...

Embracing your Identity in Christ

Episode 15

Play episode

Hosted by
Carl Joseph

Carl is a biblical scholar, minister, husband, father and life coach. In his mid-twenties he had a powerful encounter with God and saw miraculous healings as a result. He passionately shares these stories and empowers others to fulfill their God-given potential.

Godliness is profitable (1 Tim 4:8), but in order to maximize our profit we must take the time to search scripture and discover the treasure of knowing who we are in Christ Jesus. This treasure is found within the Epistles of the New Testament in more than 140 expressions that document our bountiful Christian inheritance. When it comes to manifesting God’s power, ignorance is not bliss, but a hinderance to our Christian walk.  It’s time to appropriate the victorious spoils of Christs death, burial and resurrection…Tune in now.

To find out more about your true identity…click here

Here is a complete transcript of the podcast…(below)

“Did you know the word of God is profitable? In the business realm, people are attracted to that which is profitable because it serves as a good form of investment. Well, let me tell you friend, there is nothing more profitable than God’s word, but don’t believe me, believe the scripture, “For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come” (1 Tim 4:8). And again, further down in this chapter, “Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. When we’re confronted with God’s word we have two choices, we can either embrace the truth and accept it as our reality going forward or look backward at our lives, and what we’ve done, to define who we are. Our identity is tied to what Christ did, not what you have done. Jesus warned about this when he said, “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Lk 9:62).

Friend, shake the shackles from yesteryear, don’t let your past mistakes define you. You are not defined by your past, no matter what you’ve done but you are defined by what God’s word says about you. Don’t let the accusative tone of Satan concerning your past steal the joy of your salvation today. No friend, the reality is that when we’re born again, we are a new creature in Christ Jesus. The best example of this is the Apostle Paul himself. Did you know that some scholars even attribute the murder of several hundred Christians by Saul of Tarsus prior to his conversion? He even admits these murderous rampages by his own testimony in Acts 22:4, when he said, “I persecuted to death the followers of this Way, arresting both men and women and throwing them in prison“. So why do we trust Paul the apostle so much, despite his bloody past? The person who wrote two thirds of the NT was not that same murderous Saul of Tarsus because when he was converted on the road to Damascus, he became born again and a new creature. His slate was wiped clean by the blood of the Lamb and God was not holding any former sins against the Apostle Paul. Wow, this is powerful my friend, we serve a merciful God for sure. Friend, it’s time to bury your past too and move on with Jesus and one of the promises of moving on, is long life:

With long life will I satisfy him, And shew him my salvation” Psalm 91:16.

What man is he that desireth life, And loveth many days, that he may see good? 13 Keep thy tongue from evil, And thy lips from speaking guile” Psalm 34:12–13.

Friend your tongue has a lot to do with the successful outcome of your life and particularly the length of your lifespan according to God’s word but few wish to hear this. Many people will argue with this fact because they like to slander or cut down other people behind their backs, but the Bible also says a wholesome tongue is a tree of life (Prov 15:4). We need to say what God says about us and turn our life in God’s direction by speaking His word. Very few people have grasped the full ramifications of what Jesus Christ purchased on the cross for us, with his own blood, hence the reason for this segment. Our victorious life in Christ on earth is in direct proportion to the knowledge of what He did for us and knowing who you are in Christ, as a result of his monumental sacrifice. Friend, God’s word has a solution to every problem, of our lives, we just need to dig deep into its treasure and find a solution:

Let’s read, Proverbs 4:20–22: “My son, attend to my words; Incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; Keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, And health to all their flesh.

We must incline our ears to the word of God friend, but this is not a one-time affair! This is an ongoing effort as we know that “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God “(Rom 10:17). Friend, God’s word is literally medicine to our flesh and can bring healing to our physical bodies. I’m reminded of that awesome testimony by Dodie Osteen who when she found out she had cancer, she would stand on her Bible every day, literally, and would recite the word of God. She spoke to cancer every single day and commanded it to leave, quoting healing scriptures over herself. In Dodie’s case, the word of God literally became health to all her flesh. Friend, God is not a respecter of persons, what He did for Dodie, He will do for you! Some would call her crazy for doing this daily, but she was healed because of it and is alive to this very day. Some people will take the word of a doctor above what God said about the situation, but this is wrong thinking. We have to realize that the way in which Jesus acted while he was on the earth, is the will of God in action.

Jesus said, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me” (Jn 6:38). His will to heal has not changed my friend. God’s promises are as good today as they ever were. Therefore, God’s opinion of healing, prosperity and deliverance or any of His other promises have not changed, so we can be confident that He’ll fulfill His word, if we mix faith with it. We also know from scripture that the will of God was manifest through His Son and we should pay close attention to the red letter words of Christ in our Bibles, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds” (Heb 1:1-2).

