WHO ARE YOU?

1. WHO ARE YOU? That was the critical QUESTION in Eden, “... Yea, HATH GOD SAID, YE SHALL NOT EAT of every tree of the garden?” [Genesis 3:1] It is the same QUESTION, through the ages, posed in diverse forms to deconstruct the WORD of God, with intent to DISABLE the IDENTITY of man in God. Eve took the bait and the adversary took advantage, “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and YE SHALL BE AS GODS, knowing good and evil” [Genesis 3:5] Weighty issues of this life come as QUESTIONS framed to test and expose your IDENTITY. Eve only needed to assert her IDENTITY; she was made in the IMAGE of the ONE TRUE GOD, far above the “GODS’.  Perhaps one of the most pitiable characters in the Bible was the PRODIGAL SON, pummelled by QUESTIONS into such extreme destitution as to forsake his human IDENTITY and desire the table of pigs [Luke 15:16] The ANSWER he sought with rabid desperation WITHOUT, his true IDENTITY, was WITHIN him, “And WHEN HE CAME TO HIMSELF, he said, How many hired servants of MY FATHER’S have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to MY FATHER, and will say unto him, Father, I HAVE SINNED against heaven, and before thee” [Luke 15:17-18]
2. WHO ARE YOU? ANSWER is not your name or status, your real IDENTITY is in God, “According as he hath CHOSEN US IN HIM BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love” [Ephesians 1:4] We all have origination in God, who according to His predetermined design desired to make man according to His own specifications, “And God said, LET US MAN IN OUR IMAGE, after our LIKENESS: and let them have DOMINION .. upon the earth” [Genesis 1:26] As soon as God “WILLED” it, we were “BORN” in Him and He BLESSED us, such that SIN and consequences that came after would not derail our God-given IDENTITY [Genesis 1:28] However, we have earthly parents and are wont to emphasise the latter over the former; they deserve our respect but cannot ANSWER for us when the devil says, WHO ARE YOU? The seven sons of Sceva, a Chief Priest, tried to pull the wool over the enemy, “... saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And the evil spirit answered and said, JESUS I KNOW, and PAUL I KNOW; but WHO ARE YE?” [Acts 19:13-16] Listen carefully, challenges of this world are determined by “WORDS” in spiritual realms; if any man has no spiritual IDENTITY in God, whatever he SAYS or DOES will not matter where it matters most, “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the WORD of God, so that THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN WERE NOT MADE OF THINGS WHICH DO APPEAR” [Hebrews 11;3]
3. WHO ARE YOU? The choice is yours; what men say YOU ARE or who God says YOU ARE. Don’t you ever forget, you were BORN in God before your parents had you, “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” [Jeremiah 1:5] Jeremiah’s IDENTITY was settled before he was born and yours too. Whatever it is, it is not of perpetual distress or evil, “For I KNOW THE THOUGHTS I THINK TOWARDS YOU, saith the LORD, THOUGHTS OF PEACE, and NOT OF EVIL, to give you an EXPECTED END” [Jeremiah 29:11] There is an EXPECTED END for you which was put to test when man fell into SIN in Eden, notwithstanding, God’s original “BLESSING” in Genesis 1:28 prevailed in our favour. God gave us a second chance, offering Himself in Jesus Christ to pay our DEBT of SIN and in Him restored as SONS, “But AS ANY AS RECEIVED HIM, to them GAVE HE POWER TO BECOME the SONS OF GOD, even to them that believe on his name. Which were BORN, NOT OF BLOOD, nor of the will of the flesh, nor OF THE WILL OF MAN, BUT OF GOD” [John 1:12-13] As you may well know, the rich and powerful also cry; diverse afflictions of this world have no respect for what you call yourself or men call you. When push turns to shove, VICTORY is assured to those who are BORN of God, “For whatsoever is BORN OF GOD OVERCOMETH the world: and this is the VICTORY that overcometh the world, even our FAITH” [1 John 5:4]
4. WHO ARE YOU? The ANSWER boils down to God in you or not, “Know ye not that YE ARE THE TEMPLE OF GOD, and that the SPIRIT OF GOD DWELLETH IN YOU? [1 Corinthians 3:16] If any man BELIEVES the GOSPEL preached in the name of Jesus Christ, God dwells in Him and his IDENTITY is as the SON of God; with all POWER and RESPONSIBILITIES, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that BELIEVETH ON ME, the works that I do shall he do also; and GREATER WORKS THAN THESE SHALL HE DO; because I go unto my Father” [John 14:12] Our IDENTITY goes with responsibility of “GREATER WORKS”, that is, to continue the ministry of reconciling all men to God. We are enabled with unstoppable POWER to exercise DOMINION over all things on earth, “CASTING DOWN IMAGINATIONS, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and BRINGING INTO CAPTIVITY EVERY THOUGHT to the OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST” [2 Corinthians 10:5] Beloved, the excellency of the POWER of God is in you, let no man stigmatize you as poor, sickly, disabled, disadvantaged, etc., remember “If we SUFFER, we shall also REIGN with him: IF WE DENY HIM, HE ALSO WILL DENY US” [2 Timothy 2:12] If you have not done so, accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, Amen