Power and Identity (updated).pdf - Christi Valda

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9 1 SPIRIT LIGHT HANDBOOK 1 POWER And IDENTITY Keys to a life of Signs and Wonders CV Christi Valda 2 Except otherwise stated, all scripture quotation is taken from the King James Version of the Bible. Spirit Light Handbook POWER AND IDENTITY: keys to a life of signs and wonders Copyright (c) 2020 Pastor Julius Ugorji 1 Kings Avenue, Sandfilled Road, Aleto-Eleme, Rivers State. All Bible verses are in red letters. This book is Self-Published by spirit light Service All rights reserved: Contents and/or cover in whole or in part may not be reproduced for any commercial purpose without the expressed written permission of the copyright holder. 3 Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................. 6 Forward ........................................................................................................................ 7 CHAPTER 1: ................................................................................................................... 8 YOU AND CHRIST ARE ONE .......................................................................................... 8 CHAPTER 2: ................................................................................................................. 15 YOU ARE FILLED WITH CHRIST ................................................................................... 15 CHAPTER 3: ................................................................................................................. 28 YOU ARE BORN IMMACULATE ................................................................................... 28 CHAPTER 4: ................................................................................................................. 37 YOU ARE A POSSESSOR OF LIFE ................................................................................. 37 CHAPTER 5: ................................................................................................................. 43 YOU ARE ABLE AND RESPONSIBLE LIKE CHRIST ......................................................... 43 CHAPTER 6: ................................................................................................................. 53 THE SPIRIT FLOWS THROUGH YOU ............................................................................ 53 CHAPTER 7: ................................................................................................................. 62 YOU ARE SENT BY CHRIST .......................................................................................... 62 CHAPTER 8: ................................................................................................................. 67 YOU ARE POWERED BY THE SPIRIT ............................................................................ 67 4 CHAPTER 9: ................................................................................................................. 76 YOU ARE RIGHTEOUS ................................................................................................. 76 CHAPTER 10: ............................................................................................................... 85 YOU ARE FREE FROM THE OLD LAW .......................................................................... 85 CHAPTER 11: ............................................................................................................... 92 YOU HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO FATHER ...................................................................... 92 CHAPTER 12: ............................................................................................................... 98 YOU ARE COMPLETELY BLESSED ................................................................................ 98 CHAPTER 13: ............................................................................................................. 103 YOU ARE DEARLY LOVED .......................................................................................... 103 5 Introduction Our Job is not to try explain everything. Our job is to just welcome our King. You never know what he is going to do. He is his own person. Just walk with him, trust him, and know it’s his plans and purposes. Trust His Love. It is an everlasting Love! We don’t have to know everything or explain everything; we are just to walk with him. As you walk with him, atmospheres change. People that were in darkness will see the light upon your life and they will be attracted to that light. Our job is not to Limit God. Religion puts god in a box, and ties his hands. Sometimes we are so caught up in our tradition, we kick God right out of the church. Let God do what he wants to do. We are not the head; Jesus is [the head]. Just fasten your seat belt and enjoy the ride. We are hosting the Creator of the universe. Are you kidding? Come before him like children, in awe of his Glory! NEVER CHASE THE SIGNS. CHASE THE CREATOR OF THE SIGNS, JESUS CHRIST! It’s all about him, and it always will be. We were made for his Glory!!!!! Brother Scott Hughes Washington DC. 6 Forward After studying the 13 precepts outlined in the following pages, it should be abundantly plain to you how easy it is to manifest the kingdom power of God. The principles outlined in this book gives you the tools you need to walk in the power of God. Knowing your identity therefore is the key to unlocking the Kingdom power within you. When you are completely assured of your true identity, you will be bold to live according to it. I strongly suggest you read