PERFECTION OF DIVINE IDENTITY

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” – 1 John 3:1

As August opens into September, the Lord is ushering us into our Month of PERFECTION OF DIVINE IDENTITY: “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 Jh. 3:2). IDENTITY infers the fact of being who or what a person or thing is. It is related to the word “identify” which means to establish or indicate who someone is or what something is. An example of Identity is a person’s name or fingerprint. My fingerprint is unique to me – it’s a physical mark of my identity: who I am and the characteristics that define me. It is usual in everyday life, to identify with a person, organisation, occupation, nationality, or church. Such identification makes us feel connected and gives us a sense of belonging. Most importantly however, we have an identity in the spirit realm.

Beyond physical or natural Identity, every Believer is marked by a Divine Identity – IN CHRIST. Paul modelled the reality of this Identity: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal.2:20). What applies to one applies to all: we who believe have been crucified with Christ. We not only identify with His death on Calvary’s cross, but also with His resurrection (Eph.2:4-7). In this new month, the Lord is unveiling to us the understanding of who we are in Christ. Identifying with Him will change how we think and live and cause us to rise above life’s limitations and satanic oppositions. Not understanding our identity in Him will keep us living far below our rights and privileges in Christ.

Strangely, some Christians have an identity crisis. They do not know who they are in Christ or where they are seated with Him. Instead of identifying with Christ, they identify with the problems that confront them. They call themselves by their problems: bankrupt, broke, discouraged, divorced, timid or weak. Others identify with the disease that’s attacking their bodies or minds. They describe themselves as bipolar, depressed, diabetic or handicapped. But that’s how they feel, not WHO they are. We must never become conditioned to the world’s labels. God wants us to become who He has called us. He “calls those things which do not exist as though they did” (Rom.4:17b). In the natural realm, what God is calling us may not exist; but in His eyes, it does. So we need to see and talk about ourselves the same way God does.

What God says about us is found in His Word, as we shall unveil line-upon-line in the coming days. There are many aspects to how we are being formed into the image of Jesus Christ. Please declare with me these few facets of my Identity in Christ:

I am a Child of God: “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1Jh.3:1).

I have been born of God and therefore live above sin: “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” (1Jh.3:9).

I am a new creature: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5:17).

As we are ushered into realms of Perfection of Divine Identity, our Identity IN CHRIST will manifest last never before!