Leaving the old identity and the old life behind
I remember well the joy of my own experience of being born again, the burden of my sin lifting off my shoulders, being cleansed in my heart, it felt like a sauna in that every pore of my heart was cleansed. Being delivered from swearing and bad language. My new life in Christ had begun. The selfishness, pride, greed and pleasing only myself had to come off under the water of baptism. Yet we need to keep the old man of the flesh crucified. He would like to get down of that cross, but we do not need to let him.
John 3:7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So, it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” 9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
Nicodemus was around 60-70 years old and had a lifetime of personal failures and character flaws behind him. Yet here was Jesus offering him a fresh start free from the old life of bondage. The picture here to a Jew like Nicodemus, is that of the Exodus, where the wind dried up the Red Sea allowing the Israelites to pass over on dry ground. The main point is that we need to leave the old life of bondage behind in Egypt and the old life of being under the circumstances. Being born again is the only way we can turn back the clock of our lives.
Summary
When we are born again, we are brought into all the victories of Jesus Christ
All our blessings and spiritual riches are In Christ
In Him we have a higher ranking than the angels
In Him we are more than conquerors
In Him we ought to be living in victory
In Him we ought to be behaving like overcomers
In Him we do not have to be under the circumstances
Final Thoughts
But you say sometimes God does require his people to go through suffering, and yes that is true sometimes. But the question is ‘What kind of suffering does God require us to go through?’
The humbling of our pride or reputation, or putting under our fleshly desires?
But does God require us to go through depression or live in constant defeat or fear, downtrodden, always be the tail and not the head?
The answer is an emphatic No!
Prayer and ministry
Brothers and Sisters, it is now time to reclaim your identity in Christ. Let us do it.
Let us pray and ask the Lord to help us leave our old identities behind
and move into our new victorious identities.
False identity/ vs True Identity in Christ
Defeated /Victorious
Depressed or Downtrodden/ Uplifted
Cursed or hate your life/Blessed/ or love your life
Lonely/ Part of his family
Sleepless/ Resting in Him
Empty/ Full
Worried or anxious/ Faith filled
Poor or lack/ Rich or plentiful
Hopeless or a Loser/ Hopeful or a Winner
Oppressed or addicted/ Set free
Panic attacks or under unhealthy pressure/ Peace of mind
Personal prayer
Amen
Printable copy of the full composite study and much more in 'related posts' below.
Footnotes from Parts 1-5
[1] From Ephesians 1:18
[2] Roger Price, Special Topic Series no. 11: The Glorified Man [mp3]. See Additional resources menu on last dropdown menu.
[3] Roger Price, Basic Bible Study no. 102: 37 Things which accompany salvation [mp3].
[4] Greek: metamorphoo (metamorphosis) same word as used in Jesus’ transfiguration, coal to diamond, caterpillar to butterfly etc.