these pages prayerfully and diligently. Pastor Julius I. Ugorji 7 CHAPTER 1: YOU ARE ONE WITH CHRIST ***** A man approached me one Sunday after the fellowship. He told me he had been having excruciating pain in his lower back. This man was above fifty years of age. I called a young girl named Esther and I told her to lay her hands on the area where the man felt the pain. She did so, and I told her some few words to pray. She repeated those few words after me. That was all. Suddenly, the power of God fell on the man. The discs of his spine began to move back into place. His hips felt like they were on fire. The power of God stretched his back, and instantly he was healed. ***** The first thing that should be very obvious to any believer is that there is no difference between him and Christ, just as there is no difference between Christ and God the Father. The same union that exists between Father and Christ also exists between Christ and every believer. As Christ is, so also is every Son and daughter of God. The earlier you settle this in your heart, the clearer Christianity becomes to you. Christ himself taught us this when he said in John 17:16: "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." He was praying for us to God when he made this declaration. This is a very touching statement coming from our Lord Jesus Christ. He is praying to God, and talking about us to God. "They are not of the world..." He says. Who are these that he is speaking of? 8 He is speaking about Believers in Christ. Jesus is saying to the Father concerning us, "they are not of the world..." "I don't belong to the world. They don't either". "I did not originate from the world. They didn't." "I am not a product of the world. They too are not products of this world". "They are not of the world, as I am not of the world." He makes us equal with himself. What a glorious statement. It would have been easy, very easy, for Christ to say that we are not like him. If he had said so, we would very easily have believed him. But that’s not what he says about us. Throughout the scriptures, Christ describes us in the exact same terms with which he describes himself. Here, he says that we are not of this world just as he is not of this world. There is no greater honor than to be of the same origin with the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is from above. I too am from above. This is marvelous! Wake up. See! You are not of this world. And if we are not of the world, then we are like Christ, because Christ is the only one who is not of this world. 9 The religious minds will find it impossible to understand this. Every believer is the same as Christ. Every believer is one with Christ. Jesus said "I and my Father are one" You too can rightly say "I and my Lord are one" The religious minds will ask "Are you making yourself Christ?" "Well", you can reply "Christ is in me". One Spirit with Him 1Cor 6:17: "But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit." Here comes another level! We are one Spirit with the Lord Jesus Christ because we are joined unto him. The day you received his life and you were baptized, you were joined into the body of Christ. You became one Spirit with him. We are no longer separate or distinct from The Lord. It is important for you to understand that you are one Spirit with Christ. When you understand this, all mental pressure Instantly lifts off from you. You suddenly realize that you are not the one doing the work, but Christ in you. Your Christianity becomes enjoyable and powerful. 10 But if, like many Christians do, you keep trying to “be like Christ” you will only end up frustrated. You cannot become like Christ through any effort of yours. You become like Christ through the working of his Spirit in you. If someone asks you "Are you Jesus Christ?" The right answer should be "I and the Lord Jesus are one". This will blow the religious mind! As one Spirit with Christ, you can do the works that he does. In fact, the Lord Jesus manifests his power by you. When you lay your hands on the sick, it is Jesus hands laying there. When you command demons to go, it is Jesus voice speaking. When you move, it is Jesus moving. You are one Spirit with the Master. He is in you, and you are in him. His Spirit dwells in you. You are now a Son. So you call God “Father”. Gal 4:6-7: "6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7 Wherefore thou art NO MORE A SERVANT, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." We have received the Spirit of Jesus because we are sons of God. And that Spirit qualifies us to call God "Abba" meaning Father. Only the spirit of Christ can call upon God as Father. The spirit of the world does not have such a relationship with God. 11 Those who have not received the Spirit of Christ cannot relate with God as Father. Therefore, we who have received the Spirit of Christ are no more servants (slaves), we are now sons, just as Jesus. As sons of God, we are heirs of God. Inheritors of God's kingdom. Possessors of his great riches. What an awesome life! We are heirs of God through Christ. All that Christ has belongs to us. We have access to the full riches of God by virtue of our oneness with Christ Jesus. It can't get any better than that! Clothed With Christ Gal 3:27: "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." Like a garment. We are clothed with Christ. These are amazing truths that all God's children must digest. Christ is in you You are in Christ. You are clothed with Christ. In other words, you are dressed up in Christ. The religious mind cannot phantom this: You see, religion teaches us