NOVEMBER THEME READER’S DIGEST: LIVING YOUR TRUE IDENTITY IN CHRIST

With great joy in my heart and profound gratitude to God, I welcome you to November the eleventh month of the year 2021 and your month of greatness, exploits, and fulfillment. May all your dreams and aspiration come to fulfillment this month in Jesus name.

Who are you and what defines you? What is your identity? These are

questions many people struggle to answer. Too often, people base their identities on what they do (from their jobs to their roles in relationships and community), defining themselves by those pursuits. But by doing so, they significantly limit their lives. The truth is that God intends for all people to find their identity in Christ.

While there are great discoveries in sciences, medicine, engineering, IT and other fields, the greatest discovery that anyone could ever make, is Self-discovery. There is no greater discovery than that. It is possible for a person to be born again, Spirit-filled, and sanctified without knowing who he or she is. Many believers are not utilizing their full potentials in Christ and Satan continue to use the worldly system to deceive many and make them believe and define themselves by the wrong values and worldly systems. That is why it is very important for us to know who we are. Ignorance about who you are could put you in untold hardship and even deny you of your kingdom inheritance.

The difference between the rich and the poor, is information. One has the information that will advance him in life and the other does not have it. Sometimes, the difference between the great and the small, is knowledge. There is a saying that: “A man’s mountain is his ignorance”.

The Lord is leading us to a higher spiritual understanding and self – discovery this month. You need to know who you are, where you are coming from and where you are going in order to fulfill God’s purpose for your life. All these center around living a purposeful life.

“He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?” Matthew 16:15

Jesus wanted His disciples to know his true identity so he asked them a tasking question concerning his true identity in the above scripture.

Identity comes with purpose

When the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse is inevitable. When you discover your true identity as joint-heir of salvation with Christ and you understand the responsibilities, authorities, privileges, immunities, accountability that this position confers on you, then you will live a purpose life and fulfil your destiny.

Knowing your identity and living by it is important for your spiritual well-being and it is also important as it is where your sense of purpose comes from. Your consciousness or realization of who you are affect the choices you make. And your identity is a reason you do the things you do. Your choices are impacted by your identity and of course the choices you make can affect the word around you. Because of this, you can bet that our true-identity is an area the devil will mess with big-time. Hence the need for you to discover your true identity and intentionally live by it.

Your True Identity is find only in Jesus Christ

One of the major strategies of the devil is to cause you to draw your true identity from wrong sources like your wealth, position, beauty, career etc. However, as a Christian, your true identity encompasses all the abundance of being a beloved child of God (heir of salvation and joint-heir with Christ), the great love of God for you (Redeemed of the Lord), the revelation of who Jesus Christ is (Your Lord & Savior) and being an ambassador for Christ (God’s chosen one). All of these give you the ability to walk tall, no matter what anyone else think of you.

1Peter 2:9-10 says ‘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

Knowing Your True Identity in Christ will Practically change Your life

The story of the prodigal son is very instructive; he lost his identity completely through riotous living and was feeding with pigs until he re-discovered his identity. Luke 15:11-31.

Luke 15: 17 – 18 say ‘But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants”.

On the flip side of the coin is the prodigal son’s brother who ignorantly did not explore all the benefits for being a faithful son. When he complained that his father never given him even a young goat to make merry with his friends, his father responded thus in Luke 15:31

“And he said to him, Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours” Luke 15:31

Knowing our identity in Christ is one thing, but understanding how that practically changes the way we live is another.

Here are a few ways that understanding our true identity in Christ can greatly impact the way we live our lives.

1. We no longer chase after the desires of our flesh but instead seek to bring God glory in all areas of our life. 1 John 2:15-17.

2. We no longer fear the future because our future is secured in Christ. Jeremiah 29:11.

3. We have no need to judge or compare ourselves to others when we seek to please Christ alone, in whom our identity is hidden. Romans 14:5-8.

Beloved, it is in Christ alone we find our true identity. If we know who we are in Christ, we will discover what our purpose is. Success and a stress-free life can be achieved by living a purposeful life and this starts with you knowing your true identity.

Our Lord Jesus new his true identity and did not miss His purpose (LK 4:18-19).

Do you know your purpose in life? Do you know who you are? A lot of lives and destinies have been wasted and destroyed, all because they did not discover their true identity. Devil has made lot of Christians to believe in false identity and he has been using this to afflict them and rob them of their blessings.

I therefore want to encourage you to abide in our Lord Jesus Christ, seek him daily with the whole of your heart and have Him reveal to you your true identity. May you fulfill your purpose in Jesus name.

Do have a prosperous month.