will live in a whole different way.
Before I got saved I needed to see myself as a sinner in need of salvation. After I accepted the gift of salvation that Jesus made available to me I became the very righteousness of God. Here’s the irony: Before salvation I thought I was better than I was. After salvation I thought I was worse than I am. I had things backwards. The Holy Spirit had to straighten me out. Now I realize that I was a sinner, I was saved by Grace, and now I am redeemed, the very righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
With that said I want to list some of what the Bible says I am…
…I am born again (1 Peter 1:3)
…I am a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
…I am redeemed (Ephesians 1:7)
…I am reconciled to the Father (Romans 5:10)
…I am a child of God (1John 5:4)
…I am one with Christ (1 Corinthians 6:17)
…I am the very righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21)
…I am a partaker of the Divine Nature (2 Peter 1:4)
…I am forgiven (1 John 2:12)
…I am delivered (Psalm 107:20)
…I am set free (Galatians 5:1)
…I am healed (1 Peter 2:24)
…I am prosperous (3 John 1:2)
…I am an overcomer (1 John 5:4)
…I am more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37)
…I am triumphant in all things (2 Corinthians 2:14)
…I am so much more than I have space to write, and all of this is freely given to me by my Good God and Savior Jesus Christ. I can’t earn any of it. I don’t deserve any of it. Yet, it is all mine! What an identity changer!
I am blown away by…
…Eric’s Life Lesson #88: “The lesson of ‘Recognition’ versus ‘Identification’ (knowing the difference is critical to my life).” Part 2