differently. Religion says we are sinners and unrighteous. But that's not what God says. 12 Father says that those who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. They are now clothed in Christ. When you look at such people, you look at Christ. When the devil looks at you, guess who he is seeing: Christ. Know you can understand why Jesus instructed us to abide in him. Only in Christ can you enjoy such glory. When you are baptized into Christ, you put on Christ. You cease being your old self. You should always say to yourself “I am clothed with Christ. I am in Christ.” Now take note: this is for those who have been "baptized into Christ" He didn't say baptized into water, but baptized into Christ These are two different things. One can be baptized in water and yet not baptized into Christ. There are many who go through baptism as a mere retual of conscience. But that doesn't bring them into Christ. Baptism into Christ is done in the Spirit by the Holy Ghost. Only the Holy Spirit can baptize you into Christ. This is what we mean by being baptized in the Holy Ghost! The moment you are baptized in the Holy Ghost, you become a member of the body of Christ. You are clothed with Christ. 13 You begin to function as Christ. You begin to do the works of Christ. You become just as he is. 1Jn 4:17: "Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." Not in heaven, but right here in this world. You are just as he is. One with Christ. Therefore settle it firmly in your heart that you are not a different person. You are one Spirit with Christ. His desires are your desires His will is your will. His interests becomes your interest. Your life is no longer yours. He lives in you and through you. You no longer do your own pleasures. You do his pleasure. You go where he wants to go. You say what he wants to say. This is the life of those who have become one with Christ. 14 CHAPTER 2: YOU ARE FILLED WITH CHRIST ***** A two months old baby boy was dying. The mother of the child had lost her first baby to this same strange sickness, and now she was very distraught over the prospect of losing her second child. She was introduced to me by a mutual acquaintance, and she came to me with her sick child. As I touched the child, I felt the excessive temperature of the child. It was way beyond anything I had ever experienced before. I laid my right hands on the scalp of the child and my left hand under the foot of the child, and then I commanded the evil spirit to come out. Instantly, the power of God flowed through the child like waves of glory, bringing healing and deliverance to the child and his mother. Today, that child is a healthy young boy. ***** In our previous chapter we saw that we are one with Christ, and we are clothed with him. But it doesn’t end there. Christ is in us, and we are filled up with him. Col 2:10: "And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:" The original text of that passage implies that we are "completely filled by him". In order words, just as Christ is filled with God, so also are we filled with Christ. 15 You can't imagine the beauty of this statement. Take a moment to meditate on it. Christ practically inhabits you. His Spirit is resident in you. This should sink into your deepest consciousness. If you are a son of God, you are a habitation of Christ Jesus. Now you must realize that Christ is not far away in some glorious clouds. He is completely tabernacled in you. The Embodiment of Christ Christ is the embodiment of the Godhead. We are the embodiment of Christ. Here we see a complete Union and oneness of God's family that is impossible to explain. As the fullness of the Godhead bodily dwells in Christ, so also the fullness of Christ bodily dwells in the believer. He is the manifestation of the Father, and we are the manifestations of Christ. We are not mere ambassadors. No. We are more than that. We are extensions of Christ. We are his body – his eyes, ears, nose, limbs Eph 5:30: "For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones." 16 And Christ is the head - supreme commander - of all principality and power. All authority is subject under Christ, whether they be in heaven, on earth, or under the earth. And we are the embodiment of Christ. This is the reason why Christians are given the responsibility of representing Christ. We are his ambassadors. Wherever you find a believer, you find the totality of Christ right there. Believers therefore are to exercise the authority of Jesus. John 14:20: "At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. There comes a day when the believer realizes that he is in perfect union with Christ, just as Christ is in perfect union with God. Christ is in God. We are in Christ. Christ is in us. When the Holy Ghost comes upon a believer, this union is made manifestly clear to him. So, to you who is still skeptical, this is what Jesus is saying "On that day, you will know..." Which day is he talking about? The day when the Holy Spirit comes on you. 17 Have you received the Holy Ghost? If yes, then it should be manifestly clear to you that you are in perfect union with Christ. Why then are many believers unsure of themselves? Because they don't listen to the Holy Spirit. They listen to their flesh instead. The flesh is an enemy of God. If you listen to the flesh it will drive you far away from the presence of God. The flesh cannot experience the kingdom of God. But if you are in the spirit, you will know that you are in Christ, and Christ is in you. 1Jn 4:4: "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." This verse leaves us with no doubt. We are of God. "They are not of the world even as I am not of the world." We have overcome the world. "Whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world." Masters Over The World Christ in us is greater than the prince of this world. "Ye are complete in him which is the head of all principality..." So, when we put all these together, we discover that we are masters over the forces of darkness because of the indwelling presence of Christ. 