I am a Citizen of Heaven

Philippians 3:20 (NLT) But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.

1 Peter 2:9 (NLT) But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

As believers it is important for us to understand that we are not citizens of this earth but our citizenship is in heaven. 

I. Role of Citizens of Heaven (1 Peter 2:9)

A. A chosen people

1.  God chose each of us to be citizens in His kingdom.  Before the world was formed God handpicked each of us.  Ephesians 1:4 (NLT) Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.

2. Jesus chose the least likely to be his disciples.  In Bible times a Rabbi would only choose the best and the brightest to invest in.  He would not accept anyone who he did not find “worthy.” 

When Jesus chose his disciples He chose:

a. Peter, James, John, and Andrew –fishermen

b. Phillip, Bartholomew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Judas Iscariot (nothing is known about their occupations)

c. Matthew – Tax collector

d. Simon – a member of the Zealots

These men were obviously not thought of as the best and brightest of their day or they would have studied under rabbis.  The fact that they were in the “family business” or another occupation implies that they had been passed over for rabbinical training. 

Jesus was the greatest Rabbi to every walk on the earth and yet he chose these “less than desirable” men to be the ones to who he entrusted the future of the Church.  Wow!  How awesome is it to think that as citizens of heaven we too have been entrusted with the future of the Church!!

3. In the kingdom of God we are all made worthy/qualified by salvation through Christ.

Colossians 1:12 (NIV)and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

B. Royal Priesthood

We have a priestly responsibility today.  It is not just something we will do in the future when we rule and reign with Christ.  We need to operate as priests now to prepare for our roles in the future. 

1. Priests responsibilities

a. Priests have access to God that others don’t have.  The lost do not have the same access to God as believers do.  You may be questioning this statement but it is true. 

We have been given promises that we can stand on as believers. The unbeliever is not given these promises. 

We can call on God for help in our times of trouble, with certainty that, because we are children of God He will answer us. Unbelievers don’t have the assurance that God will assist them in their troubles because they are not His children. 

As believers we are assured of a future in heaven; eternity with God.  The unbeliever is assured of eternal separation from God.

b. The priest ministers to others. Our responsibility here on earth is to minister to those around us whether lost or found (saved).  We are called to be the hands and feet of Christ on this earth. 

c. We are representatives of the Kingdom of God.  It is our responsibility to lead the lost to Christ.  We were given a commission along with the first disciples to witness. 

Matthew 28:19-20 (NLT) Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

C. Holy Nation

1. Holy - 1 Peter 1:15 (NLT) But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.

a. Our holiness comes from Christ.  Isaiah 64:6 (NLT) We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall,     and our sins sweep us away like the wind.

b. Staying holy is our choice.  Isaiah 35:8 (NLT) And a great road will go through that once deserted land. It will be named the Highway of Holiness. Evil-minded people will never travel on it. It will be only for those who walk in God’s ways; fools will never walk there.

When we come to Christ in repentance His blood removes our sins.  Once our sins are under the blood we are free from the punishment for those sins.  The struggle we all face is choosing to walk in holiness; choosing to live our lives free from the stains of sin.  When we willfully sin we are choosing to walk out from under the blood and protection Christ provided through His death and resurrection. 

If we were automatically eternally holy, Peter would not have admonished us to be holy in everything we do. The good news is that once we decide to walk in holiness the Holy Spirit begins to guide our steps and to influence our choices.  We must be obedient to His voice, however, we will never be asked to walk in holiness alone.  He is always there to lead and guide.

2. Holy Nation- 1 Corinthians 12:12 (NLT) The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body [nation]. So it is with the body of Christ.

We are all one nation as believers in Christ.  In Nehemiah 3 we read the account of the rebuilding of the wall in Jerusalem.  The chapter is divided into 11 sections.  Each section lists the names of family leaders and the sections of the wall each family was working on.  Around then entire wall one family lined up next to another family and so on.  They whole community worked together, side by side, to complete the rebuilding.

The same holds true for us today.  We must be united as one body, working together for the cause of Christ. We need each other in order to walk through this life; remembering our citizenship is in heaven, but our journey takes place in this fallen world. 

God has called us to carry each other’s burdens and to lend a hand wherever it is needed.  Galatians 6:2 (NIV) Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

This doesn’t mean we get so burdened down with the cares of others that we struggle to live our own life, however, it does mean that we encourage and pray for each other’s needs.

