If I wake from a coma and no one is there to remind me who I
am, how will I know which car in the parking lot belongs to me, which home is
mine to enter? How will I know what is mine to use or give away or what
profession I hold and to which boss and authority I answer? What if I was a
vile human being before but I wake up not remembering that with a chance at
being someone else? I have the choice to believe and accept the life from
before or abandon all and start anew. When I was saved, it was like being woken
from that coma and I turned to God, to the Bible, to tell me who I am. Forget
who I was before. Forget who ruled over me before.
Who am I now? Seriously, who? I believe in God. I believe
that Christ is my savior but what does that mean for me? Do I have a life of
come what may, in which I am subject to evil in and around me as before,
powerless only to hold on for death until I can be with God, promised only a
life with Him AFTER this life is over? Or have I died already and woken up into
a life of power, abundance, blessing, and authority over evil? If I am dead and
Christ is alive in me, then whose power do I have? Whose authority have I been
given? Not to say things won’t be infinitely different when we are spirit alone,
but I am not there yet and, therefore, unconcerned because it will come in its
time and my place is secured. I AM however, concerned as to the point of my
current existence and the tools which I have been given. If I do not know who I
am, how can I be who God intended me to be when He formed me in the womb, when
He put a destiny in me for His kingdom, predestined me to be conformed to the image of His Son (Ps 139:13 &16,
Romans 8:29)?
Christ is my gateway to holiness
(Col 1:22), perfection forever
(Heb 10:14), the righteousness of God
(Rom 3:22), power and authority in the earth (Luke 9:1). I believe that Christ extends the spirit He
bestowed upon His disciples to me as well, being one. Christ is as a man taking
a far journey, who left his house, and gave his work and authority to me (Mark 13:34). I am adopted to
sonship, heirs of God and co-heirs
with Christ (Romans 8:15-17). His seal is on my head, no other! (2 Cor 1:22)
I do not live in the realm of the flesh but in the realm of
the Spirit (Romans 8:9). The Spirit God gave me does not make me timid, but gives
me power, love and self-discipline (2
Timothy 1:7).
I have overcome
the evil one and (2 Cor 5:13) I can
extinguish all his flaming arrows. (Eph 6:16) Not that the ruler of
the air wasn’t able to come against me before I knew Christ, it’s just that he
cannot now for I am seated in heavenly places (Eph 2:1-6). Satan was cast out
of heaven and Christ gave me the ability to overcome all
the power of the enemy (Luke 10:18 &19). He still wanders about seeking to devour but I’m
entirely capable of resisting (1 Peter 5). If I resist, he will flee (James
4:7). Furthermore, I am tempted by my own evil desire
and enticed (james 1:14). But no temptation has overtaken me that
is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let me be tempted beyond
my ability (1 Cor 10:13). I am powerful, full of power, not weakness (2 Timothy
1:6). It’s my job to fan into flame the gift of God, and live
up to what I have attained (Phil 3:16).
Paul
admits not having reached it yet but continues to strive heavenward. Choose as
you may to believe these things attainable only after death only when you reach the
fullness of heaven separate from our earthly bodies. Or
choose to embrace the possibility of reaching such goals during life, having
believed that heaven is at hand now and we are seated in holy places with
Christ currently. It’s your choice. Be it to me as I believe for faith was and
is ALWAYS the key to spiritual gifts, revelations, and healing. Those in the
wilderness died there for lack of faith. I would rather press on to a promised
land in this very life. (2 Peter 1:4) I would rather participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world
caused by evil desires. I will try as hard as I may to possess the qualities that will keep me from being ineffective and
unproductive in my knowledge of Christ. Most
importantly, if I know who I am and who I’m meant to be, then I know what power
I have, what hope I have, how great I am intended to become.
We have all been given a choice, and in making that choice
head down a path. Only, that is not the end of our choosing. Those who have chosen Christ walk toward the
same end goal, but it is still up to us to choose the tools we carry and the toolbox
is open to us all. Our way can be joyous or mournful, we can become strong or
weak, we are able to let the enemy in or keep him out. We may display patience
or impatience, gratitude or selfishness, love or hate, forgiveness or grudges,
peace or wrath, self control or lack thereof. We can put on our armor or cast
it off. As Christians we still have many, many choices to make.
