Our Identity, part 4

1st of March

Part 4

This will the last part about identity, at least for this time. I closed last time by saying that THE TRUTH SHOULD BE OUR IDENTITY. When you identify with the truth, you will also live by it. In Rom.8:4 it says that we should walk by the Spirit. In order to walk by the Spirit, we have to know the Spirit. We also have to know what God has put in our “born again spirit”. If we identify with the flesh, we walk by the flesh. If we identify with our emotions, we walk by them. If we are sick and we identify with the sickness, it is difficult to get out of the sickness. While I am writing to you now, I sit here with a cold. I have several times said: “I am sick”. “I have a cold”. I really want people to feel a little sorry for me when they hear that. I did’nt get that answer from a friend of mine. She said: “Oh, but that is not so dangerous.” Precisely, it is not dangerous, but unpleasant. More important than that, it is not my real identity. I chose to identify with the cold. I forgot that inside of me lives THE HEALER. He is stronger than all sicknesses. He has even won over death. I could give many testimonies about healings from much worse and serious sicknesses than a cold. That goes for myself and others. No matter the name of the sickness, He Who lives on the inside of you, He is much bigger and stronger than any sickness. In 1.John 4:4 we read: “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them (the spirits of Antichrist), because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. Christ has made it possible for us to win over all kinds of spirits. Jesus, Himself, won a victory over the devil on the Cross and nullified all his deeds. (Col. “:14+15) He went down to Hell and He has the keys of Hades and of Death. (Rev. 1:18) It is this Jesus who lives inside of us. I really pray that You will see how great He is and all the things He has done for you and how great an authority that He has given to us who are called children of God.

We have to remind ourselves daily of these truths. They become alive to me while I write about them. I have to ask for forgiveness for all the times that I have identified with the works of the devil in my life. Yes, you read correctly, the deeds of the devil. What is not of God, is of the evil.

God has given us a spirit of love and of a sound mind. When I get all up tight and worried, then I surely can say that God has not made me like this. He has given me Peace. Where did it disappear? It has not disappeared, but I have forgotten the peace and identified with the circumstances and the problems. WE CAN CHOOSE IF WE WILL IDENTIFY WITH THE PROBLEM OR THE SOLUTION. I do not know how often I have heard myself and others say: “I have so many problems. I do not know what to do. I do not see any solution. It looks very dark.” I do not say that we cannot meet big problems in life, but the question is: ” What do we do with them when we meet them?” Do you take the problem and make it your own or do you give it away to Him who knows how to solve it? The Holy Spirit is your Helper and why don’t you allow Him to help you? Don’t adopt the problem. If the devil sees that there are certain problems that you adopt and identify with, I can say by experience that he will continue to send you these problems. He (the devil) succeeds. I know that if I decide that the problems should not get the better of me, it is’nt so much fun to send them. YOU ARE NOT THE PROBLEM. I get a picture from the Holy Spirit while I am writing. I SEE THAT YOU CAN EITHER SEE YOURSELF AS VERY SMALL INSIDE OF A BIG BALL OR THE PROBLEM AS VERY SMALL INSIDE OF A BIG JESUS. The choice is yours.

Jesus identifies with us as human beings. Jesus was the Son of God and He lived in the Glory of Heaven, but He was willing til leave Heaven and come down to earth. He became a human being and lived as a human. He was tested in everything, but did not sin. Since Jesus identified with us as human beings, we really know that He understands our problems. THANK YOU JESUS FOR CHOOSING TO IDENTIFY WITH US AS HUMAN BEINGS.

When we see another person, what do we see and what are we looking for? I do not remember names easily and I have to describe people in order to identify them. When I really think about what i say, I feel ashamed. I can mention a wheelchair, a big nose, thick glasses, a sharp voice, etc. Other times i can say: “You know the woman who always smiles or the man who looks so kind.” I Can also say: “I like her for she speaks with the authority of God or he looks like Jesus.” We can take a very small part of the person and identify the person. This happens especially with people whom we do not know very well.

The world does not know us Christians. What kind of picture do we give them of Jesus? I do believe that the more we identify with Him, the more visible He will become through our lives. Jesus came as a servant. Do we look upon ourselves as servants for our sisters and brothers and servants for the Non-believers? I have noticed that the Mormons are very good in helping people practically. Are we just as quick to carry a heavy bag for an elderly person or to lift the stroller up on the bus? Are we opening our home when new people move into our area? Do we have time when somebody has a difficult time? Jesus says that we should lay hands on the sick. Do we shrink away in fear for what people would say? I do not say that we should jump on everybody, but we could do much more. We must stop identifying with the fear of man. Jesus says: ” Be bold”

We identify with those we are a lot together with. Children identify with parents, spouses with each other, friends with each other. Some Charismatic preachers can be copied all over the world. People start with the same mustache, hairstyle, same expressions and behavior. Their dresses and suits become the latest fashion. It can sometimes be something positive, but maybe God has created you to be different and maybe He wants to see you with another identity.

Jesus was a lot together with His Father. Jesus said that He took what belonged to His Father and gave to us. Spouses look alike because they spend a lot of time together. WE WILL RESEMBLE JESUS IF WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH HIM. We will then start to talk like Him and act like Him. You and I are making the priorities. You cannot put the blame on anybody else for how you use your time.

At the end I will talk about putting on and taking off. When we get up in the morning, we remove the night clothes and get dressed for the day. We are doing this as an active action. If we did not change and did not get washed, we would not look ready for the day. In Eph. 4:22-24 it says that we should put off the old man and put on the new man which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness. We should also renew our mind by the Spirit. We are supposed to do this by the help of the Holy Spirit.

Even if both culture, family, schools and friends are factors that are building our identity, we can as adults choose if we want to be like Jesus. Each and everyone is unique and Jesus will be shown through your personality and yours is different than mine.

JESUS, I WANT YOU TO LIVE IN ME AND THROUGH ME. I WANT TO BE LIKE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mother Else