Have you ever started to do something risky? Was it something that came from a heart desire? When you proceeded to do it, did you hear these words – “Who do think you are?”
I’ve heard those words in my head more times than I can count. Numerous times in my life I would dream of doing something great for the sake of God’s kingdom, or just merely something adventurous. Inevitably I would talk myself out of it. In fact, I heard those words when I first proceeded to start writing a weekly blog. I rejected them. Why? Because it really is about who I think I am.
In the previous blog I talked about what we think about God. Have you ever thought about what He thinks about you?
“How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!” (Psalm 139:17-18 NLT)
Isn’t that beautiful? What makes it even more beautiful is that this was written before Jesus came to earth! In fact, this is why He came to earth. Remember John 3:16? If you’ve been born again, you’re a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17-18). If you refer to yourself as “a sinner saved by grace,” stop! You’re not a sinner anymore. That fellow died. That is no longer your nature.
Here is just a short list of who you are now –
- You’re a son/daughter of God
- A saint
- An heir of God
- A joint-heir with Christ
- His beloved
Why is it so crucial that we know who we are? I believe the answer can be found at Jesus’ baptism.
“And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him Like a dove.
Then a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’”
For a long time, I questioned why God the Father would say those words to Jesus. Did He not know that he was God’s Son? Did He not know His Father was pleased with Him?
Here’s something interesting to consider: Jesus had not performed any miracles, signs, or wonders up to this point, yet The Father calls Jesus His Son and says He is well pleased with Him. Wasn’t there anything His Father could point to in Jesus’ life where He had proved that he was God’s Son? He was about to be led into the wilderness for 40 days to fast. These very words that His Father spoke to Him were about to be tested.
“If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
“If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down.”
Why would satan come after Jesus’ identity? Didn’t Jesus know who He was? Of course He did. I believe the devil was trying to get Jesus to step outside of His identity and do something apart from His relationship with the Father.
Jesus had nothing to prove. His identity came from who He was, not what He did. It’s the same with us. Jesus is our pattern.
When I began to realize this truth, I experienced freedom like I had never known before. Look at this:
“…having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:5-6)
Wow! So get this, from the moment you received Him as your Lord, the Father says the same thing about you that He said about Jesus! Oops! Let me correct that. He has always had those thoughts toward you. He just waits patiently for us to acknowledge it. You are completely loved and accepted as a son/daughter of God. There is nothing you or I could ever do to make Him love and accept us more than He does right now.
Because of that, I no longer live for love and acceptance, but from love and acceptance. That’s an amazing place to live. I’m a son. If I really know I’m a son, I’ll act like a son.
His beloved son,
Kevin