We must understand and then we can maintain our identity in God. Let’s begin our study from the very beginning, where man was given his original identity.

Gen 1: 26: Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the face of the earth”

That man referred to here, was the entire human race, all of us, that’s why he said Let them! This was God’s original idea, a plan that He carried out.

The bible says, Genesis 1:27 ~ “So God created man in his own image; in the image of God he created him; male and female He created them.” So, God created man in his own image. And he was to do what? Rule the earth, dominate, every sphere, the sea, the land, the waters. Everywhere. Everything called earth. So, our identity as man originally is the image and the likeness of God.

However, in the garden of Eden, man’s identity in God came under attack. The enemy dared to question this identity, to tamper with the understanding of who man is. And we must understand that this is what goes on day after day with every believer, our identity in Christ will be questioned, and our response and reaction to this question will determine a lot for us, and we will see that in more details as we move on.

In Genesis 3: 1-4, the bible says

1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, Has God indeed said, “You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.”  4 Then the serpent said to the woman, You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.

That was the devil’s carefully thought-out manipulation. Going back to Genesis 1: 27, what did God say? Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They were already operating in a class as God on the earth, God gave them dominion over a territory, the earth to rule. God gave man a kingdom.  Who rules a territory? A King! A god! I believe what the devil wanted man to do, to which he succeeded at that time, and unfortunately, he is still succeeding with this agenda in the lives of many people on the earth. He wanted to make man, the entire human race to rebel against the one who created him like he did before he was sent down. That man should desire to want to exalt his throne and operate without submission or dependence on God Almighty, compete with God. That man should become discontented and greedy and want more than is due to him. That was his intention. Or even dare to think that he can rise above God.

The devil was cast down from heaven because he rebelled against God. Man was made king by God over the world, the earth. He was to rule. Satan was under his authority. Man was made a god on the earth. But the devil was not going to submit at all to man so he tried his luck and somehow man fell.  But God addressed the matter by sending Jesus, to do what? Buy back our identity! Our rulership! Our dominion as God on the earth. Not just buy back our identity but for us to come to the knowledge and understanding of it so we can fully enjoy all that God has in store for us as an inheritance. Halleluyah!

That’s why it’s important we know who we are, what our identity is in God! So, we do not exchange it for nothing. It’s not a fair bargain. That’s why when Jesus was being tempted by the devil in Matthew 4, when he was man on the earth and the devil promised him the kingdoms of this world. Jesus was not swayed. He knew who he was. He knew the authority and power with which he came to the earth with, he knew the glory that waited him beyond the cross. The devil could not beat that. As believers, if we are not convinced or aware of who we are, we will give in to the pressures of this world, all for what?  For nothing! So, Jesus could give the right response to the devil. That was another attempt by the devil to question man’s identity, Thank God for Jesus’ victory.

  If we understand our identity, there are many things that the world offers that we won’t fall for. Its downgrading. That’s why when a man falls into sin, what does it bring? Shame, guilt, regret because you are operating below your class, your original wiring, functioning. That’s why Adam and Eve hid, kings don’t hide. They are the centre of attraction. They are seated on thrones ruling. If a king begins to hide in his own domain, there is a problem.

For example, a man who is wealthy, and he has just one son and everyone knows that all that the man has belongs to his only son. He is the heir to everything. A cunning man trying to steal the son’s inheritance and do a clean job will try to make sure that the legitimate son begins to doubt his identity, and try to make him miss his place. That person will come with questions like, are you sure this man is your father? Are you sure, you are the only son?  For a son that is sure, he will not need to answer that question, it’s a waste of time.  And if unfortunately, the evil person can come up with someone else to stand in and claim to be the son of the wealthy man and not the one that has always been considered the heir. If that only and legitimate son is not careful? He might be thrown off balance by the imposter, the liar even though all evidence of his birth and background points to the fact that he is the only son and there is none other anywhere. He begins to doubt his identity and that begins his downfall. And if not very careful, though he might be a carbon copy of his father, in the likeness of his father, and the liar is not, he might lose his place as heir.

That’s what happens to many of us believers, we used to be sure of our identity but most times, we are not sure anymore or we don’t act and behave like people that are sure.

John 15:16 ~ “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.”

Who chose you? God! Who appointed you? God Almighty! I will be speaking to Christians who I believe I will not need to reintroduce this God to. We have come into this fold because we have accepted Jesus as our personal Lord and Saviour. So, we have been reconciled with a God that loved us even while we were yet sinners. So, as Christians, we know him to a certain extent and we are found in Him. We fellowship with him at our different levels.

Many of us can boldly state out who we are in Christ. However, it is not out of place to sometimes feel lost. Forgetting the very identity God handed over to us with our salvation package. For some people, they haven’t even embraced this new identity in Christ, while others haven’t come into the full understanding of it. Sometimes negative voices in the world seem to speak louder than the voice of God. Also, we may be tempted to compare ourselves and life experiences with those who don’t believe in God at all. The bible says, those comparing themselves with themselves are not wise.

By God’s standard, there is no parameter you should be using to compare yourself and life experiences with the world. You operate as a king and a god on the earth. That’s superiority. You are superior by every standard.  You are seated far above principalities and powers. Kings normally seat on elevated thrones on a normal day. So where are we meant to be? On our elevated thrones, very sure of who we are. That is God’s original plan and intention. It was not the devil’s place to rule the earth. He is an outcast. So, we should not negotiate our identity with him.