18 Our Union with Christ is not a mere hypothesis. It's not an illusion or a symbolic expression. Our Union with Christ is as real as Christ's union with God. And this union gives us commanding mastery over the world. 1Jn 3:1: "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not." Now here comes a sweet Melody to my soul. It says “Behold!" See! Take those religious glasses off and see! And then you will realize "what manner of love" Father has lavished on us! This type of love has no comparison. It has no likeness to it. It has no duplicate. Father's love for his children is incomprehensible. There are many believers who are still struggling with self-doubt. They keep wondering whether God loves them or not. Quit complaining! Father has lavished his absolute love on us that he has called us his sons. His own sons! We are sons of God! Not servants. "Thou art no more a servant..." But a Son! 19 Now, once again, we are not sons in theory, or by illusion. We are sons in reality. As much as Christ is God's Son, so also are we God's sons and daughters! This is simply because we have been made one with Christ. Now he goes further than that. He tells us "The world don't know us because it didn't know Christ!" What? Does that mean that we are exactly like Christ? Oh yes! We are one with Christ. We are joint-heirs with Christ. He is in us, and we are in him. No Difference There is no difference between the believer and Christ, because they are both in each other. So, if you can recognize Christ, then you can recognize the believer. But because the world couldn't recognize Christ, they can't recognize us believers. What an amazing wisdom of God! Anyone who wants to know who you are must first train himself to know who Christ is, because you are one with Christ. As a believer, therefore, you must recognize that just as Christ is, so are you in this world! This is clearly beyond all religious dogma. This is God own opinion of us. 20 I must add, however, that it takes a lot of meditation in order for this truth to sink in. You’re going to need hours of meditating on God’s word if you must manifest this truth in yourself. Satan is always ready to sink his lying claws into your mind and rip out the beating heart of God’s word from you. You must not allow him do so to you. Stay focused on the word of God. Keep meditating on it. Maintain a steady gaze on his glory. Gradually, you will become exactly like what you see. 1Jn 3:2: "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." Now he speaks of our physical appearance. When we see him, we shall be a reflection of him because we shall see him as he is. What we see on him is what we become. And we shall see him as he is. Christ was once in flesh, but after his resurrection he was transformed and given a glorious body. We now are likewise in flesh. It has not become obvious what we shall finally look like. But of course we know that when the fullness 21 of time shall come, this mortal body shall be transformed into the same body as Christ. Christ is a new kind. His body has a perfect union of physical and spirit properties. Death no longer has Dominion over him. That's the kind of body we shall receive. A body unlimited by any diseases, tiredness or weakness. A perfect body, a perfect spirit, a perfect soul. That's our ultimate destination. Nevertheless, even though we may yet be in flesh, we are still sons of God even now. Our Sonship is not limited by our physical appearance. This flesh in which we live does not identify us. Our identity comes from the Spirit of Christ who lives in us. So, right now...even at this very moment...we are fully sons of God. Our true appearance will be revealed when Christ is revealed. We shall see him face to face, and we shall look like him in all appearance. However, we are fully sons of God even now. Hallelujah! One Single Tree John 15:5: "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." 22 A tree is broadly made up of roots, vine, and branches. The Spirit is the root. Invisible, yet present. Holding up the tree and supplying it with all nourishment and life. The vine is the strength of the tree. It's through the vine that life flows. The vine distributes life into the branches. The branches are the beauty of the tree. The branches bear the fruits. The branches bring glory to the tree. Christ is the vine. We are the branches. We are one tree. "...Ye in me and I in you" We must abide in the vine. We must maintain this unity, and be subject to our Master. Christ bears us up. Christ gives us life. Christ gives us the spirit. Christ is the author of our being. We proceed and originate from him. He is our source. It is inconceivable therefore that any believer would venture out on his own. Those who would venture out of Christ are not truly of Christ. They would be fruitless, dead, and powerless. Such persons will be cut off from the fellowship of the Spirit. But when we abide in Christ as he abides in us, we become very fruitful. It must be pointed out that there is no typical difference 23 between the vine and the branches. Both are one tree. Both have one nature. Both are of one type. The believer is of the same nature and type with Christ, whether he be