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the disciples identity—WHO defines you? |
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THE DISCIPLE’S IDENTITY
It’s imperative to KNOW who WE are, because if we don’t . . .
SOMEONE ELSE WILL DEFINE WHO we are, and we will serve that one who defines us. If we let GOD define us, then we walk with dignity and with confidence and serve Him. If we are ignorant of what He says about us, we will create a place in our souls for another person to define us. And then we will seek the approval of that person—whether it be someone in our past (a parent, friend, ex-spouse) or we’ll let the enemy or the World to define us.
God created us to be His sons (male and female) – eternal companions and partners for His glorious Son, Jesus Christ. Each of the 5 aspects of our identity are like an invisible glorious garment we put on that becomes a part of our very being. Or, better yet, that garment, when put on and worn, wakes up in us all the good that sin has perverted or put to sleep. So, in light of this, how does God define us? He sees the believer as His Son/Daughter – Made In His Image, Redeemed by His blood, trained as His Steward and Friend, trained to be His future glorious Co-Ruler. Let’s break this down these five aspects of our sonship. God defines you as…
I. I. …His glorious IMAGE BEARER which is Potential Sonship:
We have a built-in design for a glorious relationship with God. As we look to Him as our Source of Life, we will reflect His very glory. We have eternal souls that can related deeply (to God and to others), we can create, we’re given authroity over this earth and we are accountable to God – unlike the animals.
The first place to start in understanding our identity as being in His image and likeness is to be honest…
· With our sense of dependent ON God · With our sense of our awesome worth given to us by our Creator - our design, destiny and purpose. · With our sense of our Fallenness – our sin – that separates us from our God.
We were worth dying for. We are the best thing God ever created. We are the crown of His creation (read Psalm 8 “what is man?”). We bear His image—which means that we have glorious God-given qualities – and so does every other person – which is the basis for honoring each and every human being (see James 3:9,10).
Yet, sin has marred that image, and our "built-in" qualities of our mind, our will & our emotions, need to be restored. They are in desparate need of being tamed, tested & trained for His glorious eternal purpose. The marred image has put us in a state of unbelief, which has disqualified us for relationship with Him and for His holy heaven.
But, the Good News is Jesus died to pay the price for our sin. He took the rap for us. His death and resurrection took care of the penalty we would have paid for our sins – which is an eternal separation from Him in a place called hell. And when we believe in Jesus for eternal life, God calls us….
II. …His Awesome, Cleansed SON/DAUGHTER which is Initial Sonship:
When I believed in my Savior, Jesus, He cleansed me from sin and became my personal Savior and trainer so that I could get to know my heavenly Father. He's connected me to the body of Christ (I'm part of the Family) and filled me with His Holy Spirit. He's bonding me with the brothers and sisters in His family. He's equipping me and training me for a co-rulership with Him in eternity (for which I’ve been created) and a unique task in this life (to which He's commissioned me). I have all I need for life and godliness. I am His and He is mine. Now, we have the opportunity to be a saved follower of Jesus, or a saved fool of the enemy. Those who respond appropriately to the New Life in them become saved followers and surrender all to Jesus. He then calls me…
III. …His Surrendered, Faithful STEWARD - which is Maturing Sonship
He is the owner (of me and all that He’s entrusted to me) and I am His steward, his manager. I get to manage my Inner and Outer World. I am ccountable to the Lord Jesus in every way. As His SERVANT, SOLDIER and a STUDENT (of His Word), I will give account on how I managed my Inner and Outer World.
A mature disciple asks:
¨ What is my role? ¨ What is my responsibility? ¨ Am I working only for my Audience of One – to God alone for His pleasure, or for man - for men’s approval and acceptance, and praise? ¨ What am I to faithfully manage so that on That Day I can receive reward and have no shame? (Inner and Outer World. Inner, being my thoughts, motives, words and deeds, Outer, being that which He’s entrusted to me – my posessioins, my work, my family).
A. Identifying & Managing My Inner World One’s inner world consists of thoughts, motives, attitudes, words, deeds, spiritual walk and devotional life.
A wise Steward asks and answers these questions of the Inner World:
- What aspects of my Inner World need to be stewarded more excellently? - How is my attitude toward God in trials? - How is my attitude toward receiving correction? - What is my motive behind my actions, my words? - Do I have a secret, dark or impure world inside my soul that I hide from others – that I deceive myself that I’m hiding from God – who sees all? - What's my vocabulary like—bitter words, complaining words, wounding words, worrying words, kind words, believing words? - Am I practicing spending time in His Presence so my soul can be renewed? - Do I love His word to my heart and am I a doer of that word? - Do I repent quickly? - Is my hope anchored in Jesus?
B. Identifying & Managing My Outer World One’s outer world has to do with my relationships like my marriage (or time of single-hood), my children, all my relationships, and my roles in those relationships. My outer world also has to do with my home (taking care of it), my job (task), my money (budgeting, giving, saving, spending, tithing), my time, my possessions, my spiritual gifts and talents, my neighborhood, my country. Stewardship says, “It all belongs to You, Lord, and I’m Your manager.” When one can see this reality (it’s real whether we believe it or not), confess this to our Lord, and live it, that person is setting him/herself to hear the Lord say on that day, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with little.