Despite this knowledge, it might still happen that we lose sight of that identity, but we must carefully consider this, understand and maintain our identity in God. Not in any other thing, maintain our identity in God, who we are in God! That’s the only parameter that defines us. There was a time David, in the bible considered and marveled at the good things that were happening in the lives of unbelievers and God had to speak some words of reassurance to him and God showed him the end of such people. So, we know we are not alone with what we might feel and God understands what we feel.

 

That’s why in scriptures, God has constantly made provision for such times, to reassure us and always bring us back to the consciousness of our identity in him. So, we must never be confused about who we are. This will help our life experiences. God in his mercy, by the help of the Holy Spirit will continually help us to understand and consciously walk in our true identity. So, at those times when things are not working, your ministry is not moving, and the devil says, are you sure God called you? You will know what answer to give. When the enemy questions your identity because we can see from scriptures that identity births purpose. If the world questions your identity, they are also questioning your purpose. God said, let us make man, in our image and likeness- that was man’s identity, then let him rule, dominate, that’s his purpose. We fall out of purpose because we do not understand our identity in God.

 

The bible says in him we live, in him we move and in him we have our being, making us understand that God is all and all that we are or will ever be. The knowledge and acceptance of that will continually liberate us, knowing that this is not any God, any one made with human hands that I am sourced from, I am in the image and in the likeness of a mighty God, the one who holds this earth with his words. I am sufficient enough just embracing and living in that truth. So, I shouldn’t be looking around the world to define who I am or give me a name and identity, I am sourced in God. So, we can maintain our identity in God.

 

 

The Reassurance of my Identity in God

We will be seeing from scriptures why we should never be confused, or forget our source; why we should never lose sight of our identity in God. God called us by a name so that our identity might not be mistaken and then, He also defined our life’s purpose so we also know what to do.

We will be considering few scriptures that speaks to this 

5. 1 Peter 2:9

For you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

 

The verse we read in 1^st Peter 2: 9 showed us how God sees us, how God has named us and what purpose he has designed for us. You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special people, to do what? Show forth his praise. This verse is one of the many scriptures that God himself defined our identity. This is very instructive for us and we should never forget it. You are chosen, you are royalty, you are holy, you are separated from the corruption of this world, you are special. If God has said so, then he means it.  And that’s how he sees us. That’ our identity, he does not see us less than that.

When life situations try to define us, try to make us weigh God’s love for us and try to make us compare by the world’s standard where we are to where we should be, try to magnify our mistakes so we can wallow in self-pity and guilt, let this verse 1^st Peter 2: 9 always  keep us in check, that there is a way God sees me and it’s not because I did anything to cajole or bribe him, that’s how He sees me and another question we can ask ourselves is, am I showing forth God’s praise right here where I am? Am I pleasing God?  In my words, my actions, my life style, in all my hands find to do? Then, I am in purpose; fulfilling the purpose of my existence and God is pleased with me.

I believe from here we can take a bold step to define ourselves and true identity. We can redefine our self and the purpose of our existence through God’s eyes.

 

Eph 2:10 says, For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them

The bible says, you are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. Did we see God call us by a name, He said, you are God’s workmanship, his own craftmanship, his own handwork, his special design and once again he defined the purpose of our existence, good works! We do not wallow in sin, we do not struggle to do good works because that’s our identity, that’s our making. That is us in God. Praise God.

Before he made us, he already had our purpose set before us.

We will see that verse we read earlier, John 15:16

5. John 15:16 ~ “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.”

We are the appointed of God,  chosen by God, to do what? Bear fruits! Fruits that last! Can we see our identity being declared and once again our purpose defined. This shows us that we are not operating on our own, in our own strength. He appointed us!

That’s why in 1^st Peter when he said, you are a chosen generation, he was certain, he knew what he was saying. Our purpose was defined from the very beginning.

 

Who are you? How do you define yourself? The world will look for subtle ways to question our belief about our identity, make us shift grounds. We might ask, what if we fall, engage in sin, is my identity lost? No! that’s why you need to snap out of it and come back to God immediately. We did nothing to deserve the identity He bestowed on us, we didn’t pay for it. What is our responsibility, how can we maintain it?  By walking in faith and the consciousness of what our identity is, daily so that we do not exchange our birthright for nothing. For some ministers, whose ministries seem not to be moving well as planned, who go to water demons, herbalists and all manner of spirits to seek for powers to do miracles in the house that you claim belongs to God and his church, that’s downgrading, you are a god by yourself. You are to dominate. You are seated far above principalities and powers, they are your subjects, they should not demand sacrifices from you.

In Jeremiah 1:5, the Lord spoke to Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

That was his identity and his purpose and it shaped his life and experiences.

1 Peter 2:9: You are a chosen generation, you are a royal priesthood, you are a holy nation, you are His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Let’s never lose sight of this truth. 

Let us never let our circumstances, problems, money, what we have or don’t have, what we have achieved or not achieved, not the world generally define us. Who are we? And that answer; our identity and purpose God has declared from the beginning.

Thanks for the gift of your time, I am Benedicta Apeh!

Feel free to share your thoughts or testimony in the comment box below. I promise to respond to them as soon as possible!