We Are Who God Says We Are

We Are Who God Says We Are

Text: II Cor. 5:17

Introduction:

Even though every believer, at times, lives, and acts according to the old self, we still are new persons—new in relationship to God and new within ourselves. The change that takes place in us when we come to Christ involves two dimensions.

First, we have a new Master. As mortals, we have no choice but to live under a spiritual power. Either we will live under the power of our heavenly Father, or under the power of the devil -- either wittingly or unwittingly. There are only two masters: God or the world. For the Christian, through the new birth, the believer changes masters – our master is now Jesus – our King and Lord.

Second, there is an actual change in the "nature" of believers, so that the direction of our lives and the desires of our hearts are now turned toward God, rather than toward self and sin. In the New Birth, the Holy Spirit takes us when we are dead in trespasses and sins and renews our natures so that we desire to practice holiness. New powers and new potential are placed in us by the Holy Spirit that cause us to think about spiritual things, turning our minds toward things of an eternal nature.

But the surest sign of regeneration is that our feelings toward the Lord Jesus Christ change. We may have believed in Him intellectually – that He was a real, historical person, and even did the things read of Him in the Bible, but now we feel differently about Him. He becomes personal to us. A love for, and a fascination with Jesus is awakened in us, and a desire to learn more about Him is aroused. Those who are born again become increasingly devoted to Him, have a greater desire to please Him, and are offended when others speak badly of Him.

I. Nowhere is this expressed more clearly than in Romans 6:5-7:

A. "If we have been united with Him . . . in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been freed from sin."

B. Again, we need to understand that this is a reality that has already taken place. Paul says, "…our old self was crucified" (past tense). We keep trying and trying to put the old man to death but can’t do it. Why not? Because he is already dead!

C. We cannot do for ourselves what Christ has already done for us. The reason so many Christians are not living the abundant life is because they are waiting for some “experience” to happen to them – some supernatural miracle, but that reasoning is WRONG!

II. The only thing that had to happen for that to be true already happened over two thousand years ago on the Cross of Calvary, and the only way we can enter that experience is by faith: by acting like who God says we really are. And the more we act by faith, the more we will become who He says we are!

A. It’s not what we do that determines who we are; that’s backward -- it is who we are that determines what we do. We are His children by adoption through Christ. “The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together” (Rom. 8:16, 17).

B. We don’t work, hoping God may love us someday if we can just act holy enough. NO. God loves us -- period and that’s why we labor for Him. Jesus says, “As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you: continue in my love: (Jhn. 15:9), and again: “For the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me…” (Jhn. 16:27).

C. We don’t serve God with the hope that He may someday accept us. We are already accepted in the Beloved; that is why we serve Him. If we try to make what God says is true through our experience and efforts, we will never get there.

III. Paul points out the uselessness of that thinking in Galatians 3:2:

A. He says to them: "I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?"