D. God’s very own possession

1. Bought with a price. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV) Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.

After the creation of the world, God created man.  He provided him with everything he would need to enjoy a full and happy life.  However, sin entered the picture and that perfect place became a place of bondage for Adam and Eve.  They were then sent out to live in this fallen, sinful, broken world.  Choices they made affected the rest of their lives and ours as well. 

God however, had a plan to redeem mankind and to restore us to right relationship with Himself.  This sacrifice came through the shed blood of Christ.  The price for our salvation was the death of the one and only Son of God.  Imagine being God and being forced to watch as your plan unfolded.  Your most dearly love child goes to his death on a cruel cross, mocked and despised by the very ones you sent him to save.  The price to reclaim us as His own was very high indeed!!

2. God’s possession

When I go shopping I don’t buy things I like usually. If I am going to spend money I want to be sure that I get things I love.  My possessions are things that have value and importance to me.  During this past 3 ½ years we have downsized a lot. We have had most of our belongings packed in boxes for over a year.  I can tell you that while I have lived without the things in the boxes, I miss them!!  I love our family pictures, our nice dishes, our pots and pans (we have a few out and I broke into a box of baking pans recently!) I love my down comforter and my jewelry (dug this out just the other day.  Been a long time since I had my earrings!)  I know this all sounds trivial but try going without the things us use and enjoy every day and you might feel differently. J

My point in all of that is to show us that we hold things dear to our hearts for different reasons.  My possessions might not mean a thing to you; however, they are precious to me.  We are God’s possessions.  He holds each one of us dear.  We are precious in His sight. 

The fact that God holds us dear should trump the opinions others have about us.  As citizens of heaven and members of God’s family we are precious to our Heavenly Father!!  We are loved, cherished, provided for, and protected by the greatest Father anyone could ever have. 

We are citizens of the greatest Kingdom ever: The Kingdom of God. We are citizens of Heaven!!!

I am Free in Christ

I. Freedom

In Galatians, Paul writes about our freedom.  He talks about Christ’s death making us free from fear and providing us with a lasting forgiveness and restoration through the knowledge that we are not just free on the day of our salvation, but our freedom is eternal.  When Jesus died and rose again, the payment he made was not temporary like the sacrifices offered to God in the Old Testament.  It was a one-time, total, and complete payment.   

John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

If Jesus sacrifice provided for our total freedom why then are so many Christians walking around in chains?  Why are many believers walking around in prison garb? 

II. Exodus

For more than 400 years the Israelites had lived in slavery in Egypt.  400 years, think about that. If a generation is 40 years, they were in bondage for 10 generations.  Approximately every 40 years new parents gave birth in slavery, thus their children were born as slaves.  The first generation after the death of Joseph were the great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandparents of those who finally left Egypt.  Some believe in that time period a generation was 100 years that is still 4 generations of children born into slavery.  That is more than enough!!!

Sadly, I know children who were born into slavery in my life-time.  Children born to the unsaved are born into slavery every day, but sadly, children born to Christians living in bondage are also born into slavery. 

I am one of those children. My parents were both slaves to sin and under bondage to the enemy when I was born.  Sadly, my father was born into slavery and to this day still walks in some measure of it.  It breaks my heart to watch the cycles in his life.  He has never known the freedom that comes from Christ. 

III. Free Slaves

I know this subheading sounds odd, but bear with me and it will make sense in a moment.  Let’s look at Exodus for a few minutes. 

A. Exodus 2 (Life of Moses-first 80 years)

B. Exodus 3-4 (God calls Moses)

C. Exodus 5-12 (God deals with Pharaoh and Egypt)

D. Exodus 12-14 (Israelites leave Egypt)

E. Exodus 14 (Egyptians pursue the Israelites and are destroyed)

F. Exodus 15 (Israelites complain and turn against Moses and Marah)

G. Exodus 16 (Quail and Manna)

Exodus 16:1-3 ¹Then the whole community of Israel set out from Elim and journeyed into the wilderness of Sin, between Elim and Mount Sinai. They arrived there on the fifteenth day of the second month, one month after leaving the land of Egypt. ²There, too, the whole community of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron.

³“If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.”

