Tag Archives: Identity in Christ

Who is Israel, and what defines a Jew?

Posted on 12/03/2025 | Leave a comment

For any believer seeking to understand their Identity in Christ it is necessary to have a clear understanding of who Israel is and how that identity has changed with the fulfillment of the Old Covenant and the ratifying of the New.

Misunderstanding who the Israel of God is will affect our understanding of messianic prophecy and our identity in Christ.

Are ethnic Jews still God’s chosen people?

Are Jews who reject Christ still going to Heaven?

What did Paul mean when he said in Romans 11:26 “all Israel will be saved?”

It all starts with Abraham’s covenant

The promise to Abraham and his seed involved several key components: a great nation, abundant descendants (like the stars of the sky and sand of the seashore), a promised land, and the assurance that through him, all the families of the earth would be blessed. The promise also includes a future for his seed to possess their enemies’ gates, and it is often interpreted in both a physical and spiritual sense, with Jesus seen as the ultimate fulfillment of the spiritual blessing for all nations. 

Key elements of the covenant:

  • A great nation: God promised to make Abraham into a great and mighty nation. 
  • Many descendants: Abraham’s descendants would be countless, like the stars of the heavens and the sand on the seashore. 
  • The promised land: Abraham’s descendants would be given a specific and vast territory. 
  • Blessing to all nations: A central part of the promise was that through Abraham, all families on earth would be blessed. 
  • Blessing and protection: God promised to bless those who bless Abraham and curse those who curse him. 

Fulfillment of the covenant:

  • Physical fulfillment: 

The promise was fulfilled literally for the physical nation of Israel, which received the land and became a great nation with numerous descendants. 

  • Spiritual fulfillment: 

The New Testament teaches that the promise of blessing to all nations is spiritually fulfilled through Jesus Christ, the descendant of Abraham, in whom all who have faith are blessed. 

Galatians 3:16-18 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. 18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise. 

vs. 26-29 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

This passage makes it clear that Abraham’s seed and heir is identified by being a believer in Christ. It is only the children of promise that qualify for Abraham’s inheritance, and it is faith alone that qualifies a person as a seed of Abraham. The Children of the flesh are identified as ethnic Jews who are born from Abraham’s loins but refuse to believe in the promise of Christ. Just because one is born from the loins of Abraham does not mean he is a true Jew.

John 8:37-44 “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. 38 I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.”  39 They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. 40 But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. 41 You do the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. 43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

Jesus said if you don’t love me, God is NOT your Father. Has that changed? Jesus is telling them that their works reveal their nature, and their nature reveals their father, not their bloodline.

Galatians 3:7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.

Again, regardless of bloodline, any Jew who does not believe that Christ is the son of the living God is not considered Abraham’s seed. A Jew who is born in the bloodline of Isaac and does not believe in Christ is no better than a son of Hagar, a son of the flesh.

What is a Jew?

Romans 2:28-29 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.

Once the New Covenant was fully ratified, being born an Israelite, of Jewish blood, does not make you a Jew, nor does it make you God’s chosen people. Christ is the chosen seed to whom the promises of Abraham apply. It is only in Him that we find salvation. The promise of God was to Abraham and his seed, meaning, to Abraham and to Christ. If you are Christ’s, then YOU are Abraham’s seed and YOU are heir to the promise. If you are not Christ’s, then you are not an heir to the promises of Abraham nor the promises of the New Covenant.

Romana 9:6-7 But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, 7 nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.” 8 That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. 

Pay close attention to this passage. “They are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s seed.”

This scripture tells us, just because one is born an Israelite, a physical descendant of Abraham, does not make them an Israelite or a true child of God.

“In Isaac, your seed shall be called.” (In the Child of Promise)

Isaac was the physical child of promise that the spiritual child of promise (Jesus) would come through.

