Living Lessons on IdentitySample

The old is gone and new things have come. This is a glorious truth upon which we want to focus and take deep into our hearts. It is one of the principle pathways to our identity in Christ. We no longer have to focus on all the bad things we have done, or live out of the condemnation that permeates our society and makes us hate ourselves. It is vital that we learn to separate personhood and behavior so that we can live from how God sees us. 

Years ago, while on a retreat, as I was reading the book "Birthright: Christian Do You Know Who You Are?" by David Needham, God showed me more deeply what it means to be a new creature. It means that those of us who have received Jesus truly are a new creation. When we received Christ, something new was created, not just added. I had been taught that Jesus was added to my life while the “bad me” remained there. Coupled with other things I was learning, Mr. Needham’s statements cleared my mind completely to understand that a creation was something that God made out of something that never was there before! A product is made out of things that already exist, but creations are made out of “no things” (Romans 4:17). To create is to bring into existence. The old person is gone and now we are new, joined to Christ as a new creation.1 

Although we are new creations, we still have old ways of thinking and believing. Walking in intimacy along our journey of faith with God is how we grow, heal and change the old ways, but the spiritual part of us is in essence a new creation.  He made something new. When we are tempted to say that it is not true, it will most likely be because we are looking at behavior or appearances. We have most likely lost our peace. 

Since we live out of what we believe at the moment, it seems important to notice what we are believing when we lose our peace. God’s peace is what tells us how we are doing. Colossians 3: 15 says, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. . .” When peace is not ruling our hearts, we have lost our peace because we are believing a lie from our past or from the enemy. It always helps to remind ourselves that we are a new creation in Christ. He will show us what needs to be healed or changed when we turn to Him. 

Application: 

Do you know that you are a new creation, made new by God? Do you realize when you lose your peace? What do you usually do when that happens? When you lose your peace, turn to Jesus and ask Him what He wants you to know.

1 Birthright: Christians do you know who you are, pages 62-63