Living Out our True Identity Grace Foursquare August 11, 2019

Tools the enemy uses to destroy your identity - The opinions of others -Culture -Thoughts -Hurt and pain in your life -Mirror -Scale -Media

Identity in Christ 1 Peter 2:9-10 (NIV) “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

I am completely accepted! -A chosen people (1 Peter 2:9) -God chose me before everything. Ephesians 1:4 - “For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.” -Jesus made me acceptable. (Titus 3:7) - “we are justified by His grace.” -He gives acceptance as a gift.

I am extremely valuable! -”A royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, His treasured possession…” -God is my Father and He takes care of my needs. (Luke 12:24) - “...how much more valuable you are than birds!” -Jesus gave his life for me! (1 Corinthians 7:23) - “You were bought at a price.”

I am eternally loved! -”Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God.” God wanted you to be part of His family. Jeremiah 31:3 - “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” -Unconditional - He loves you. Period. -Unending - Not based on what I do. -His love is based on Him, not me. God is LOVE.

I am totally forgiven! -”Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” -Romans 8:1 - “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

I am totally forgiven! -It is God’s nature to forgive. (Isaiah 43:25) - “I am He who blots out your transgressions, for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” -Jesus paid for my sins. (Ephesians 1:7) - “...we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”

I am fully capable and competent! 1 Peter 2:9 “...a Royal priesthood…” -Fully capable of representing God to other people. (Acts 26:18) - “I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”

I am fully capable and competent! -You are the priest! (2 Corinthians 3:5-6) - “Yet we don’t see ourselves as capable enough to do anything in our own strength, for our true competence flows from God’s empowering presence. He alone makes us adequate ministers who are focused on an entirely new covenant, which is the power of the Spirit.”

Remaining “in Christ” John 15:5 - “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

Remaining “in Christ” Matthew 7:17-20 - “every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.”

What kind of fruit? Luke 6:43-45 - “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

My TRUE identity in Christ I am completely accepted. I am extremely valuable. I am eternally loved. I am totally forgiven. I am fully capable and competent.

I am completely accepted. ACCEPT OTHERS! Romans 15:7 “Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.”

I am extremely valuable. VALUE OTHERS! 1 Peter 2:17 “Recognize the value of every person and continually show love to every believer.”

I am eternally loved. LOVE OTHERS! John 15:12 “Love each other deeply, as I have loved you.”

I am totally forgiven. FORGIVE OTHERS! Ephesians 4:32 “But instead be kind and affectionate toward one another. Has God graciously forgiven you? Then graciously forgive one another in the depths of Christ’s love.”

Because of Jesus, I am completely accepted. I am extremely valuable. I am eternally loved. I am completely forgiven.

Because of Jesus, I am fully capable for whatever life throws at me. I have this because of you, Jesus. In your name, I pray, Amen.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 Passion Translation: “For although we live in the natural realm, we don’t wage a military campaign employing human weapons, using manipulation to achieve our aims. Instead, our spiritual weapons are energized with divine power to effectively dismantle the defenses behind which people hide.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 Passion Translation: … We can demolish every deceptive fantasy that opposes God and break through every arrogant attitude that is raised up in defiance of the true knowledge of God. We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought or scheme and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One.”