by Cherie Fresonke

And to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:24

Have you been pondering within your heart what we talked about in the previous blog? Now that you have learned about who you are in Christ positionally, it is time to talk about who you are in Christ practically. Remember, sanctification is both a one-time event and an ongoing process throughout your life.

In the previous blog I told you the story about Queen Victoria. Well, we see these two aspects in Queen Victoria’s life. Because of her royal birth, she knew that she would one day be the future queen of England. This was the positional aspect of her monarchy—the moment she was born, she was immediately in line to rule the country. However, the practical aspect of her rule occurred when she learned that she would one day be queen and made the declaration, “Then I will be good!” From the moment she learned who she was and determined in her heart and in her mind to be good—to be the person that her birth and her position called her to be—she began the ongoing process of conducting her life in the way a queen should. In fact, on June 20, 1837, the day that Victoria was told that King William IV had died and she was now Queen of England, she wrote in her journal, “Since it has please Providence [God] to place me in this station, I shall do my utmost to fulfill my duty towards my country.”[i]

I pray that you will also desire to fulfill your duty to be all that God created you to be. For just like the above verse says, you are to put on your new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. If you do, you will have a life filled with purpose and meaning and have lasting peace and contentment. With this in mind, let’s take a look at who you are in Christ positionally and also learn about the special privileges that are yours because of your identity in Christ.

• You are complete in Him—Colossians 2:10
• You are set free—John 8:31-32; Psalm 119:32; Galatians 5:13
• You are victorious—Psalm 60:12; Psalm 118:15
• You are more than a conqueror—Romans 8:37
• You are a partaker of His divine nature—2 Peter 1:4
• You are able to stand firm—Ephesians 6:13-14
• You are strong in the Lord—Psalm 18:1-2; Psalm 27:1; Ephesians 6:10; Isaiah 40:29-31
• You are strong till the end—1 Corinthians 1:8; Jude 1:24-25
• You are able to sleep without fear—Psalm 3:5; Psalm 4:8; Proverbs 3:24-26
• You are promised rest—Exodus 33:14; Matthew 11:28-29; Hebrew 4:9
• You are at peace with God—Romans 5:1; Psalm 29:11; Psalm 85:8; Isaiah 26:3; Isaiah 54:10
• You are a new creation in Christ—2 Corinthians 5:17
• You are washed clean from your sins—Isaiah 1:18; Ezekiel 36:25
• You are dead to sin—Romans 6:1-4, 17-18
• You are the salt of the earth—Matthew 5:13
• You are the light of the world—Matthew 5:14-16
• You are called by God—2 Timothy 1:9
• You are chosen by Him to bear fruit—John 15:16
• You are an ambassador for Christ—2 Corinthians 5:20

Now go back and re-read the list, but this time change the words “you are” to “I am” and let the truth sink deep within your heart.

These are just a few of the wonderful truths of who you are in Christ. From the moment Queen Victoria discovered the truth of who she was, she determined in her heart and mind to be good. She determined to walk worthy of her calling. You too are royalty. You too are set apart. Won’t you, like Queen Victoria, determine in your heart and mind to walk worthy of your calling?

The practical way to live out this truth is by making decisions based upon your identity in Christ and not based upon your feelings or your desires.

Let me give you an example: Perhaps your whole life you have been told that everything you do is a failure and that you will never amount to anything. Because of this, many times you feel like a failure, yet you have a desire to go back to school and get your degree. Yet there is a struggle within because you feel as if you could never achieve this goal because of the lies that have been told to you. So you feel like quitting before you even begin. If you do, you are living your life by your feelings and not by the truth of who you are in Christ.

Yet on the other hand, if you choose to make a decision based upon your identity in Christ—such as, I am complete in Him, I am more than a conqueror, I am able to stand firm, I am strong till the end—and you make decisions daily based upon this truth of who you are in Christ and you go to school and complete your degree—a goal that can only be achieved by daily making the choice to live out your identity in Christ—you will be putting on your new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Do you see? We put on our new self—daily—as we choose to make choices based upon who we are in Christ and not based upon our feelings or our desires. Feelings are fickled. And desires, many times, are misleading and fueled by sinful thoughts. Instead may we purpose in our hearts and minds, just like Queen Victoria, to do our upmost to fulfill our duty to be all that God created us to be.

I’m looking forward to your thoughts and comments. Share an example of a time in your life when you made a decision based upon who you are in Christ and not your feelings or desires? Was it worth it? How did God bless you?

(c) 2011 by Cherie Fresonke

Adapted from my new book Go in Peace the updated and expanded edition that is to be released October 15, 2011. Order your signed copy today at the special introductory price of $12.50 which includes sales tax and shipping (a savings of over 30%). This price is only available for a limited time so don’t wait. Send a check to Sunflower Press, P.O. Box 813, Seal Beach, CA 90740.

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