May the following four verses that I will share with you today, coupled with the four verses I shared in yesterday’s devotion, truly let you experience the sheer joy of knowing who you are in Christ.
(Isaiah 41:10) tells us a wonderful story: “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” When you know who you are in Christ you can claim this incredible verse, with its five promises, as your own. Five times we see that the pronoun I, referring to God, is used. The first I talks about relationship – Jesus is with us all the time. (I am with you). The second I reflects on the fact that Jesus is our one true God. (I am your God). The third I shares that Jesus will always give us the strength we need to face every challenge that comes our way. (I will strengthen you). The fourth I says that Jesus will provide us with the help and resources, both material and spiritual, as we journey through life. (I will help you). And the fifth I tells us when our human strength gives out the supernatural strength of the Lord will take over. (I will uphold you). When we know who we are in Christ great peace and comfort should always envelop us.
(Romans 8:16-17) shares the following: “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 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.” In Christ we are children of God. And just as an earthly child stands to inherit possessions when their physical father dies we too are heirs of God and will inherit a myriad of blessings. For we read in (Revelation 21:7): “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.” When we are in Christ we become joint heirs with Christ – what an amazing thought!
(I Corinthians 3:16) lets us know: “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” When you are in Christ the Spirit of God dwells in you. Can you imagine that God thinks so highly of you that He chooses to live inside of you thus making you His temple. When we accept Christ into our lives the Holy Spirit immediately makes His abode inside of us. As a result, we should live our lives by allowing the Holy Spirit to run them. He is a wonderful guide and will never make a bad decision if we let Him lead. So, don’t quench or grieve the Holy Spirit but instead, as the temple of God, let your life reflect God’s glory to a world in desperate need of the light of Christ.
(I Peter 2:9) tells us four amazing things about who you are in Christ: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” First, you are chosen by God to be in a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe. Second, you are royalty which means you are a child of the King. Third, you are now holy. As a result, even with all of your flaws, God because of what Christ did for you, a sinner, can now dwell in His holy presence. And fourth, you are special, beyond your wildest imagination, to God!
So, if I can summarize who you are in Christ:
You are created in God’s image, a masterpiece of His creative genius. You are a treasured possession to Jesus. In Christ you are on the pathway to having maximum meaning, joy, and pleasures. God has a myriad of precious thoughts toward you. In Christ, Jesus is your one true God, and He is always with you to strengthen, help, and uphold you. God is not only your heavenly “Abba” Father, but you are a joint heir with Christ. In addition, the Holy Spirit lives inside of you making you a temple of God. And finally, in Christ, you are chosen, royal, holy, and special to God. My friends let’s face it God is plain crazy about you!