Only one month has passed since Exodus 12, when the Israelites left Egypt.  They had been slaves for 430 years and now after only a month of freedom they begin looking back and longing for their slavery again.  It makes my heart sad to think that empty bellies was all it took for them to lose sight of the freedom that God had provided and to forget the promises He had made to Abraham about the Promise Land.  In only 30 days they went from being totally free to being free slaves. 

IV. Free Slaves Described

Isaiah 1:18 (NLT) “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.”

Isaiah 6:7 (NLT) He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.”

2 Peter 1:3 (NLT) By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

Based on the Scriptures above, when we come to God through Christ and accept His free gift of salvation we not only receive forgiveness and pardon, but we are also given everything we need to live lives of freedom; godly, holy lives.

I ask again, why then are so many Christians living in bondage?  Look at Galatians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (NIV)

Put simply, freedom is our choice.  The Galatian church had received the gift of salvation and had also been given all they needed to live godly lives; however, they had allowed heretics to enter their fellowship and to preach bondage through strict adherence to the Law, as well as teaching that one needed to be circumcised in order to receive salvation.  Paul admonishes the Galatians to stand firm in their freedom and not become burdened again with the yoke of bondage/slavery. 

Looking back at Exodus we see that the Israelites had been given their freedom as well, however, their continual looking back and longing for Egypt kept them in slavery.  They were unable to enjoy the blessings of freedom because of the pull Egypt had on their hearts. 

When all we’ve known in our lives is slavery it is often difficult to break free.  We might feel unsure about how life will look, feel, or be when we are free.  We might struggle to see that any other life could be possible; however, God has provided our freedom.  We must choose to grasp hold of it and walk in the freedom provided. 

Freedom is not just repenting and turning away from our sin one time, it is a daily choice to be so full of the Spirit that there is no room for sin and bondage again.  I’ve known many people who have kicked a drug or alcohol addiction only to return to it once they were out of rehab.  Why?  Because freedom is not only about getting out from under the bondage to sin, but about staying out from under that bondage. 

The problem is that too often we will get free and then fail to rely on the Holy Spirit to stay free.  We begin enthusiastically walking with Christ, but when trials come or things get hard, we turn back to our slavery as if it was our source of salvation to begin with. 

Staying free requires that we lay down our will and desires and allow God to fill us with His Spirit of power and strength.  We must daily (sometimes hourly or momently) cast down our flesh with its sinful desires and purposes.  We must yield to the Spirit’s lead and obey His voice rather than the voice of our flesh or the enemy. 

We were made free in Christ, now the decision is ours. Will we stay free? Or will we give in to sin and stay in bondage to our past?  Will be fight the battle until we see the face of Christ in heaven or will we grow weary in well doing? 

Galatians 6:9 promises us that we will reap a harvest of blessing (freedom) if we don’t give up.  “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”

What will you choose? 

I am Complete in Christ

Colossians 2:10 (NLT) So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

I. Many Christians struggle in their walk with Christ and in their everyday life for one of two reasons:

A. Lack of knowledge (understanding).

Too many Christians accept the amazing gift of salvation but then never grow and mature in their faith and walk with Christ.  They don’t read the Word for themselves and they rely on the prayers and faith of others to see them through.  Hosea tells us that it is lack of knowledge that causes us to be destroyed by our enemy the devil. 

Hosea 4:6a (NIV) My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. 

B. Failure to apply the knowledge they have.

James 1:22-25 (NIV) Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

II. God has given us all we need for life and godliness.

2 Peter 1:2-3 May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

Do we really believe it when the Word says, “God has given (past tense- at salvation) us everything (all encompassing) we need for living a godly life.”

III. It all comes down to understanding the sufficiency of Christ and the sufficiency of the Word. 

A. Christ’s sufficiency proven on the Cross. 

The death of Jesus Christ is the fulfillment in history of the very mind and intent of God. There is no place for seeing Jesus Christ as a martyr. His death was not something that happened to Him— something that might have been prevented. His death was the very reason He came.   …The greatest note of triumph ever sounded in the ears of a startled universe was that sounded on the Cross of Christ— “It is finished!” (John 19:30). (Oswald Chambers – My Utmost For His Highest)

B. The Word is sufficient and we need to let it dwell in us. 

Colossians 3:16a (NIV) Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.

