[embracing your new identity] -The Gospel

  When we have a change of heart, we begin to become someone else. We become a new identity. We were once villians, and now we are creating a new identity for ourselves in Christ.
   What is our new identity? Who are we? We are Christ's Children whom he approves.
   Preach the gospel to yourself. You must tell youself that because of Jesus you have the absolute approval of the One whose opinion really matters.
   Now, a new identity is not something that just comes naturally. It's like Avatar, having a whole new body to deal with. We are not perfect when we have our new identity. It takes breaking in. That's growing in Christ. It's a process. The Author says, spiritual progress is: "To grow in awareness of the depths of sin God has saved you from is growth in the gospel." When we grow in awareness of the the depths of sin, we are embracing the new identity. We have to stick with it!
   This process is so hard these days. There are trillions of distractions. The world doesn't agree with our change of identity. You are fighting just to keep your head up, and it get's tiring. That's why the Author says that we have to daily feed ourselves the gospel. You see, to all of these emotions--fear, insecurity, false-confidence, despair, worry---we must preach the gospel. The gospel takes care of all our problems, it will help push the distractions away!
 
   So, we simply must abide in Jesus, and we will become our new identity in Christ. I love this: "You must dwell on this great truth daily. Sometimes hourly. Sometimes every minute. It is the only way to drive out fear, unbelief, and temptation. Why so often? Because again, you are hardwired for works-righteousness. When you're not deliberately thinking gospel, you've probably slipped back into self-justification mode.......The moment we take our eyes off of the gospel, those rodents of self-righteousness and self-condemnation spring back up.
    Do you see how easy that is? We just naturally want differently than what we've been given. We need to daily embrace the truth of the gospel. It is hard, but our King wants nothing less. We must try our best to please him.
    How do we stop this temptation?
    We must embrace the truth: God's acceptance is given to us, in its entirety, as a gift we receive by faith, to the praise and glory of God. Make you home in that awareness. As you do, you will aboud in fruitfulness.

    In Christ, there is nothing I can do that would make you love me more, and nothing I have done that makes you love me less- JD Greear.

~Hannah