WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!
Here is how God sees each and every Christian, no matter how young or how mature in the faith (2 Corinthians 5:17):
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (New International Version)
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (King James Version)
“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” (New Revised Standard Version)
“Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it!” (The Message)
“If anyone belongs to Christ, there is a new creation. The old things have gone; everything is made new!” (New Century Version)
“Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!” (Amplified Version)
If you’re a Christian, this describes you to a T! Want to know how I know? Because the Bible tells me so. You are a new creation: something the world has never seen before. You are nothing like what you were before you were saved. You’re a brand new person, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). Everything about you that was wrong, weak, messed, confused, addicted is gone. It has completely passed away. All of it. There is nothing negative to be said about you at all. At least, not from God’s point of view, which He has shared with us in the Bible.
Here is an exercise for you to do that will take about 15-20 minutes. In this exercise, you are going to take a look at yourself.
Below are two columns. The first column asks you to think about what you were like before you were saved: the good and the bad, your weaknesses and strengths, what you liked about yourself and what you didn’t like. Then, in the second column, think about what you’re like now as a Christian: the good and the bad, your weaknesses and strengths, what you like and what you don’t like about yourself.
What I was like before I was saved What I’m like now
Now ask yourself this: What about me has changed for the better since I’ve been a Christian?
Finally, ask yourself this: What is there about me that I wish had changed for the better when I became a Christian, but never did?
If you ask the average Christian the question “What is so different about you now that you’re a Christian from before you were a Christian?”, the average answer you’ll get is that some things have changed for the better, but some haven’t. You may also hear that some things have got worse.
But if you go to the Bible with the question “What’s so different about being a Christian from not being a Christian”, the Bible answers, “Everything” (2 Corinthians 5:17): “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” As a Christian, you became a new kind of being - a new creation. You’re not an ordinary human being any longer; you’re something different. Everything that used to be true about you - “the old” - is no longer true about you. All that old stuff is gone. What has come in its place is completely new.
This may leave you a little bit confused. How can the Bible be telling the truth if there are still things about you that aren’t right, that you don’t like, that you don’t think God would approve of, that may even be downright sinful? Good question. To answer it, you need to have one last look at you. Only this time, you’re not going to consider what you think about you. You’re going to ask God what He thinks about you.
Here is how this will work. Seven days worth of exercises follow this explanation, each of which will take about 15 to 20 minutes to complete. In each, you are given a list of Scriptures. All these Scriptures will say something about the kind of person you are. I know each of these Scriptures will accurately describe you because they are descriptions of every Christian, no matter how young or mature in the faith. So they’re true of you. Each day, sit down with your list. Before you read it, pray one simple prayer: “Father, how do You see me?” Then read the list of Scriptures. Slowly. This is going to be a different kind of reading from most of the reading you usually do. Mostly, you read to get information. Not this time. This time, you’re reading in order to hear God’s answer to your question. How will you hear His answer? As you read the list, something may stand out to you - either a whole verse or a part of a verse, maybe even one word. That is God catching your attention. When you have finished reading through the list, return to that one thing. If nothing stood out, look over the verses and pick one, trusting that God is with you and guiding your choice. Now read that one verse or phrase or word slowly, over and over. You’re not studying it, just letting it soak into your mind and heart. You may close your eyes for this if you want. As the words soak in, revelations will happen: you’ll suddenly realize something you never realized before, or a thought from out of nowhere will pop, or you’ll sense something (love, peace, awe, knowledge that God is near). Whatever it is, this is God speaking to you. And, since you asked Him a question, likely what He will be talking about is you, sharing His heart with regard to you, how He sees you. How will you know it’s God and not just your own thoughts? You’ll know. But if you’re still nervous about it because this is new, then test what you get against what the Bible says in James 3:17 about how you’ll know when the wisdom you’re receiving is from God: “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” If what you are receiving is like that, then God is speaking. Listen to what He has to say. Then, when you think you’ve got it all, take a few more minutes to let it really, really sink in. And if you want to respond to Him about what you’re hearing, feel free to do that, too. Finally, when your prayer time is done, write down what God gave you. As human beings, we forget so easily. But these are really important words, so you’ll want a record of them so that you can look back and remember.