1. Reading the Word  

We must be people of the Word.  As we weren’t alive to physically hear Jesus speak like the disciples did, we “hear” His teachings through reading the Word. Being in the Word daily will allow the Holy Spirit to speak into our lives through the Word.  It will also give Him something to remind us of when we are in trouble or struggling. 

John 14:26 (NLT) But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

2. Meditate on the Word

Webster’s Dictionary defines meditate as: to focus one's thoughts on.  When the Holy Spirit brings a scripture to mind, we read the Word and something “jumps” out at us, or we are facing a difficulty we need to meditate on the Word.

The Word is full of promises and declarations about our walk/life. (We will look at some of these a little later.) We need to meditate on these until they become part of our spiritual DNA.  They need to be so ingrained in our hearts and minds that they are on “speed dial” when needed.   

Joshua 1:8 (NLT) Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

3. Study the Word

Webster’s Dictionary defines study as: the activity or process of learning about something by reading, memorizing facts, attending school, etc. We must be not only people of the Word, but students of the Word as well.  We must be committed to studying the Word.  Not just reading through it quickly, but digging in and discovering the meaning and application for our lives. 

2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV) Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

4. Apply the Word

We must be doers of the Word not just hearers.  Applying the Word to our lives will give us the strength, courage, power, peace, etc. we need to face and defeat the enemy.  When we know and apply the Word we are a force to be reckoned with. 

James 1:22-25 (NIV) Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

IV. Promises and Statements from the Word to meditate on.

A. Provision

Blessed be the Lord who daily loads me with benefits - Psalm 68:19.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. - Matthew 6:33.

No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly - Psalm 84:11.

My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus - Philippians 4:19.

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”- Luke 6:38.

B. Wisdom

For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell. - Colossians 1:19

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way.  - Psalm 37:23  

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.  - 2 Corinthians 9:8

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.  - Proverbs 3:5-6

Commit your works to the LORD, and your thoughts will be established. - Proverbs 16:3

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.  Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. - James 1:5-8

C. Protection

No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways.  - Psalm 91:10,11

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?  - Psalm 27:1

I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD. - Psalm 118:17

There are many more promises in the Word.  We need to find them and meditate on them.  Study them and make them part of our spiritual DNA. 

We are complete in Christ because Christ and the Word are sufficient.  We can depend on the Lord and rely on His Word to guide and direct our lives. 

I am an Ambassador for Christ

I. Ambassadors

A. Our primary role in the Kingdom of God is that of ambassador. We are to be representatives of the King of Kings! 

Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father."

2 Corinthians 5:20 "So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, 'Come back to God!'”

B. Ambassador: an official envoy; an authorized representative or messenger

II. The great commission calls us to be ambassadors (disciple makers).

Matthew 28:18-20 "Jesus came and told his disciples, 'I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.'"

III. One Ambassador to Another

Acts 8:27-40 (NLT) So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah.

29 The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.”

30 Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

31 The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.

32 The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter.    And as a lamb is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. 33 He was humiliated and received no justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.”

34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?” 35 So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus.

36 As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?” 38 He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Meanwhile, Philip found himself farther north at the town of Azotus. He preached the Good News there and in every town along the way until he came to Caesarea.

A. Ambassador for the Queen

1. The Ethiopian eunuch was an ambassador for the Queen of Ethiopia.  (v. 27)

2. He was a worshipper of God. (vs. 27)

3. He was reading from the book of Isaiah. (vs 28)

4. He did not understand what he was reading. (vs. 30-31)

5. He invited Phillip into his chariot indicating his desire to learn. (vs. 31)

B. Ambassador for the King of Kings

1. Phillip had been one of the apostles. (John 1:43 (NLT) The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Come, follow me.”)

a. The word apostle is from the Greek “apostlos” which means “a delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders”

b. The apostles (disciples) were sent out by God and commissioned by Christ to make disciples of all nations. (Matthew 28:18-20)

c. Phillip was led by the Holy Spirit. (Acts 8:26 As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.”)

d. Phillip explained the meaning of the passage in Isaiah.  He told the eunuch that the one written about was Jesus. (vs 34)

e. Phillip baptized the eunuch once he believed. (36-38)

III. We are Ambassadors

God has not called all of us to leave home and country to be missionaries. He has not called all of us to stand on street corners and preach. He has not called all of us to be pastors, evangelists, etc.

