This sermon encourages embracing life's struggles as opportunities for God to shape us into the people He calls us to be, through faith and trust in Him.
Welcome, beloved friends and family in Christ, to another blessed gathering where we come together, not as strangers or mere acquaintances, but as a community bound by the love and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. We gather here, not in our own strength or wisdom, but in humble recognition of our need for God's guidance and the nourishing sustenance of His Word.
Today, we turn our hearts and minds to the profound narrative found in Genesis 17:1-3, where we encounter a transformative moment in the life of Abram. The passage reads: "When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, 'I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.' Abram fell facedown, and God talked with him."
In this pivotal encounter, we witness the divine interplay of God's almighty power and Abram's human frailty. And yet, it is in this very frailty that God chooses to reveal His covenant, His divine promise, to Abram.
The narrative of Abram is a powerful testament to the transformative power of God's promises. When God appeared to Abram, He didn't just make a promise; He gave Abram a new identity. Abram, which means 'exalted father,' was renamed Abraham, meaning 'father of many nations.'
Firstly, this was not just a change of name; it was a divine declaration of who Abram was in God's eyes and what he was destined to become. God's promises are not just about what He will do for us; they are about who we are in Him. They are not just about our future; they are about our identity. When we believe in God's promises, we are not just trusting in His ability to fulfill them; we are embracing our biblical identity as His beloved children.
Secondly, believing in our biblical identity is not just about acknowledging it; it's about living it out. When God told Abram to walk before Him faithfully and be blameless, He was calling him to live according to his new identity. He was calling him to align his life with the divine promise and the divine identity that had been bestowed upon him. This is a crucial point for us to grasp. Our biblical identity is not just a label that we wear; it's a life that we live.
The third aspect of believing in our biblical identity involves a battle against the enemy's deceptions. The enemy wants us to doubt our identity, to question God's promises, and to live in fear and insecurity. But God has given us His Word, His Spirit, and His promises to equip us for this battle.
When we do this, we are not just standing on God's promises; we are standing against the enemy's lies. We are embracing the truth about ourselves and rejecting the falsehoods that the enemy wants us to believe. We are not just affirming our identity as God's beloved children; we are denying the enemy's attempts to rob us of that identity.
Finally, let's consider that believing in our biblical identity impacts the world. When God promised to make Abram the father of many nations, He was not just promising to bless Abram; He was promising to bless the world through Abram. This is a profound truth that we need to grasp. Our biblical identity is not just about us; it's about God's plan to bless the world through us. When we believe in our biblical identity, we are not just stepping into our destiny; we are stepping into God's plan to bring blessing and transformation to the world around us.
As we navigate through life, we are often confronted with the enemy's deceptions ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO
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