Ephesians 2:14-16 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 

This passage speaks of Christ breaking down the “dividing wall of hostility” between Jew and Gentile, creating “one new person in place of the two,” forming one body in Christ. This is a unified people in Christ, which supersedes former ethnic distinctions, and replaces the Old Covenant that Christ fulfilled, and then becomes the spiritual fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant.

Jesus fulfilled the covenant that the Jews are still actively trying to keep. They reject Jesus as God’s answer and their messiah. Jesus put to death the enmity, and the Jews strive to keep the enmity alive. They, like all unbelievers, are cut off.

In Christ, all covenants with man have been, or are being fulfilled as we speak.

Is God done with Israel? NO!

Romans 11:1-2a I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew.

God didn’t cast away Israel; He loved them so much that He fulfilled the Old Covenant made with Israel, and then made a New Covenant based on faith, not works.

He didn’t cast away his people; He made a new and living way available to Jews and Gentiles alike that only requires faith, not the keeping of the Law.

It’s not that He rejected the Jews; instead, He favored them by fulfilling the covenant obligations that Israel was unable to fulfill themselves, and then offered them a New Covenant that is the fulfillment of God’s original promise to the Jews through Abraham’s Covenant.

God didn’t reject Israel; He showed them extreme favor by fulfilling their covenant obligations and then He changed the definition of an Israelite. Now, an Israelite is one who is born of the Spirit, of the incorruptible seed of Christ, not of a bloodline.

Romans 11: 17-18 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

Vs. 20-21 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.

Vs. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.

In this passage, we see that God did not spare the natural branches (Israel), but in verse 23, we are reassured that all the Jews have to do is believe, and they will be grafted back in.

The parable of the wicked vinedressers.

Matt 21: 33-41b“Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. 34 Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. 35 And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. 37 Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.

40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?” 41 They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes’?

43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. 44 And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”

45 Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.

In this parable, the symbolism couldn’t be clearer. It is obvious that the landowner represents God, the vinedressers are Israel, and the landowner’s son is Jesus.

What happens to the vinedressers after they kill the Son? Verse 41 says that the owner (God) will destroy them and verse 43 says that the kingdom will be taken from them (Israel) and given to another nation bearing the fruits of the kingdom. We know that the vinedressers are Israel because is verse 45 the Israelite religious leaders who keep the law knew he was talking about them.

The ”other nation” in verse 43 refers to the Church, a royal priesthood, A Holy nation.

Galatians 4:21-31 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, 24 which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar— 25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children— 26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27 For it is written:

“Rejoice, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a husband.”

28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. 29 But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. 30 Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.” 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.

Paul explains the spiritual symbolism of Hagar and Sarah, and physical and spiritual Jerusalem, and the difference between being born of the flesh and born of the promise.

The bondwoman must be cast out for the children of promise to receive their inheritance. Could this be a reason that the church hasn’t walked in the fullness of God’s promises? Does the church need to quit coddling Israel and start earnestly interceding for her salvation?

NOTE: Abraham’s descendants fall into two categories: The children of the flesh, and the children of promise. The children of the bondwoman are children of Ishmael, children born of the flesh. All those who are currently rejecting Christ and insisting on living by the law are no better than the children of Hagar. They are considered fake Jews, Ishmaelites, regardless of whether they are physical descendants of Isaac. The children of promise are all those that believe in the Seed, Christ.

Spiritually speaking, all ethnic Jews who reject Christ are aligning themselves with the children of Hagar and Earthly Jerusalem, not the children of promise and the Heavenly Jerusalem.

This passage tells us that modern-day Jerusalem, which is in bondage with her children, is seen as Ishmaelites, and they have no part in the inheritance with the free children, which is the Church.

Galatians 5:4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

All those who try to keep the law are estranged from Christ and have fallen from grace. This applies to all people including Jews.

Romans 4:13-17   13 For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, 15 because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.

(NOTE:) Verse 13 says that the promise was not to be fulfilled in his natural seed, but THROUGH “the righteousness of faith”. The Jews who insist on living by the Law, insist on living in transgression. Verse 14 says plainly that if the unbelieving Jews become heirs, then our faith in Jesus is made void and the promise made of no effect.