However, he has called us all to love others. John 13:35 "Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

He has called all of us to do good. Matthew 5:16 "In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."  These good deeds might be acts of service, giving to those in need, speaking a word of encouragement, etc.

God has called all of us to have a servants heart and attitude. Mark 10:43-45 "But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

We are called to be salt and light. Matthew 5:13-14 "You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden." As salt we can influence the "flavor" of our culture. As light we can "illuminate" our culture. We do this by living lives of holiness. Living for others rather than for ourselves.

We must always remember that we are ambassadors of Christ. Our actions and attitudes must always reflect those of the One we represent. If we are called by the name of Christ, "Christian", we must live like him, serve like him, think like him, act like him, and speak like him. This is a tall order but we are not doing it in our own strength. We are doing it through Christ. Philippians 4:13 "For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength."

Let us influence our corner of the world, those around us, by being faithful ambassadors for our King!

I am God's Child

I.  We are children of God.

John 1:12 (NLT) But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

In the early 1970s, a social scientist named Philip Zimbardo led a team of scientists from Stanford University in an interesting experiment. The team built a mock prison in the basement of the University’s psychology department. The scientists placed advertisements in the local papers looking for volunteers who would participate in the experiment. Zimbardo and his colleagues selected twenty-four people to participate, choosing the ones who appeared to be the most emotionally stable and healthy.

Half of the group was randomly selected to be prison guards. They were given military-style guard uniforms and dark glasses. They were told their responsibility was to keep order. The other half of the group became the prisoners. They were arrested in their homes, cuffed, brought to a real police station, fingerprinted, and then blindfolded for the trip to the mock prison. They wore prison clothes with numbers on the front and back of the clothing. The number became their identity. They were only allowed to refer to themselves and others by their numbers. In post interviews with the prisoners in the experiment, they confessed that when their identity became a number, they felt helpless and hopeless. Four of the prisoners were pulled from the experiment early because of emotional breakdowns including extreme depression, crying, rage, and anxiety. Other prisoners incited rebellions and riots against the guards. When the mock prisoners forgot who they really were, they became depressed. Their self-perception impacted their thinking, attitude, and ultimately their behavior. When they believed that they were criminals, they began to live like criminals. The experiment was intended to last two weeks, but Zimbardo shut it down after six days because of the chaos that was ensuing. When he was dismissing some of the mock prisoners, he needed to remind them that they were not prisoners, that the scenario was not real. Unfortunately many Christians live as powerless Christian lives because they have forgotten their identity in Christ. We need to stop believing Satan's lies and realize who we are in Christ. (Jerry Flury Saved by Grace Ministry)

Galatians 4:6-7 (NLT) And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.

Satan would lie to us and tell us that we are victims of our past.  Like we saw in “Masterpiece” this is a lie.  When we accept Christ as our Savior we are born into a new family; the family of God!

II. We have been adopted by God.

Ephesians 1:5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

Galatians 4:4-7 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

In Galatians 4, Paul is writing to people who understood Roman law.  Under Roman law adoption as a son meant that the son had the right to the name and the citizenship of the adoptive father.  The adopted son had the right to inherit the property of the adoptive parents as well as having the same rights and privileges as a natural born son. 

It is interesting to note that these rights were not afforded to adopted daughters. Paul understood this and under the anointing of the Holy Spirit he called us all sons of God which told the Jewish believers of his day that everyone is adopted into the family of God and has the same rights and privileges. 

Another amazing fact is that under Roman law, the adoptive father was granted the full rights and responsibilities of a father, full authority over the adopted son, with the full responsibility to care for him. 

WOW!!!

The Free Dictionary.com defines adoption as: To take on the legal responsibilities as parent of (a child that is not one's biological child).

III. Our adoption is a legal binding agreement between God and us. 

A. We receive:

1. A new name: Child of God

Galatians 3:26 (NLT) For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

2. Citizenship of our Father: Heaven

Philippians 3:20 (NLT) But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.

3. Access to the property of our Father: financial resources, health, freedom of all kinds, power, wisdom, peace, joy, protection, etc.  These things are not reserved until we reach heaven, they are ours today.  We just need to learn to access them through unwavering faith.