a Jew or a gentile. The believer is an offshoot of Christ. Amen! John 20:17: "Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God." Take note of those ground breaking words: "my father, and your father; ...my God, and your God" What was Christ insinuating here? That we are his siblings? Yes, indeed! We are siblings of Christ. This may sound shocking to the religious fanatics, but this is exactly what the gospel teaches: that Man, through Christ, is born into the household of God! First Among Many Sons Christ is firstborn. First among many sons. We are brothers and sisters of Christ Jesus. We all have one Father and God. YHWH is his name! The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 24 So we see here how Christ births us into a new life. The life of a Son of God. Christ is bringing to us a new understanding that just as he is, so also are we in this world. As a believer, you must understand your true identity. You must know who exactly you are, without apologies. You are a Son of God, as much as Christ is a Son. In fact, you are in Christ, and Christ is in you in reality. You are one and the same with Christ, for you proceeded out of Christ and you came from him. You are not another Christ, for there is no two Christ. You are one with our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, and you are in him, he in you. When we leave this world, we will return back to Christ out of whom we proceeded into this world. As a believer, therefore, you are a new creature! One that has never been before. Glory! 1Jn 4:13: "Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit." How indeed can we be sure that we are in Christ, and Christ in us? In order words, how can we be sure that we are one and the same with Christ? 25 He gives us a clear answer at this point. He says "This is how you know that we are in him and he is in us: He has gaven us his spirit!" Spirit is nature. Spirit is life. Spirit is reality. Spirit is vitality. Christ has given us his nature, life, reality, and vitality. We have the Holy Spirit of Christ in us. We have the nature of Christ in us. We are therefore of the same nature and kind with Christ. Oh! What manner of love! God, in his infinite love, has chosen us before the foundation of the world, to be his Sons and daughters, through the body Christ Jesus. Being born again therefore is not a mere change of attitude. No! It's far more than that. Being born again involves a death and a resurrection. Our old man dies. That carnal man dies. A new man is born in its place. John 1:12-13: "12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." 26 Those who received Christ… "I in them" …received the authority to become Sons of God. Take note: he didn't say "Those who accepted him" Rather, he said "Those who received him..." These are two different things. The devil accepts the person and authority of Christ. But Satan cannot receive Christ. To receive [the word in Greek is lambano] is a more active form. It implies taking hold of something and carrying it away as personal. Christ has been given to us by God. "For God so love the world..." We are to receive Christ: "...open the door, I will come in" When Christ comes in, a metamorphosis takes place and we become sons of God. We are reborn. Completely reborn. Born by what? We are born again not by human sexual desires, or by any such corrupt methods. We are born purely by God. Therefore, the identity of a Son of God is crystal clear. He is the product of God. It is very important that you understand that your new birth is not a product of human fiat. You were not born again by your own effort, or by any human effort. You were born by God. This birth is a spiritual birth by the Spirit through the word of God. 27 CHAPTER 3: YOU ARE BORN IMMACULATE ***** High blood pressure is one of the deadliest and most stubborn killer diseases in the world. It's often referred to as the silent killer. So when a woman was brought to me on the 23rd of Dec, 2019 with very high blood pressure, I wasn't surprised to see her frightened and restless. Her blood pressure was so high that it had affected her right leg and she couldn't walk properly with it. I calmed her fears and reassured her she wasn't going to die. Then I touched her lightly on her arms and legs. Instantly, the power of God like an electric current flowed through her. She began to vibrate uncontrollably. The demons which oppressed her came out and she was completely free. Her legs were completely healed too. She celebrated Christmas whole and perfectly healthy. ***** Many believers know and agree that Christ was born through an immaculate conception. But they don't know that every Son of God is also born through an immaculate seed. As a Child of God, you are the product of an immaculate conception. 1Pet 1:23: "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever." In every man, there is a seed which goes into the woman and genders a new offspring according to the flesh. That seed in man is his reproductive element. The medical doctors call it semen. 28 The Word refers to it as corruptible seed. Indeed, it is corruptible seed and what it reproduces is the corrupted nature of man. The corrupted seed of man reproduces corrupted man. The seed of man is corrupted by sin and sickness. Corrupted by wickedness and unbelief. But the seed of God is incorruptible. God's seed is pure, uncontaminated, and incorruptible. That is the seed by which you are born into God's family Products of God’s Seed We are products of God's seed. Therefore we are incorruptible! We are uncontaminated. And we cannot be contaminated. We are products of God's seed. Wow! I feel like screaming over the top of my head! Incorruptible!!!! That is what I am. There are many believers out there who are constantly struggling with sin consciousness. They keep worrying whether they are holy enough or whether they still need more repentance. Some believers feel they have things to confess and repent every day. These are babes. They do not yet know their true identity in Christ. 