Peter Wilson Ministries » Christ IS Our Identity

Christ IS Our Identity Pt 3 +

Peter Wilson — Sat, 04 May 2013 12:43:04 +0000

(Apologies: As you can see from the plus sign above, my last Blog was posted half-finished by mistake. Here is the completed Blog. Thanks.)

Ps 11:3 If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

Now that we’ve established our identity is in Christ, we can ask the question, ‘why do I need identity?’

The answer is that identity establishes a foundation in our lives. David is stating in the scripture above that when the foundations of a person’s life are destroyed it leaves them with nothing to build on. It’s like a ship without a rudder, it can only drift aimlessly along.

Today there are many people, Christians included who have no foundation in their lives. Let’s look at the results of such behaviour:

Sexual Identity: Many young people today are confused about their sexual identity. They don’t know if they are homosexual, heterosexual or some other kind of sexual. A lot of reasons have been put forth as answers to this question.

I believe the answer is found in the lack of a father figure in their life, or they have a father but he is emotionally distant. It’s the father who gives sexual identity to his children. How does he do this. He spends time with his son in masculine pursuits. He speaks to the male in him to bring out the man in him. He teaches him responsibility and discipline.

With his daughter, he tells her how pretty she is, he gives protection and security to her life. In the way he relates to his wife, he models for his daughter the way a man should treat a woman. When she is old enough he will take her out for a meal in a restaurant. He speaks to the female in her to bring out the woman in her.

When we add the father’s love into this mix, there is now a strong foundation that gives identity to his children so that as they grow, they are able to handle the many changes of life they go through and come out the other side with stability, purpose and established sexuality.

Dysfunctional Behaviour: Many many people today are plagued by depression, worry, rejection and fear. They have such deep holes in their character that the only way to cope with the pain is to mask it with alcohol, drugs, food, pornography and the many other inducements on offer.

Why is this? We have to say, it is a lack of identity in their lives. They have no foundation. They lack direction, purpose and meaning. Again, it’s the lack of a father figure in their life.

The father is the authority figure in a child’s life. The father expresses love, instills discipline and teaches his children responsibility. These are the 3 characteristics that build stability and security into our lives. Without them we are building on a foundation of sand, hence every time we seek to build something, we get so far before it collapses under the pressure.

Christ The Foundation Stone: As believers we are now ‘in Christ’ the Son, and because we are in the Son, God has made us sons of God too! He has laid the foundation stone of His Son in our lives.

1 Cor 3:11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (NASU)

1 John 4:17 As He is (Christ), so are we in this world. (KJV)

1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God. (KJV)

God as our Father now sets about building a new identity in our lives. How does He do this? He does it through His word!

Spend time meditating on these promises until they become revelation to you and they will build a new identity in your life:

1 John 4:10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. (NIV)

Rom 8:30 Those whom He called, He also justified (made righteous, putting them into right standing with Himself). (AMP)

Rom 5:17 Those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. (NKJV)

Rom 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NKJ)

Meditation Point: Father, as I meditate on these Your promises, release the revelation that will show me my identity in Christ. The revelation that will bring security, stability and freedom to my life as a son of God!

Christ IS our Identity Pt 3

Peter Wilson — Fri, 03 May 2013 22:25:38 +0000

Ps 11:3 When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

Now that we’ve established our identity is in Christ, we can ask the question, ‘why do i need identity?’

The answer is that identity establishes a foundation in our lives. David is stating in the scripture above that when the foundations of a thing are destroyed that it leaves a person with nothing to build on. It’s like a ship without a rudder, it can only drift aimlessly along.

Today there are many people, Christians included who have no foundation in there lives. Let’s look at the results of such behaviour:

Sexual Identity: Many young people today are confused about their sexual identity. They don’t know if they are homosexual, hetrosexual or some other kind of sexual. A lot of reasons have been put forth as answers to this question.