4. The same rights and privileges that Christ has: When Jesus spoke things happened; if we speaking in faith according to God’s Word our words will carry the same power as His.  The issue is not that God is withholding anything from us; it is that we have not learned how to wield our faith to see the desired results in our lives. 

Mark 11:23 (NIV) “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.

B. God receives:

1. Full authority over our lives.

Before we were saved we were destined for judgement and destruction.  Due to the parameters God established for Himself, He did not have authority over our lives.  That authority had been relinquished by mankind to the enemy.  God had been relegated to waiting for us to “come to our senses.” God had no choice but to judge us guilty of crimes committed “against the throne.”  He had no alternative but to sentence us to eternal separation from Him (hell). 

Once we come to God through saving faith in Christ the Father’s hands are loosened, so to speak, and He now has a legal right to declare us redeemed and free from the law of sin and death.  He can now bestow upon us eternal life with Him in His Kingdom! 

2. Full responsibility to care for us. 

Think about a parent’s responsibility to care for their child.  What does that responsibility involve?

a. Providing for all the child’s needs.

Philippians 4:19 (NIV) And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. 

Psalm 37:25 (NIV) I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.

Matthew 6:8 (NIV) Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Philippians 4:6 (NIV) Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

If there was something that was good for your child, that was in your power to give, would you withhold it from them?  Of course not!  God knows what is good for us and He has the power to provide it.  Think about it, our Father knows what we need before we ask, He promises to meet our needs, and the Psalmist tells us that the righteous are never forsaken.  We only need to ask and our Father has the right and authority to meet our needs. 

b. Protecting the child: physically, spiritually, and emotionally (we are imperfect and can’t possible do this 100% perfectly) but our Father can!!!

Psalm 121:7 (NIV) The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life.

Read Psalm 91.  The entire chapter describes God’s protection and care for His children.

c. Train and teach the child. 

Psalm 86:11 (NIV) Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness.

Psalm 25:4 (NIV) Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.

1 John 2:27 (NIV) As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.

John 14:26 (NIV) But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

d. Heal the broken heart and give comfort. 

Psalm 147:3 (NIV) He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Psalm 34:18 (NIV) The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (NIV) Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.

IV. Conclusion

Our adoption as sons of God was God’s desire and design from the beginning.  Our identity is not in our past failures or successes but in our family ties. We are Children of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords! 

Let us not allow the enemy to lie to us and rob us of our inheritance.  We are heirs of God!! We are God’s childen!!

Identity in Christ Series (Masterpiece)

Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Webster’s Dictionary defines Masterpiece as: a work done with extraordinary skill; especially:  a supreme intellectual or artistic achievement  

The Word tells us that we are God’s masterpiece. How does that make you feel?  Do you look in the mirror and see that masterpiece or do you see flaws, scars, brokenness, and wounds?  Do you wonder how God could love you knowing who you are and how you feel about yourself? 

Maybe you’ve been the victim of abuse. Or maybe you suffered at the hand of an over-bearing, demanding parent (or adult authority figure) who told you you were no good and would never amount to anything.  Maybe you struggled in school and were labeled (i.e. “slow” or “hyperactive”).  Maybe you’ve made choices that you regret and are still living with the consequences from today.

I can relate to most of the things above.  I was abused as a child by a child care provider and developed an eating disorder from that, my paternal grandmother criticized me on a daily basis for my weight, hygiene habits (which were fine by the wayJ), and for the cleanliness level of our home, I was abused by my second grade teacher and thus had a fear of reading out loud and struggled to even read at all, I was sent to a “special ed” class when I was in fourth grade due to the struggles with reading, and I was made fun of all through school because of my weight. 

I carried all of the scares, pain, brokenness, and wounds into my adult life.  I lived to please others and struggled to find my identity. One of my college professors told me to stop trying so hard to please others. I blew her off at the moment but later I realized that she had hit the nail on the head.  I struggled to find the place I fit in because I was so insecure that I feared rejection since I thought others would feel about me like I felt about me.  Little did I know that I was not my past. I was not the scares. I was not the pain.  My identity was not found in any of the things that happened to me.  They may have shaped my view of life, they may have influenced how I saw myself and others, but they were not and are not my identity.  I AM A MASTERPIECE and SO ARE YOU!!!

