April Topic: The Past- Sub topic: You Are New Therefore Identify With Your Newness
As christians we are quick to proclaim who we are in Christ. When faced with opposition of any kind we will say things like “don’t mess with me because I am a child of God”. Or we will use terms like “I am too blessed to be stressed.” But the question is are we really identifying with the God that we are proclaiming with our mouths.
For example, if I go around telling people that I am a part of an elite country club but I don’t access what they have offer, I don’t take advantage of discounts and networking, I don’t ever wear the black and white stripped shirt that all the club members wear, and heaven forbid if I have never read the bylaws, and worse than that I don’t pay the annual dues that is owed then it it won’t matter what I tell people about my involvement because I am not getting any of the benefits from being involved.
So it is with our faith and belief in God. When it comes to our past, and the things that we want to change in life it has to be more than lip service. Only corresponding actions will promote growth and a relationship with God that will bring about change.
If no change is seen over time then we have to ask ourselves am I really identifying myself with the God that I am proclaiming with my mouth. If we truly believe in the words that we speak, and if we are truly identifying ourselves with what we are proclaiming change has to take place.
Philippians 3:14 (Message Bible)
Apostle Paul says this I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.
That being said in order for us to see the manifestation of the things that we are saying here are a few things that we need to do:
We need to make efforts to be all that God has called us to be. On a daily basis we should be incorporating something in our lives that impacts us for change, growth, and increase.
Deuteronomy 5:33 Walk in obedience to all that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.
Change requires more than just words. It means following the wisdom, and taking heed to the things God has personally spoken to us. This is how our lives are filled with peace, joy, God’s divine protection, long life, and the good things that God has in store for us.
We have to walk in our newness. We literally have a calling on our lives no matter what our profession is at work or other. Being a part of Christ is a calling.
Ephesians 4:1-6 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
We have to ask ourselves “what do I want to truly experience in this life?” What experiences are a priority for me? Because whatever that is, will be what we experience.
Philippians 3:10-11 says I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
It is His power that will bring the change. And it is the yielding to the Holy spirit (following His instructions on daily basis) that causes us to participate in His sufferings to become more and more like Him. In turn the Christ in us rises and grows more and more as the flesh dies more and more.
Newsflash and this may be disappointing for some of us to hear but this world really has nothing good to offer. And as time goes on we are seeing this more and more. But when we choose to reach for something greater, that greater thing being the Christ in us, then we will begin to experience something that goes beyond our imagination.
We can’t identify with the world more than God because we won’t experience all that God has for us. We should be experiencing change in our lives; change in our outlook, change in our perspectives, change in our relationships with others, change in our finances, change in how we see ourselves, and change in our health. Each year things should look better than the last year. If not we will become religious and our entire life will have been spent on us speaking words that we didn’t take an opportunity to walk in.
In closing we have to identify with our new selves in order to experience the great and new things that God has for us.