I have placed this article in the healing section because this article not only will give you an insight of your new identity ‘in Christ’, but it will also lead you to heal your emotional pains. Once you have established your new identity ‘in Christ’, you will see the new person you are ‘in Christ’. This will give you a new perspective and outlook on your whole life. This will open new doors for you, doors in which you will look at yourself in a different way because of who you now are. You will find yourself embraced in a new relationship with God. You will learn to look at yourself as Christ sees you, independently of who you are in this world, or what you have achieved. You will learn to look at yourself in a new way and you will speak and act more like Christ. I pray this for you, for it will open a completely new dimension for you. You will feel more victorious, you will learn more about opposition and how to overcome it. You will understand the battle that we are engaged in and how to be victorious.
The Bible tells us that every new born Christian is a new creature: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Co 5:17)
This means nothing less than this: once you have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, you have begotten a new identity. You are a new person, accepted and beloved by Christ. Now that you have become a new person, you have become ‘one’ with Christ. This is done through baptism:
“Don't you know that all who share in Christ Jesus by being baptized also share in his death? When we were baptized, we died and were buried with Christ. We were baptized, so that we would live a new life, as Christ was raised to life by the glory of God the Father. If we shared in Jesus' death by being baptized, we will be raised to life with him.”(Rom 6:3-5)
And
“And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. “ (Col 2:10-12)
Your new identity gives you a new sense of who you are. You now know that you belong, that you have a closeness with God through Christ. You have shared in Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. You are now ‘one’ with Him. This new status acquired status now makes you not only a child of God but an heir with Christ.
“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 8:17)
Let’s take a look at what it means to be heirs with Christ. It means that we will If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us” (2 Tim 2:12)
One thing however you must acknowledge is that your new status, your new heirship, will not be without a fight. You will suffer as Christ did persecution and hazardship. You must take up your cross and follow Him (Mt 16:24). Your new status will give you all the benefits of a king, for Jesus is Lord of lords and King of kings (rev 16:19), but you will have to bear your cross. You will suffer for Christ’s sake, but you will reap all the benefits of your new acquired identity also. You will have eternal life (Jn 3:16,Jn 3:36 etc), but not without a fight.
Let’s take a look at what it means to be heirs with Christ. Through the baptism you have also been enthroned with Christ. This enthronement gives you all benefits of being a king. A king rules with authority over his people. You too now through Christ, as co-heir with Him, have this authority to rule. You are allowed to rule in His name. This means that you now are entitled to the same spiritual blessings that Jesus’ has. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”(Eph 1:3). All the benefits from heaven are now rightfully and legally yours. These benefits you acquire by faith. Your new status or identity in Christ will give you a legal right to overcome sickness, disease, defeat etc. You now have through Christ the victory over the enemy.
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (2 Eph.10)
All these blessings that are now rightfully yours are yours, so that it will benefit you to do well to others. Nothing in the Kingdom of God will only benefit you. Everything in the Kingdom of God will benefit you in order to benefit others. Every good gift you get from God must be used by you to benefit others. This in order to enhance God’s Kingdom on earth. Every good king rules justly. A king has plenty of blessings and if he is a just king, he will use all of his riches for the benefit and enhancement of his kingdom. The same goes with Christ. He is our King and He has made us kings. Out of all His abundance we may partake, but it has to be used for good works.
As king you now have the authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions and any unclean thing.
“Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”(Luke 10:19)
This is done always in the Name of Jesus. Only through and by His Name you will have victory. As His heir and king you may use His powerful name to overcome any obstacles that hinder your spiritual life. Don’t forget that we are engaged in a battle for life. We fight the devil and his evil spirits. They will oppose you and fight you every step of the way. Why? Simple, they do not want you walking in the fullness of your new life. They fear the power that goes along with your new status. They know that once you are in Christ, you are a mighty enemy. You have now the authority to defeat the enemy over your life.
Do you now understand why your new identity in Christ will help you become a new person? Through your ‘heavenly citizenship’ you have now obtained through Christ all the tools to live as a king and an heir. Here on earth as in heaven. The only difference lies that in order for you to rule completely as king you will have to fight your enemies. But one thing you can be sure of, and that is that the victory is always yours in Christ. Christ wrought the victory for you when he defeated Satan at the cross. No matter what battle you will fight, you do well in remembering that Satan is in fact a defeated foe. The only victory he gets is the one you will give him. Stand up and take up the authority that is rightfully yours and use it as an heir of and with Christ. Jesus has promised us that He will never leave us nor forsake us ( 1 Kings 8:57). You are not alone, you are one in and with Christ and He will be right there fighting alongside with you. Whatever battle you are facing remember this:
“Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all..” (1 Chr 29:11)