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT) This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

When you go to an estate sale or auction you will often see items that look like junk going for astronomical prices.  That is because someone realizes their value.  Sometimes it might be hidden under layers of dust and grime.  A masterpiece is usually framed well and if the paper seal on the back and the glass on the front are in tacked, it can be taken out and reframed and returned to its original value.  That’s how it is with us. The masterpiece of our lives might be hidden under layers of dust and decay.  When we come to Christ with all our hurts, wounds, scars, and pain, He makes us new creations.  He takes off our old “frame” and reframes us into the beautiful masterpiece He intended for us to be. 

Yes we might still have some hang-ups from our past, but as we begin to see ourselves in the light of who we were created to be and in the knowledge that we were created in the image of our Creator, we can begin to walk in the faith God placed within us on the day we accepted His glorious gift of salvation. 

2 Corinthians 5:7 (AMPC) For we walk by faith [we regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, with trust and holy fervor; thus we walk] not by sight or appearance.

God doesn’t only love us when we make the right choices or if we don’t get damaged along the way.  He is love and as such His love is limitless and unreserved.  It was never His intention for us to be bruised, scared, wounded, or hurt in for first place.   Sadly, the fall caused God’s perfect masterpieces to be exposed to all the ugliness of sin in a fallen world that often feels devoid of love and compassion. 

1 John 4:8 (NLT) But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

God’s design for each of our lives was planned and thought out completely. When Monet painted a picture no one ever expected it to look awful.  He had a reputation for creating beauty.  Go outside at night and watch the sunset.  The same God who created all the beauty of the sunset created you.  No one says, “Wow, I bet the sunset will look awful tonight!”  Rather, people drive up into the mountains or go outside the city so they can enjoy it without the lights of town.  Artists set up easel and canvas in an attempt to capture the beauty of the sunset.  If God put that much thought and beauty into a sunset that vanishes within minutes, how much more care did He take in creating us in His image?

Psalm 139:14a (NIV) I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

As God’s masterpieces we can rest assured that He is always watching out for us. He is working on our behalf.  Due to the fallen state of our world we might have faced or might still face hard times.  We might face abuse, abandonment, rejection, hatred, deception, etc.  but nothing can separate us from our loving Heavenly Father who created us and who sees a Masterpiece when He looks at us.  You see He the Master of our lives and He holds us in the palm of His hand.  It is our job to stay put and to allow Him to bring the healing, and wholeness, to give us wisdom, strength, and grace, and to guide our lives as we look to Him in faith, trusting that He knows best and is working all things for our good. 

Romans 8:35 (NIV) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

New Seasons, New Beginnings

2 Timothy 3:1-5  ¹You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. ²For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. ³They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. ⁴They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. ⁵They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

2 Timothy gives us a bleak look at our world today.  Everything Paul warned Timothy about is prevalent in our culture.  In spite of all that is going “wrong” in our culture/world this is the season for New Beginnings for the church.  God is preparing his bride for the greatest harvest of souls ever recorded in history.  If Paul’s warning to Timothy is to be taken as the sign of the last days, then I believe we are living at the end of the “last days.”

In Isaiah 43 Isaiah prophesied about the return of the Israelites from Babylonian captivity. Matthew Henry in his commentary wrote: The deliverance from Babylon is foretold, but there is reference to greater events. The redemption of sinners by Christ, the conversion of the Gentiles, and the recall of the Jews, are described. All that is to be done to rescue sinners, and to bring the believer to glory, is little, compared with that wondrous work of love, the redemption of man.

Isaiah recounts the amazing things God had already done for Israel, then in verses 18-19 he tells them to forget all that and look ahead to the new thing God is going to do. 

Isaiah 43:18-19  “But forget all that— it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

Isaiah 43:18-19 (MSG) “Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands.”

When God gives his people a new beginning there are some steps that need to be taken to ensure that the new beginning is a valuable, productive time.  

I will use the analogy of a farmer to illustrate this.  Every spring the farmer has to take specific steps to ensure he will get the best return on his investment when he plants his crops.  Farming is not only his “job”, but it is his entire life.  He works tirelessly to safeguard his land, seed, crops, and harvest. 

Following are the steps we, like the farmer, have to take:

1. Put the past in the past. (Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history.) 

No matter how bad or good the harvest was or how many issues or successes there were in the previous year, the farmer has to put that aside and move into this new season.  If he lives in constant regret over the past, worry about the future, or if he basks in the glory of abundant harvests in the previous seasons he will not reap the plentiful harvest he desires in this new season.  