16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 17 (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;

The Centurion Encounter

Matthew 8:10-13 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! 11 And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.

In this passage, we see Jesus commending the great faith of the centurion, while at the same time rebuking all of Israel. He then adds that many from the East and West, meaning Gentiles will come and sit down in the Kingdom while they (the sons of the kingdom) will be cast into outer darkness. It is important to note that Jesus was not speaking in parables; He was speaking literally.

Earthly Jerusalem is now seen as Sodom, and Egypt

Revelation 11:8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

Isaiah 3:8-9 For Jerusalem stumbled, And Judah is fallen, Because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of His glory. 9 The look on their countenance witnesses against them, and they declare their sin as Sodom; They do not hide it. Woe to their soul! For they have brought evil upon themselves.

Physical Jerusalem is now, spiritually speaking, no better than Sodom and Egypt. God has placed the unbelieving Jews and the current city of Jerusalem in the same category as Sodom and Egypt.

Understand the symbolism:

  • Sodom: This comparison points to Jerusalem’s sexual immorality and sinfulness.
  • Egypt: This comparison signifies a state of spiritual slavery and hostility toward God, much like ancient Israel’s experience in Egypt.
  • Physical vs. Symbolic: The text makes it clear this is a spiritual and symbolic name, but it points to the physical city of Jerusalem as the specific location. The phrase “where also their Lord was crucified” is a clear geographical marker for Jerusalem. 

We really need to ask ourselves some questions:

How has the Church been affected by the wrong belief that the ethnic Jews are still God’s chosen people?

How does it affect you personally?

Does it affect your understanding of the Bible as a whole?

Does it affect our interpretation of prophecy?

What about eschatology?

How can the Gentiles make the ethnic Jews jealous if they treat them as equals or even superiors?

Why is this not being preached and made clear?

JESUS IS COMING!

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Who Do You Think You Are? Identity 101

Posted on 07/15/2025 | Leave a comment

Do you see yourself as the sum-total of your life experiences up to this point, or do you see yourself as God sees you? Do you see yourself as you currently appear to be, or how God has made you to be through the blood of Christ?

We must close the gap between how we see ourselves and how God sees us. The closer we get to His vision and view of who we are, the more Christlike we will become.

This teaching explores our identity in Christ. Knowing who we are is the foundation for effective ministry and balanced spiritual growth. We are saved by believing in Jesus, but we are set free when we think and believe like Jesus. Understanding our new identity grounds our understanding of who we are in God’s eyes, rather than relying on our own fallen experience or worldly opinions to dictate who we are. The truth is, our identity in Christ is so radically different than what we know about ourselves that it seems almost impossible to believe.

Our past life and experiences have a loud voice. And yet, in Christ, our past life is dead. Our sinful nature is dead. Even though we see the fruit of our fallen nature manifesting itself in our lives, we are to consider ourselves dead to it. This requires a faith that few Christians have attained, and yet it is a vital part of the good news of the gospel.

Who we are is determined by what we believe, not necessarily how we act. What we believe is subject to change according to what voice we allow to speak the loudest in our lives. We must all come to the place as believers where God’s Word has the final authority on what we believe about ourselves. To do this, we must practice hearing His voice more than all other voices. If we practice this, how we act will change. This can be a real challenge in this day and age.

It is only by faith that we can embrace the reality of our new identity in Christ. We will never figure it out rationally; we simply must accept what God said to be true. It sounds easy, but without renewing our minds, it is impossible.

Identity by Faith

Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 

What does Justified mean to you?

In the Bible, “justified” refers to being declared righteous in the sight of God, not based on one’s own merits, but through faith in Jesus Christ. It’s a legal term, implying that God, as the divine judge, acquits the sinner and accepts them as righteous because of their belief in Christ’s atoning sacrifice. 