29 You are a product of the incorruptible seed of God, therefore you are incorruptible. Sin cannot have dominion over you. Sin is no longer your nature. Righteousness is your nature. It doesn't end there: what is this incorruptible seed? Let's see: the incorruptible seed is the word of God! We are born by the word of God, which lives and abides forever. He said so clearly in James 1:18: "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures." So, we are products of God's word. We are born of God's word. Therefore, we are God's living word. "...as he is, so are we..." As a believer, you are the living word of God made flesh, just like Jesus. Oh, what magnificent glory! I am a new creation, I am the word of God manifest in flesh. I am God's Son. I am incorruptible. What a glorious revelation this is. So, knowing this, your Christian walk becomes focused on Christ. You follow his steps. You act like him, talk like him, and do the works that he did. 30 This revelation brings you up to a mature level where you stop fighting within yourself. You stop doubting your salvation. You grow up into a mature Christian life. Now his life begins to flow through you, and you become indeed an expression of Christ Jesus. No Longer I That Lives This is exactly what Paul meant when he wrote in Gal 2:20: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." It's not the old man who is living anymore. That old man died on that cross with Christ. The new man lives in me now. And this new man is the risen Christ. You need to clearly understand this. 1Jn 5:20: "And we know that the Son of God is come, and given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life." Do you have this understanding which Christ has given to us or are you still struggling with your old mentality? Christ has come, and has given us a new understanding. What understanding? An understanding of who and what we are. 31 He came and made us understand the true God, and that we are in his Son. In order words, he brought us into acquaintance with the true God, and made us partakers of his deity by bringing us into union with his Son. We are members of the Godhead because we share in the Sonship of his Son Jesus Christ. This central truth of the gospel gives us the understanding that we are not just followers of Christ, but we are very much sons and daughters of God just like Christ. We have come a very long way from our old man. Our old self is long dead. We are a new creature. Recreated in Christ. God's immense love has elevated us into the Godhead. We are now members of the Father-Son-Holy Spirit. Every believer must come to a total and complete understanding of this truth. Any believer that fails to get this new understanding will always flounder. Such a believer will remain a babe, tossed about, confused, and always immature in the affairs of God. Recreated Brand New 2Cor 5:17: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 32 As if what we've learned so far was not enough, he goes on to show us details of our recreation. He says "if any man be in Christ..." You can't afford this new status on your own. Nobody can. You can't strike out on his own and waltz into the Godhead. You must be born into God's family through Christ. Our entire identity comes only in Christ. Our location must be in Christ. Therefore he says, if any man be in Christ... "...he is a new creature..." So here we have it. In Christ Jesus you are a new entity, a new creature, one that never existed before. You have no past in Christ. No yesterday. In Christ, you cease being that person whom your mother gave birth to. That person is dead and buried. You are a new creature. As a believer, you ought to see yourself just as Father sees you: A new creature. God knew you before the foundation of the world, and preordained that you would be his Son. He has made you after the image and likeness of his Son Jesus Christ. It says in Rom 8:29: "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." So you are a new creature, made after the image of Christ! 33 And he goes ahead to say "Old things are passed away, and all things have become new" Old things about you are past. Your old mentality, your old understanding, your old human nature, your old way of talking, acting, seeing. All is passed away. Your old birth is also passed away. You have a new birth. An immaculate birth. And all things are become new. New life, new understanding, new way of talking, new living, new nature, new being. You are entirely new in Christ. Memory Confussion You see, most Christians allow their memory to fool them. They retrieve information from their old memories and judge themselves by that memory. This is where they mix things up. Don't let the carnal mind interfere with your new identity. God didn't wipe your memory away, but he certainly doesn't want your memory to wipe you away from his kingdom. When you were born again, you became a new man. You are now required to educate this new man with the word of God, and develop a new mindset. This mindset is called the mind of Christ. 