08 Jun Know who you are in Christ…
Matthew 4:3 (KJV)
‘’ And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread
One challenge we have in the Body of Christ today is that we have millions of professing Christians who have no clue about who they really are in Christ. This identity crisis has robbed us of power and the devil continues to take advantage of our ignorance.
The account of Matthew chapter 4 tells us that Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. In verse 3, the devil was actually asking Jesus if He really was the Son of God. This happened just after God had openly declared, in the preceding chapter that ‘’…This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased’’. That tells you that the devil knows who you are but wants to be sure if you know who you are.
I feel particularly sad that owing to the erroneous teachings around today, many have opened their hearts to receive garbage. As a result some Believers still believe in ancestral curses and go about with the mentality that they will never do well as a result of those curses. It appears they have more faith in the activities of the devil than in what God is doing. Beloved, you may come to church regularly and yet not grow if you do not know your true identity. The devil does not really care how long you have been attending church neither does he care how big your bible is. He is not bothered by how many good works you do in church, nor the title you hold as long as you do not know who you are.
Remember that the devil visited Eve to make her doubt her identity. Let us look at that scenario again. He asked: ‘’hath God said…? In other words, do you really believe what God said? You would think that the devil has dropped that old trick, but No, he still came to Jesus with the same strategy and said, ‘’if thou be the Son of God, command these stones to be turned to bread…’’ Of course Jesus replied him based on the word and also based on what God had said earlier on concerning Him. He knew who He was. He was never in doubt as to His true identity. He knew He was the only begotten Son of God.
Beloved, the question is do you really know who you are? For as long as you do, the devil would not be able to put you in panic mode. The Apostle Paul knew who he was and that was why he was never afraid of any situation or circumstance he found himself. In Acts 27, Apostle Paul was on board a ship alongside other prisoners on a journey to Rome. On their way, a storm arose threatening the lives of all on board but Paul was not moved nor shaken. He was rather bold enough to say to the people in verse 23, ‘’there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve. Did you notice the order? ‘’Whose I am’’ came before ‘’whom I serve’’ What is that saying to you? It simply means your relationship with God must come before your service. When you know your identity, you will stand strong no matter what obstacle the devil brings your way.
When you know your identity and walk in the consciousness of that identity, you will achieve more for yourself and the Kingdom. You would no longer be a push over for the devil. Knowing who you are in Christ also means knowing what Jesus purchased on your behalf, why He died and the benefits of His death burial and resurrection. When you know this, then you can access your full potential in Him. You also get to know what is available to you. The Bible didn’t say those who are saved are strong, No it says those who KNOW their God. Knowing God, is knowing who you are, how strong you are, how blessed you are, how favored you are, how safe you are, how secure you and how powerful you are in the Lord. When you know and are persuaded of these truths, the enemy cannot easily run you over. Let me quickly add that the fact that you have this revelation does not mean the devil will fall down and play dead. No, he will attempt to contradict what God has said about you through contrary situations and challenges, but you must stand on the word. Resist him and he will flee from you.
As I close, let me remind you that the Resident Pastor of the headquarters, Bishop Peace warmly referred to as ‘Big Mummy’ would be turning 63, next week. I urge you to go out of your way and join me in celebrating this great woman of God who has been nothing but an immense blessing to my life and ministry. I wonder where I would have been without her support, love and care. Big Mummy, I join all your children and multiplied millions all over the world to wish you a very happy birthday in advance. My prayer is that the Lord will continually cause your heaven to remain open and your ground producing always. Like I have prayed and I strongly believe, you are about to enter into a dimension of power of God that will astound your world all to the glory of God.
Maranatha!
In His Royal Service
Dr Mike Okonkwo
The Presiding Bishop
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