Matt 25:21 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
Even our citizenship in this country is a stewardship entrusted to us by God., It’s how we influence being “salt and light” in this world. Do you vote and keep up on issues?
A wise Steward asks and answers these questions of the Outer World:
- Do I take care of what I have in a manner that says, "Thank You, Lord, for this, my lot in life?" - Or am I discontent, complaining, and always wanting more? - What aspects of my Outer World need to be stewarded more excellently; perhaps with some accountability? - How am I loving my husband/wife/children? - Am I faithful in the little things—and do I show faithfulness and diligence in all that I do? Do I do each task with equal dedication to the Lord (and not to man)? - Do I have that sense of awesome sonship / companionship / partnership; walking with my heavenly Father (my Audience of One) with dignity?
As we grow in these areas of Stewardship, the Lord is getting us ready to put the cloak of his Friendship on, and when He does, He calles us….
IV His Trusted, Dear FRIEND which is Intimate Sonship
Friendship with Jesus involves moving into a partnership with Jesus through obedience to His Spirit. He moves us in the areas of sharing His love for others and in His suffering. Jesus doesn’t call every believe a "Friend". Only those that are ready and willing to do all that He commands (according to Jn. 15:9-15) does He call a "Friend". And what does He command? That we “love one another” the same way He loved us.
A wise Steward asks and answers these questions of the Inner World:
- Am I growing in this Friendship with Jesus by growing in His love for people? Do I adjust my life around this partnership; joining Jesus in His love for the precious people for which He died (which is all people)? - Am I secure enough in His love so that I take risks—taking that step of faith to love, to be creative, be myself and not compare to anyone else?? - Does my self-preservation, protectiveness and fears control me so that I stay in the boat when He bids me to walk on the water? - Do I suffer with Him joyfully (or do I whine and complain)? - Am I in the habit of obeying His voice (immediately) by faith – without waiting until I’m good and ready, or until I “feel” like obeying? He rewards those who diligently seek Him.
His faithful (not perfect) "Friends" who learn to suffer well will be qualified to partner with Him in His love for people. In the end, it's the one who loves the most that wins.
A disciple will prepare himself so that Jesus can count on him to partner with Him in His love for others. A good question to ask is, “Can Jesus count on me as His "Friend" —to join Him, or am I too busy with other things… too distracted?” This life is our training ground – our time of testing for a future glorious reign with Jesus Christ. As we are faithful to learn life’s lessons and choose character over convenience, to go for His reward rather than man’s reward (we’ll all go for someone’s reward), then, on That Day, when we stand before Him, we will become …
V. His Future, glorious CO-RULERS this is Glorious & Eternal Sonship
The Hope of GLORIFICATION! Living today for tomorrow’s reign in glory. This is Jesus’ great joy—that each of His brothers and sisters would aspire to that place of ruling with Him in His Kingdom to come. This life is the only time the believer can aspire to that close place with Jesus in the Kingdom to come. Jesus rewards our overcoming. Each time we overcome, we secure a close place with Jesus in His Kingdom to come. And this process can only happen in this life – we don’t get to develop this kind of character in the next life. And why? Because character is developed in times of adversity. In the Kingdom to come, the evil trinity (the flesh, the world and the devil), will not be as it is in this life.
In the Kingdom to come, all the adversity will be removed – as well as the opportunity for this kind of glorious character development. The flesh will be glorified, the world will be a happy place and the devil will be bound. So what’s to overcome? It’s party time! It’s payoff time! It’s ruling and reigning time with Jesus! We will have an initial deep regret if we stand before Jesus on That Day and realize that we wasted our lives on foolish pursuits. This is the time to invest in His Kingdom, to go through the tests of life faithfully. This is what the fear of the Lord is – the guarantee of reward for the faithful, and regret for the unfaithful – and God shows no partiality in that time of Judgment when rewards are given according to what we have done with a pure heart unto Him.
Jesus’ greatest joy is that each of His brothers and sisters would rule with Him, yet it’s only those who have ears to hear and see this life as the opportunity to get themselves ready for that time of rulership. That we would, today… - lift up our eyes past the immediate and see the eternal future - live today with his or her eyes on the prize, running the race, - get ready and help other believers get ready for That Day (as well as the unbelievers to get ready by initially believing in Jesus) - deal with hidden sin issues and secrets of the heart; confess sins and repent of them rather than have them exposed on that day - face trials with joy - be faithful in all that God entrusts to them - live for the joy of Jesus – which is His delight in giving us our full reward
Did you know that Jesus’ greatest joy will be to reward each of us with a time of: · affirmation (“well done”), · celebration (“Blessed are those who are invited to the Marriage supper of the Lamb”), and . . . · exultation and Kingdom partnership (“He who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on my throne…”) Revelation 3:19-22)?
Did you know that we have been created, redeemed and trained for this end—to be His Co-shepherds and judges ~ ruling and reigning with Him in His Kingdom to come?
Did you know that we have been created to be His Eternal Companions and Partners – not just in this life but mainly for the Eternal Kingdom to come (this is just a testing time)?
Again, this is Jesus’ greatest joy—to reward us—not just in this life, but especially on THAT DAY!. (see Rev. 2:25-29; 3:20-22; 5:9,10; 22:1-5).
That’s what we mean when we say DSC is about Shining His light TODAY – in light of THAT DAY! |
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Discovering your gifts, temperament, personality and HOW god wants to use you!
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