I beleive the answer is found in the lack of a father figure in their life, or they have a father but he is emotionally distant. It’s the father who gives sexual identity to his children. How does he do this. He spends time with his son in masculine pursuits. He speaks to the male in him to bring out the man in him. He teaches him responsibility and discipline.

This gives identity to his children so that as they grow up, they are able to handle the many changes of life they go through and come out the other side with stability, purpose and established sexuality.

Dysfunctional Behaviour: Many many people today are plagued by depression, worry and fear. Many have such deep holes in their character that the only way they can cope with the pain is to mask it with alchohol, drugs, pornography and the many other inducements on offer.

Why is this? We have to say, it is a lack of identity in their lives. They have no foundation. They lack direction, purpose and meaning. Again, it’s the lack of a father figure in their life

Christ IS Our Identity Pt 2

Peter Wilson — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:48:25 +0000

Christ IS Our Identity

The Father spoke over His Son, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” (Mt 3:17 NKJV)

Let’s now transfer these words to believers who are ‘in Christ’. As He is so are we in this world (1Jn 4:17 NKJV)

A) You Are My Beloved Son:

1 Jn 3:1,2 Behold, what manner of love the Father ‘hath bestowed’ upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.

Christ IS Our Identity Pt 1

Peter Wilson — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 15:13:28 +0000

1 John 4:18 AS HE IS SO ARE WE IN THIS WORLD. (NKJV)

Jesus came into this world to accomplish numerous things, one of which was to be our representative before God; remember that Jesus was not only the Son of God, He was also the Son of man.

Rom 1:3,4 Regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God. (NIV)

I want to show through this Blog that as Jesus is before the Father as a man – so are we!

When Jesus rose up out of the river Jordan, the Holy Spirit came upon Him and and the Father’s voice boomed from heaven, ‘This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” (Mt 3:17. KJV)

Why did the Father speak audibly at this time:

1) The Father’s Declaration: When the Father spoke these words, He was bragging on His Son, He was telling the world how proud He was of His son. He especially wanted the Pharisees and Sadducees to hear His voice (Mt 3:5,7).

WHY! Because later they would attack Jesus for calling Himself the Son of God and accuse Him of blasphemy saying He was making Himself equal with God, but now they were hearing it from the Father’s own lips.

There were thousands of people milling around on the banks of the Jordan river that day who also heard the Father’s proud voice boom fron heaven.

He was also affirming His Son before the people. He wanted everyone to know that He had chosen Him and given power and authority to Him to bring in the kingdom of God.

2) Character Before Works: Before Jesus did any preaching or teaching, performed miracles, cast out demons or healed the sick, the Father spoke two things over Him:

a) “You are my beloved Son”. He was declaring to Him that He loved Him for who He was, not for what He could do. He was establishing Jesus’ identity as His Son by declaring His unconditional love for Him.

When a child knows it is unconditionally loved, it establishes in them identity and a security and stability that enables them to overcome the challenges of life. It was the knowledge of the Father’s love that enabled Jesus to overcome the many attacks on His identity and calling and took Him all the way to the cross where He overcame death and the grave and rose victorious.

b) “In whom I am well pleased”. The Father was declaring to His Son that He was pleased with Him for who He was not for what He coulddo. He was saying to His Son that He didn’t have to perform in order to please Him, He didn’t have to fulfill any conditions, He loved Him for who He was!

Jesus was so grateful and thankful to the Father for His unconditional love and pleasure, that it would cause Him to say, “I do always those things that please Him” (Jn 8:29 KJV).

If we read these words with a law mind set we will think that Jesus is obeying the Father in order to receive His love and pleasure. The reverse is true. Jesus is so grateful for the Father’s love and pleasure that He wants to do those things that please the Father, not because He has to do those things that please the Father. This is grace!

In our next Blog we will look at how these same words of the Father apply to all Christians.

Meditation Point: Father, I invite you to work in me the desire to please You, because I want to, not because I have to!