34 Your new identity is far beyond the comprehension of the ordinary man. Walk in line with that new identity. Don't walk according to the world. The world doesn't know who you are. If you walk according to the world, you will fail. The world thinks you are like them. They will try to teach you to be like them. Don't allow it. You are nothing like the world. You are like Christ. The world doesn't know you because it didn't know him. You must not see yourself the same way the world sees you. You must not think about yourself the way the world thinks about you. You have to meditate on God's word, and develop a new mindset according to his word. He instructs us in Joshua 1:8 "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." Constant meditation on God's word sets you up for a successful life. The central word there is "Constant". You must meditate constantly on his word. This would create in you a whole new way of thinking, seeing, hearing, living, speaking, and believing. 35 The psalmist knew this and said in Psalm 119:15-16: "15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. 16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word." When you walk according to God's precepts, you walk in your new identity. Heaven opens up to you, life becomes new, and your Christianity begins to make sense. But if you walk according to the precepts of this world, you would keep struggling with sin, struggling with demons, struggling with doubt and unbelief, and your Christianity would be a heavy chore. Therefore, begin today. Get rid of your old ways. Devote yourself to the precepts written in this book. See yourself in the light of God's word. 36 CHAPTER 4: YOU HAVE LIFE ***** I had an interview with a woman who had been suffering from acute stomach ulcer and severe panic attacks for over ten years. I asked her how this affliction had affected her life. She made it very clear to me that it was an unbearable pain, and she wouldn't want to go through it anymore. So I laid my hand on her and commanded the demon to leave. That was the last time she suffered. Few weeks later, she realized that all her pain and fear had gone, the ulcer was healed and she began enjoying all foods. It's been over two years now, and she has never had any more attacks. ***** Life is a beautiful thing, yet it's almost impossible to define. We however know that life is the quickening force behind all living things. Where there is life, there is vitality. As a Son, you have life in you just as Christ has life in himself. John 11:25: "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:" Christ is the resurrection life. He is the vitality. He brought us out of death and raised us up into the Godhead as Sons. Christ did this to us. He is the life in us. Therefore, anyone who believes in him receives his life. This is an inherent life. A superseding life. 37 John 11:26: "And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?" Yes I believe I shall never die. Is he talking about physical death? Yes. That too. What is physical death? The passing away of the flesh. The flesh means nothing. It's the spirit that quickens. Whether or not this flesh passes away has nothing to do with our real person. We are spirits in Christ Jesus. We are a new creation. The flesh may pass away, but we never die. Christ is the life in us. So as a believer, you are an embodiment of the life of God. You carry in your very self the resurrection life. This is vitally important. The God-Life Christ is life. God has deposited in him the eternal life. Through Christ, all who believe become possessors of life. 1Jn 5:12: "He that hath the Son hath life: and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." You have the Son of God in you. He dwells in every believer. 38 The Son is the life. Therefore anyone who has the son in him has life in him. It may seem like a trivial notion that a believer is a possessor of life. Someone may say within himself "every living person has life". But that is not the kind of life we are speaking of here. The life we receive through Christ is called "Eternal life". This is the life of God. This life is the "originating life". The life which is the source of all things. The life of God himself. We receive this life and we become alive to God. This life is the highest form of life. It's above the plant life; above animal life; above the human life; above the celestial life. This life of Christ is the God-life. A believer is on a higher plane of existence. Now we understand why we are able to relate with God as Father, and he with us as Sons and daughters. The life he has has been given to us, just as a father imparts life into his offspring. We can therefore rightly call God our “Father” because we share the same nature with him. If we did this under the old law, we would be condemned for blasphemy. 39 Under the old law, we could never claim to have the same nature with God. But now, because the life of God has been granted to us through Christ, we can boldly share in divine nature without condemnation. Rom 8:1: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." There is therefore now no condemnation! I can come before God without any sense of fear or condemnation. I can come to God boldly as his Son, and relate with him without the feeling of inferiority. He has begotten me as a Son. I am his child. He has given me life. His own life. There is therefore no condemnation to me. I am in Christ. Christ is in me. I walk in the Spirit. Now, all this is possible, not by human will or desire, but by divine appointment. We never deserved nor merited it. But because of his immense love which he lavished on us, he did this. We therefore accept this love, not because we worked for it, but because Father has bestowed it upon us. 40