Peace with God in this context is a profound spiritual state of reconciliation and restored relationship to our Heavenly Father. Jesus made a way back to the Father

It is important to note that “peace with God” is different from “the peace of God”. Peace with God refers to the fundamental change in a person’s access to, and relationship with God, while peace of God describes the present-day ministry of the Holy Spirit within the believer that assures us of our salvation, and leads and guides us by the unction of Christ’s Spirit. The Peace of God can only be experienced by those who have Peace with God. John 14:27

         Did Jesus die FOR you? Or AS YOU?

         Technically, Jesus died for the Father. He died AS YOU.

2 Corinthians 5:17-18 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

What does it mean to be a new creature in Christ?

Do you have to feel like a new creature before you start believing it?

No! We are not to be moved by feelings

What are the “Old things that have passed away”?

Our carnal nature, old habits, old sins, old behaviors, and old mindsets.

How can you tell that they have passed away?

Only by faith. Because God said so. If we will just believe it and take God’s word for it, it will soon begin to bear the fruit of that belief in our lives.

It’s not about ceasing the outward actions of sinning but changing one’s belief about sin itself and dying to the fallen nature that we inherited through Adam. Actions follow what we believe.

John 12:23-25 But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. 24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. 25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Romans 6:1-6 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

What does “our old man was crucified with Him” mean to you?

What does it mean for us to die to sin?

The phrase “You’re dead to me” indicates extreme rejection and complete emotional detachment. It signifies that you no longer consider the person to be a part of your life, intending to end all interaction. For all intents and purposes, that person no longer exists. Most people have not died to sin. They live sin consciously, not really conscious of their adopted position as righteous sons and daughters.

Romans 8:31-39 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We Must Fight for Our Identity Because Satan is fighting to keep us from embracing it.

Spiritually speaking, we are in a war, but what are we fighting for? Who and what are we fighting against? Where do the battles take place when fighting this war? These are questions we all must answer for ourselves if we are to have any chance of victory.

People are not our enemy. I know it can seem so at times. People will inevitably come against us, but they are being motivated and used by spiritual beings and forces that can’t normally be seen with the human eye. Our battle is spiritual. Spiritual warfare is not a conflict between men but warfare against a spiritual realm that relentlessly influences the thoughts and values of mankind. There are unseen spiritual beings and spiritual forces on Earth that are determined to persuade men to think and believe anything other than the truth.

Satan and all of the evil spirits that are under his control fight against people to prevent them from accepting Jesus as their savior and Lord. If he loses that battle, he then shifts his focus to fighting against the discovery of who we are in Christ Jesus. He attacks our identity. Our mind is where the battles take place, and our souls (mind, will, and emotions) are Satan’s target.

He can’t gain governance of our souls in a fair fight, and he knows it. He has already been defeated. So, he must use deception, distractions, and subtle manipulation to trick us into handing over our souls willingly. History tells us that he has been very successful in this tactic.

We mature as Christians only to the level that our identity is understood and our souls are sanctified. Satan works overtime to prevent that from happening. Our soul is his ultimate target because the condition of our soul determines the source of our identity.

If the devil can shake us in our faith, he can make us question and even doubt our identity. He tries to keep us at a certain level of immaturity to prevent us from ever discovering who we are in Christ. It requires a developed faith to maintain our identity. However, even mature Saints can be deceived into letting go of their convictions and dropping their shield of faith. When faith is weak, our strength is small.

Proverbs 24:10 If you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small.

Faith is not a tool for us to get our needs met, our bodies healed, our bank accounts full, or bail us out of trouble. Faith is a perspective. It is a very narrow way of seeing, thinking, believing, behaving, and speaking. It is impossible to please God without this perspective.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

It pleases God when we fight for what He has done for us.

Our primary call, once we are born again, is to be renewed in our minds and sanctified in our souls. Our spiritual growth and progress depend on our soul’s sanctification. We are triune beings created in the image of God. We are a spirit being. We have a soul, and we dwell in a physical body. The soul (mind, will, and emotions) is the seat of authority in our three-part being. It makes up our personality and is the seat of our God given sovereignty. Our ability to say “NO” to God proves that we are sovereign.