Ready? Here you go.
Who I Am[1]
1. I am born again; I have a fresh start - 1 Peter 1:23 “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.”
2. I am Jesus’ brother/sister - Hebrews 2:22 “Both the one who makes men holy [Jesus] and those who are made holy [believers] are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.”
3. I am adopted into God’s family, and God deeply loves me – Ephesians 1:4-6 “For he [God] chose us in him [Jesus] before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will - to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
4. I am accepted - Ephesians 1:6 “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved [Jesus].” (KJV)
5. I am more than able to overcome life’s challenges – Rom. 8:37 “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”
6. I am truly alive - Ephesians 2:4-5 “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved.”
7. I am free from shame - Isaiah 61:7 “Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs.”
8. I have power over all my spiritual enemies - Luke 10:19 “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”
9. God delights in me - Psalm 149:4 “For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.”
10. I belong to God - John 17:9 [Jesus praying to God the Father] “I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.”
11. I have God’s perfect righteousness as a gift - Romans 5:17 “For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.”
12. I am a deeply blessed person - Ephesians 1:3 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”
13. My needs are looked after - Ephesians 5:29-30 “After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church - for we are members of his body.”
14. I was chosen by God - 1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
I chose item number ____________.
What God said to me:
Who I Am
1. I am cared for - 1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
2. I am a citizen of heaven - Philippians 3:20 “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ …
3. I am clean - Ezekiel 36:25 “I [God] will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.”
4. I have a new heart - Ezekiel 36:25 “I [God] will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”
5. I am dead to sin; I can live a good life - Romans 6:6-7 “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin - because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
6. I am a delight to God - Psalm 147:11 “the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.”
7. I will live forever - John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life …
8. I am in heaven, on my way to heaven - Ephesians 2:6 “…And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus …”
9. I am fully forgiven; I am guilty of nothing - Ephesians 1:7-8 “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.”
10. I am no longer a lost soul - Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
11. I am free - Galatians 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”
12. God is generous to me - Romans 8:32 “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”
13. I am gifted - Romans 12:6a “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.”
14. God lives in me - 1 Corinthians 3:16 “Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?” John 14:23 “Jesus replied, ‘If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.’”
I chose item number ____________.
What God said to me:
Who I Am
1. I am God the Father’s gift to Jesus - John 17:24 [Jesus speaking] “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.”
2. Jesus loves me as much as God the Father loves Him - John 15:9 [Jesus speaking]“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.”
3. God the Father loves us as much as He loves Jesus – John 17:23b [Jesus speaking to the Father about believers] “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
4. God is for me - Romans 8:31 “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
5. I am guided by God - Psalm 48:14 “For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.”
6. I am not condemned - Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus …”
7. I am healed - 1 Peter 2:24 “He [Jesus] himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”
8. I am hidden with Christ in God; I am not vulnerable to danger - Colossians 3:3 “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”
9. I am what God made - Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
10. I am perfect - Hebrews 10:14 “… because by one sacrifice he [Jesus] has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”
11. I am immortal - John 11:25-26 “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’”
12. God will never fall out of love with me - Romans 8:38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
13. God has given me peace and I don’t need to be afraid - John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
14. I have the mind of Christ - 1 Corinthians 2:16 “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.”
I chose item number ____________.
What God said to me:
Who I Am
1. I am a new person - 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
2. I am fully pardoned - Jeremiah 33:8 “I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me.”
3. God delights in me - Psalm 149:4a “For the LORD takes delight in his people …”
4. Everything is mine - 1 Corinthians 3:21-23 “So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future - all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.”
5. I have an inheritance in heaven - 1 Peter 1:3 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you …”
6. I am shielded by God’s power - 1 Peter 1:5 “… who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”
7. I am destined for glory - Romans 9:23-24 “What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory - even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?
8. I make the grade because God has met all the standards on my behalf - Colossians 1:12 “…giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.”
