Tuesday May 17, 2-011

Read 2 Peter 1:1. Romans 6

Let’s play an imagination game for now. Imagine I meet you for the first time at a church function. As I reach out my hand to shake yours I ask you, ‘Who are you?’

How do you answer? Would you tell me your name? Would you tell me your occupation as I stare invitingly, waiting for more information? Would you tell me about the church you go to?  What would you tell me?

I can almost guarantee that you would not say something like, ‘Hi I’m  a servant of Christ Jesus.’  Yet that’s exactly what Peter, Paul, James and John do. They introduce themselves as servants of Christ Jesus.

The word ‘servant’ has a double edge.  In the Greek, servant is more literally translated as ‘slave’. You and I are slaves to God. In our unsaved state we were slaves to the devil, slaves to unrighteousness. We could not save ourselves nor could we do anything befitting the glory of God. We were in the dungeon bound with chains of sinfulness. When Jesus died on the cross and rose to eternal life He shattered the fetters that enslaved us. He paid in full the price for our redemption. He has purchased us from our old master. We belong to Jesus. Legally we belong to Jesus and no one has the right (nor the power or ability) to take us away from Him. We are slaves to Jesus!

True satisfaction and inner peace comes when we know deep within that we are where we were created to be.  Mankind was created in the image of God to have a relationship with God.  As a believer God has a place for you in His body. Often we sin because our lives are unfulfilled or some desire/appetite is unsatisfied. When we look for fulfilment in the wrong areas, we usually end up sinning.  As you find your identity in Christ and your role in the body of Christ you will be satisfied/fulfilled and sin will become less tempting.

Our identity must come from Christ Jesus if we are to walk in victory day by day. I must see myself as a slave or servant of Christ and not a slave or servant of  the world, of the evil one or of my bodily desires. Only when I internalise and actualise my true identity in Christ will I truly be freed from sinful habits.  I am in Christ. I am united with Christ. I am a part of Christ. He lives with me and gives me my true, eternal identity.

Prayer:-

V Ask God to show you where you have been finding your identity up till now. If necessary ask for His forgiveness. Pray that you will find your true identity in Christ Jesus.

V Pray that each person in your congregation will know the calling that God has for them. Pray that each person would know what spiritual gift(s) they have (see 1 Cor 12:7) and that they would be putting that gift to use for the common good.