Man was designed by God to be completely governed by the spirit, not the soul. When man ate of the tree, sin entered the world, and man then became governed by his soul. God gives us the Holy Spirit at the new birth. When we submit our souls completely to the will of the Holy Spirit, we return to His original design. The soul always has, and will always have, the final say over our spirit and body. This is why we must cast the crown of our sovereignty at God’s feet daily and say, “not my will, but yours be done.” As our soul goes, so does our walk with Christ.

The Holy Spirit will not force or coerce us into submission. He will patiently wait until we choose to submit our souls willingly. Without a submitted soul, we will never fully understand our true identity and will be unable to fulfill all that God has called us to do and become. This is why spiritual growth must be our top priority.

The sanctification of our souls is not simply an academic process where we study and acquire knowledge. Sanctification is about transformation, and this is a lifelong pursuit. Sanctification occurs more rapidly in the context of communion and intimacy with the Father. Intimacy with God is the greatest catalyst for discovering our identity and facilitating our transformation into Christlikeness. Satan hates it when we discover that we can have intimacy with God. He fears it, he hates it, and he will send every distraction available to keep us from it.

Think of the impact of having a soul completely submitted to the voice and direction of the Holy Spirit. A soul living in constant communion and awareness of God’s indwelling presence. At this point, the soul will cease to be only a battlefield. It will become fertile ground where divine thoughts and supernatural creativity can flourish. A place where obedience becomes our joy, and rivers of living water pour forth from us and impact the world around us for God’s glory.

 Are you a SINNER or a SAINT?

 We can’t be both. If we try to be both, we are double-minded and we are trying to serve two masters.

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 

Do you believe that you are a part of Christ’s body? Is Christ’s body unholy? Does Christ’s body sin?

Does Christ sin? Can He sin? Has He ever sinned? Can any part of His body sin?

1 John 3:8-9 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

Are you of the devil? Is Christ of the devil? What about your fallen nature?

If we are a part of His body, we can’t sin because we have incorruptible seed dwelling in us. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, the incorruptible seed.

Romans 7:16-20 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

Notice that Paul does not identify with his fallen nature because that old man is dead. He understands that Jesus died AS THAT MAN. That sinful man is no longer who he is, even though he may see evidence of it in his life. We need to be firmly secure in our new identity in Christ, just like Paul is showing us.

We must “reckon ourselves” dead to the fallen nature even though we are still tied to it while we live on the Earth.

Romans 6:8-11 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What does it mean to reckon yourself dead to sin? (Believe, consider, treat it as dead.)

Why is this so hard to believe? Because it sure doesn’t look like that old man is dead. It is hard to believe because we have a fallen tendency to walk by sight and not by faith.

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 

Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

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JESUS IS COMING!

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I’m Dead I Reckon

Posted on 11/08/2022 | Comments Off on I’m Dead I Reckon

Romans 6:11 (NKJV) Likewise, you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So, what does it mean to “reckon yourself to be dead indeed to sin?” Many translations render this phrase “consider yourself to be dead,” but what does that look like?

Another good word for “reckon” is “believe.” We must believe that we are dead to sin. But that is not the end of the verse. We must also reckon (believe) that we are alive to God in Christ Jesus. It means we need to stop judging and thinking of ourselves as “sinners” and start believing and thinking of ourselves as forgiven, redeemed sons and daughters of God. The problem is, thinking and believing do not change automatically; they are changed by what we continually look at and meditate on.

Without daily intimacy with the Lord and continual exposure to His living word, we will stay focused on our failures and shortcomings, never actually becoming all Jesus paid for us to be. Reading and hearing the word of God, fellowship with other believers, and listening to good preaching are all good things. However, nothing will transform us faster than spending time with God when no one else is looking. Intimacy is where the most extraordinary transformation takes place. It is where grace has its perfect work.