Many years ago, Brother Kenneth E. Hagin spent some considerable time treading through the New Testament, primarily through the Epistles. As you know, the word epistle comes from the Greek word epistole (ep-is-tol-ay´) that means “letter” or “message.” Epistles were a primary form of written communication in the ancient world, especially during New Testament times. Since many of the New Testament books were originally written as letters to churches or individuals, they are referred to as the Epistles. What is standout in these Epistles is that they’re addressed to us, the Church of Christ. None of the other books of the bible are specifically addressed to church members during this dispensation of Grace and as a result, we should pay close attention to them. Now as Brother Hagin went through the NT, he underlined in colored pencil, expressions such as, ‘in Christ’, ‘in Him’ and ‘in Whom’ or ‘through whom’ etc. When he did so, he found approximately 140 expressions that directly state or infer what we possess because of what Christ did for us. In a few short moments I will read them to you.

The full outline of what Christ won for us is summarized below, with specific scriptural references, we are now (post cross) in possession of these majestic spoils…pay close attention friend:

  1. You are A Child of God (Romans 8:1).
  2. You are Redeemed of God and redeemed from the hand of the enemy (Psalm 107:2).
  3. You are Forgiven, having been delivered out of the power of darkness and translated into the Kingdom of his dear Son. (Col 1:13-14).
  4. You are Saved by Grace through Faith (Ephesians 2:8).
  5. You are Justified (Romans 5:1).
  6. You are Sanctified (I Corinthians 6:11).
  7. You are A new creature in Christ Jesus. (II Corinthians 5:17).
  8. You are Partaker of His divine nature, having escaped the corruption of this world (II Peter 1:4).
  9. You are Redeemed from the curse of the Law (Galatians 3:13).
  10. You are Delivered from the powers of darkness (Colossians 1:13).
  11. You are Led by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14).
  12. You are A Son of God (Romans 8:14).
  13. You are Kept in Safety wherever I go because an angel has been assigned for my protection (Psalm 91:11).
  14. You are Getting all my needs met by Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
  15. You are to Cast all your cares on Jesus because he cares for me (I Peter 5:7).
  16. You are Strong in the Lord and the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10).
  17. You do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).
  18. You are an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus (Romans 8:17).
  19. You are an Heir to the blessing of Abraham (Galatians 3:13-14).
  20. You are Observing and doing the Lord’s commandments (Deuteronomy 28:12).
  21. You are Blessed coming in and going out (Deuteronomy 28:6).
  22. You are an inheritor of eternal life (I John 5:11-12).
  23. You are Blessed with all spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3).
  24. You are Healed by His Stripes (I Peter 2:24).
  25. You exercise your authority over the enemy (Luke 10:19).
  26. You are Above only and not beneath (Deuteronomy 28:13).
  27. You are More than a conqueror (Romans 8:37).
  28. You are Establishing God’s word here on earth (Matthew 16:19).
  29. You are an overcomer by the blood of the Lamb and word of my testimony (Revelation 12:11).
  30. You are overcoming the devil each and every day (1 John 4:4).
  31. You are Not moved by what you see (II Corinthians 4:18).
  32. You are Walk by faith and not by sight (II Corinthians 5:7).
  33. You Cast down vain imaginations (II Corinthians 10:4-5).
  34. You Bring every thought into captivity (II Corinthians 10:5).
  35. You are transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:1-2).
  36. You are A laborer together with God (I Corinthians 3:9).
  37. You are the righteousness of God in Christ (II Corinthians 5:21).
  38. You are an imitator of Jesus (Ephesians 5:1).
  39. You are The Light of the world (Matthew 5:14).
  40. You are the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13).

Please take the time to look these scriptures up for yourself and meditate upon them. If you want a list of these scriptures for yourself, go to our website and click on ‘Your Bountiful Inheritance,’ and you can have them in your possession. I would also ask that you crack upon the bible for yourself, read these passages in context and personalize them.

By knowing the truth in that area, you will be set free form any hindrances in your life. Notice in the time of temptation in the wilderness, Christ never took up conversation with Satan; he merely quoted the word of God back to him and He is our example for combating Satan today. Friend we should have this same mindset that postures us for victory. Instead of reasoning with the enemy, we need to cast down imaginations and quote the word of God back to the enemy, as Jesus did. The Holy Spirit will help you recall these spiritual truth’s by bringing them to your remembrance in the time of testing or temptation (John 14:26). Friend, victory is guaranteed as you meditate on God’s word and appropriate what Christ did for you on the cross.”

Related keyword searches:

What are the Epistles?
How do I get delivered?
How do I get healed?
What is truth?
What is the truth?

Join the discussion

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

More from this show

Episode 15