Receiving God's Best Through Identity : Pastor Tony Samuels

One of the greatest attacks you will face in your life is the attack against your God-given identity. Mankind is God’s greatest creation, because the blueprint for man is the exact blueprint of God Himself. Genesis 1:26 (KJV) states, And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness... Out of all the things that were created by God, man is His greatest masterpiece. When we come to the Lord, we do not yet possess the knowledge of our identity. This is where the journey begins. the Holy Spirit begins the transformation of bringing us into our identity.

 2 Corinthians 5:17 (AMP) says, Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]. In the born-again experience, the greatest miracle took place when your old man was crucified with Christ, and you were reborn into a new, resurrected life. No longer are you spiritually dead; now you are alive unto God, and you have become spiritually aware. Why is this revelation so important? Because what God has for your life is reserved for your new identity, not the old one. And unless you learn to walk and live in your new identity, you will never be able to fully partake of God’s best for your life.

 One of the greatest battles you will walk through is the battle between your new identity and your old identity. Ephesians 4:22-24 (AMP) says that, …regarding your previous way of life, you put off your old self [completely discard your former nature], which is being corrupted through deceitful desires, and be continually renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh, untarnished mental and spiritual attitude], and put on the new self [the regenerated and renewed nature], created in God’s image, [godlike] in the righteousness and holiness of the truth [living in a way that expresses to God your gratitude for your salvation]. Notice, it says we are to put off the old; even though the transformation has happened, we still have a part to play.

 Where does this putting off the old happen? It happens in our mind. Mental thoughts are the connectors that either keep us connected to our old nature, or to our new nature. Your thoughts, if not put in check, will eventually become your reality. The Bible says that as a man thinketh, so is he. It doesn’t matter what other people think about us; it’s what we think about ourselves that will determine the quality of life we experience.

 Look at how Jesus dealt with identity in Matthew 16:13-17 (KJV):  When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. This is interesting; Jesus wanted to know what was the perception of men concerning His identity. What we find out is that their perception of Him was completely inaccurate. This is why it’s a foolish thing to get validation from men, because everyone has a different opinion about you. Then He asked Peter, “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered accurately, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!” Peter’s revelation didn’t come from men; it came from heaven. The revelation of your identity comes from heaven, and those who are tapped into God will recognize it. But more importantly, you need to recognize it so you can walk in all that the Lord has for your life.

 See the Lord letting Jeremiah know his true identity in Jeremiah 1:5-7 (KJV): Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. 7 But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. This Scripture shows us that our identity was something that was determined before we were born. You would think that Jeremiah would have been excited about this news of his identity, but he wasn’t; his old identity kicked in immediately, and he said, “I cannot speak, for I am a child.” The Lord corrects him, “Say not, I am a child, for you shall go and speak.” This is the battle you must win this year: to ensure you partake of God’s best for your life. This is the breakthrough a lot of us need to break out of: the old identity into our new identity.

 God has so much in store for you. It’s a bright future, but it is reserved for your new identity. As we conclude our fast this Monday, we are believing God for mighty things to happen in your life. Remember, this is the year for you to receive God’s best!