Intimacy with the Father builds faith, dispels doubt, and corrects wrong thinking. Beholding Him and His glory shapes our perspectives, confirming and strengthening our identity by changing how we see Him.

          The Bible says that “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45 Matthew 12:33-37)

What is in our hearts and minds (believer and thinker) will eventually come out of our mouths, and that is the other thing that must change.

We will never be free from sin while allowing it to reside in our thought life and keeping it in our conversations.

We must not talk about how normal it is for us to sin. Saying things like, “We all sin, everybody sins, we are always going to sin,” strengthens a sin consciousness and reinforces the strongholds of wrong thinking and wrong believing.

There is a time and place to confess our sins and weaknesses to others for needed ministry, restoration, and accountability. However, filling our prayer life with wrong declarations of our sinful and unworthy nature is counterproductive and anti-finished work. That is not humility; it is blasphemy. He made us worthy.

Talking and thinking that way is “reckoning” ourselves alive to sin. It is saying in our hearts that sin still has power over us and therefore suggests that the finished work of Jesus did not accomplish anything.

Sin only has power over us when we empower it.

If we miss it and sin, run to God in prayer and declare.

“Lord, I thank you for your mercy. I am sorry; that is no longer who I am Lord. That is certainly not what You look like in me. Thank you for making me clean and transforming me into your image. Thank you for perfecting your work in me and bringing me to the place where this is not an issue anymore. I am so thankful that you don’t see me as dirty or unworthy. Thank you for redeeming me. I so appreciate your work in my life, thank you for Fathering me.”

You won’t pray like that without a healthy understanding of who you are in Christ. Spend some time with Him alone today.

Quoted from the book, The Spiritual Warfare Manifesto

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What Kind Of Disciples Are You Making?

Posted on 11/05/2022 | Comments Off on What Kind Of Disciples Are You Making?

          Our identity is not found in our gifting, our calling, or our vocation, but in our relationship with the Father. An apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, or teacher is not who we are, it is how we were created to serve. We find our identity in our loving relationship with the Father, not our gifting. If we don’t first find our identity in Him, we cannot effectively make disciples of Jesus.

          Disciples are made when people willingly follow you and your living example. What kind of example are you setting? What are you reproducing if you make disciples apart from intimacy with the Lord? Are you making disciples of Jesus, or disciples of a denomination? What are you trying to reproduce? Do we really need two or more like you?

Our priority should be a growing relationship with the Father. We should be cautious of having followers if there are any other priorities above that.

          A leader can easily get distracted from spending intimate time with the Lord. A common trap is to replace being alone with God and pursuing intimacy with the busyness of religious activity. Another pitfall is to allow our “quiet time” or “devotion time” with the Lord to become lifeless, where we go through the motions and never connect with God on an intimate level. We can read a daily chapter or two in our Bible, run through our laundry list of prayer requests, and never take time to be quiet and listen to the one we are talking to. I have been guilty of this myself. It is tragic to become religious in our devotion to God and call it a relationship.

            We can learn about God from reading and studying the Bible, but to honestly know Him, we must spend time with Him, commune with Him, and listen to Him.

          Jesus set a remarkable example. He only did what He saw the Father do. This mindset demands a lifestyle of watching and praying. It’s not always convenient or comfortable, but it is always necessary.

          If you read my biography, you can learn a lot about me, but you can’t honestly say that you know me. You may “feel like you know me,” but to honestly know me, you must spend time with me, ask me questions, listen to my responses, and spend time with me. It is the same with God.

          Reading the Bible takes on new dimensions when intimacy becomes a lifestyle. The word of God bears much more fruit in our lives. We begin to view His written word through the lens of His divine nature; we see it with an unveiled face and a heart of love that makes us more sensitive to His spoken word.

Quoted from the book, The Spiritual Warfare Manifesto

Thank you for visiting truthpressure.com. I hope this has been a blessing to you.

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