                                        

We too must focus on the new season/beginning and forget the past.  Every day prior to today is the past.  We cannot focus on our failures or even our successes.  We cannot wallow in self-doubt, self-pity, self-loathing, or become puffed up with pride, arrogance, or overconfidence.  We must set our gaze straight ahead and focus on new goals as we listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit. 

2. Set goals for the future. 

The farmer sets goals (usually in the form of a timeline) that need to be accomplished in order to reap a harvest. 

a. Prepare/cultivate the soil.

b. Plant the seed.

c. First watering.

d. Weed.

…

z. Harvest.           

We must seek the Lord about the goals he has in mind for our new season/beginning.  We might feel a strong pull toward something we have never done before, we may feel a fresh burden for the very thing we are currently doing, or we may even feel a renewed burden to do something we’ve done in the past.  These goals may be specific tasks to be done in order like the farmer, or they may be more broad or encompassing goals.  (I.e. one goal might be to write a letter to each unsaved person in our family introducing them to Christ then to follow that letter up with a phone call or face to face visit.  This goal would be a specific task. Another goal might be to speak to those we encounter daily as the Holy Spirit leads us.  This would be a more broad, encompassing goal.)

One way to set these goals is to sit down before the Lord with pen, paper, and Bible in hand.  Ask him to reveal his goals for your life and your family in this new season.  Isaiah tells us that God is making roads in the wilderness and rivers in the deserts.  He is preparing for the end time harvest and he needs harvesters.  You and I are those harvesters.  We may each have a different task; however, if we are willing we all will play a part in this harvest.

Ask him how your task fits into the bigger picture in your church and community.  Ask him to reveal Scriptural promises pertaining to your goals.  Write these down to use in your prayer of faith as well as in spiritual warfare prayer. 

3. Take steps to fulfill the goals.

The farmer doesn’t just set goals then sit at home waiting for the harvest.  He takes each goal and works it until it is complete.  To illustrate let’s look at goal 1: prepare/cultivate the soil.  According to Mother Earth News.com “The full intention of soil cultivation is to nurture and improve the ground so that crops will grow better.”  There are two aspects to this cultivation: a) the soil should be loose, friable (easily crumbled or pulverized), and evenly textured. b) the life it contains should be fully encouraged and nurtured.

Like the farmer, we must cultivate the goals in our lives.  We must take each goal and nurture it and improve the soil of our hearts so that it will produce the best results possible.  Our hearts must be pliable and full of life if we are to be used by God in this season. 

This cultivation includes: reading the Word, prayer, fasting, Bible study, fellowship with other believers, and hearing the Word.

We must do our part to fulfill each goal God has given us. Often our goals will stretch us and cause us to grow.  They may involve things we are not completely comfortable doing, however, this is an opportunity for Jesus to shine through us.  If God only asked us to do things that were naturally easy for us, we would not need to rely on his leading or help.  The Word tells us that it is not by might or by power but by God’s Spirit that mountains are moved (Zechariah 4:6-7). God through us can do mighty things if we yield and obey!

4. Maintain our focus. (Keep pressing ahead!)

Philippians 3:-14 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Proverbs 4:25-27 Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path.  Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.

Galatians 6:9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up!

The farmer preservers during drought, hail, flooding, pestilence, he endures sleepless nights, and works when he is ill, all in an effort to reap an abundant harvest.  If the farmer endures all that to reap a physical harvest, how much more should we press forward to reap the harvest of souls coming in these last days? 

A word of caution: When we begin to follow the Lord’s leading and press toward the goals he outlines for our lives, the enemy will pull out all of the stops to thwart those goals.  He will throw every fiery dart he can our way.

In this season, more so than in any before, we must:

1. Take up the armor of God and wear it daily.

Ephesians 6:10-17 ¹⁰A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. ¹²For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. ¹³Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. ¹⁴Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. ¹⁵For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. ¹⁶In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. ¹⁷Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

2. Stay in constant communion with the Father.     

            

Ephesians 6:18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

3. Prevent ourselves from becoming isolated and alone.    

    

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Galatians 6:2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

One of my goals for this new season is to get back to writing.  I pray the Lord blesses you through these words!

All Scripture is NLT unless otherwise stated.