9. I am safe - Psalm 4:8 “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.”
10. Christ has given me His glory - John 17:22 [Jesus praying to the Father] “I have given them the glory that you gave me …
11. God chose me - Ephesians 1:4 “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.”
12. God knows everything about me and still loves me and cares for me; He truly understands me - 1 Corinthians 8:3 “But the man [or woman or boy or girl] who loves God is known by God.” Psalm 103:13-14 “As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.”
13. I am no longer defective - Colossians 1:22 “But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation …”
14. God always welcomes my company - Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
I chose item number ____________.
What God said to me:
What Is Now Possible for Me
1. I am able - Philippians 4:13 “I can do everything through him [Christ] who gives me strength.”
2. God keeps me strong - 1 Corinthians 1:8 “He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
3. I can have hope - Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
4. I can live a full life - John 10:10b [Jesus speaking] “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
5. I know the truth - 1 John 2:20 “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.”
6. I can live without anxiety - 2 Timothy 1:7 - “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (KJV)
7. I can be a success - Proverbs 16:3 “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”
8. I am on my way to becoming a truly mature person - Ephesians 4:13 “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
9. I am becoming as good as Jesus - Romans 8:29 “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son …” 2 Corinthians 3:18 “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
10. I can be bold - Proverbs 28:1 “The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.”
11. I have a guaranteed inheritance that I can look forward to with full confidence - 1 Peter 1:3-4 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you …
12. I can be comforted - Jeremiah 31:13b “I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.”
13. I can ask God for what I need, and He will answer - 1 John 5:14-15 “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him.”
14. I will never be alone in this world - Hebrews 13:5b “…because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” Psalm 73:23 “Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.”
I chose item number ____________.
What God said to me:
What Is Now Possible for Me
1. I can overcome any obstacle in life - Romans 8:37 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
2. I can love with a perfect love - 1 John 4:19 “We love because he first loved us.” John 17:26 [Jesus speaking] “I have made you [God] known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
3. I can rely on God’s love for me - 1 John 4:16a “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love.”
4. When I am in difficulty, I can go to God for help - Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
5. I have God in me to enable me to do what’s right - Philippians 2:13 “… for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”
6. God is my biggest fan; He always cheers me on - 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.”
7. When I don’t know what to do, God will show me - James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”
8. My enemies can never overpower me - Isaiah 54:14-15 “In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you. If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing; whoever attacks you will surrender to you.”
9. I can have joy in my life - John 15:11 “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”
10. I have everything I need to live a good life - 2 Peter 1:3 “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”
11. I can share in God’s nature - 2 Peter 1:4 “Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
12. God is changing my heart to want better things and to make better choices - Philippians 2:13 “… for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”
13. I can do good - Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
14. I can live a holy life - Hebrews 10:14 “… because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”
I chose item number ____________.
What God said to me:
What Is Now Possible for Me
1. I can resist sin - Romans 6:6 “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin …”
2. I have power to tell people what Jesus has done for me and have my witness make a difference in lives - Acts 1:8 [Jesus speaking] “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
3. I don’t have to be kicked around any more; I can take control of my life - Romans 5:17 “For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.”
4. My life can bring praise to God Himself - Matthew 5:16 “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
5. I can live a restful, stress-free life - Matthew 11:28-30 [Jesus speaking] “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
6. God will reward every good thing I do - Matthew 10:41-42 “Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.”
7. I can sleep better - Psalm 127:2b “… for he [God] grants sleep to those he loves. Psalm 4:8 “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.”
8. I can live a satisfying life no matter what my circumstrances - Isaiah 28:11 “The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”
9. When life gets tough, I have a place of refuge and safety - Psalm 91:4 “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”
10. I can be stable - 2 Corinthians 1:21a “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ.”
11. There is nothing in life that can take me out; I can stay on my feet no matter what happens - Ephesians 6:13 “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”
12. I can be strong - 1 Corinthians 1:8 “He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
13. I am equipped to be a fighter - 2 Corinthians 10:4 “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”
14. Even when I am weak, I can be strong - 2 Corinthians 12:10 “That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
I chose item number ____________.
What God said to me:
[1] Many of these items are taken from a list of over 300 produced by Ellel Ministries (Canada) (now Singing Waters Ministries), Orangeville, Ontario.
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