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Aug.23.06: Light for the Day - “A Very Special
Person" (Viet)
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--
John 1:12-13
12 Yet to all who received
Jesus, to those who believed in
His
Name, He gave the right to become children of God --
13
children born not of natural descent, nor of human
decision
or human’s will, but born of
God.
-- Colossians
2:6-7
6 So then, just as you received Christ
Jesus as Lord,
continue to live in Him,
7 Rooted
and Built up in Him, Strengthened in the Faith as
you
were taught, and overflowing with
Thankfulness.
-- 2
Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in
Christ, he is a New Creation;
the old life has
gone, the New Life has come.
---------------------
Christians have an entirely new basic for
identity.
This basic is foundational reality which
transcends any
culture's evaluation of a person.
-- Barbara
Cook
----------------------
This culture likes to
label and define people. Advertisers and
marketers talk
about demographics, separating people into categories
according
to age, interests and buying patterns. You were graded
and
evaluated when you were in school and as an adult your
job description
sorts you into department, function, and
salary level. If asked to tell
someone who you are, you
could describe yourself many ways.
You could describe yourself in
terms of race, religion, physical
appearance, career
achievements, or intelligence. But the real
question is not
“How do I or others define my identity?” Instead,
the real
question is “How does God define my identity?”
The Bible says that
your identity is in Christ, not in the circumstances
of
your birth, your economic standing in the world, or your ability
to
please others. This positive identity transcends all
human categories,
freeing you to live out your true calling
from God. Your identity in Christ
is a constant source of
strength. Your hope is not in your power or
righteousness or
self-discipline, but in God’s power working in
and through
you.
When you claim your identity in Christ, you can have a
peaceful
confidence in His declaration of who you are.
Circumstances may
change and you may make mistakes, but God
sees you as perfect
and complete in His Son. This identity offers
a solid foundation that
gives you room to grow and change,
encouraging new interests and
adventures. It’s large enough
for a lifetime and allows you to explore
who you are and
what you want to become.
Your identity as God’s beloved child will
improve your relationships,
freeing you from the need to
manipulate others. You no longer have
to conform to
stereotypes of who and what you should be. You can
revel in
your own individuality and accept other’s differences.
You
can stand for what you believe without the need to prove
yourself
superior to others.
Enjoy the freedom and explore the potential of
your God given identity,
knowing that you are a very special
person in the eyes of God.
-- Checklist4Life
--------------------
-- 1 John
3:1-2
1 How great is the love the Father has
lavished on us, that we should
be
called children of God! And that is what we
are!
The reason the world does not know us is
that it did not know Him.
2 Dear friends, now we are children of
God, and what we will be has
not yet been
made known. But we know that when He appears,
we
shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
-- Romans 8:15-17
15 For you
did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but
you
received the Spirit of adoption
by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."
16 The Spirit Himself
bears witness with our spirit that we
are
children of God,
17 and if
children, then heirs -- heirs of God and joint heirs with
Christ,
if indeed we suffer with Him,
that we may also be glorified together.
-- Ephesians 1:9-20
9 God’s
secret plan has now been revealed to us;
it is a
plan centered on Christ,
designed long ago
according to His good pleasure.
10 And this is His plan: At the right
time He will bring everything together
under the authority of Christ -- everything in heaven and on
earth.
11 Furthermore, because of Christ, we have received an
inheritance from
God, for He chose
us from the beginning, and all things happen just
as
He decided long ago.
12 God’s
purpose was that we who were the first to trust in
Christ
should praise our glorious
God.
13 And now you also have heard the truth, the Good News that God
saves
you. And when you believed in
Christ, He identified you as His own by
giving you the Holy Spirit, whom He promised long ago.
14 The
Spirit is God’s guarantee that He will give us everything
He
promised and that He has
purchased us to be His own people.
This
is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God.
15
Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus
and
your love for Christians
everywhere,
16 I have never stopped thanking God for you. I pray for
you constantly,
17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, to give you
spiritual wisdom and
understanding, so that you might grow in
your knowledge of God.
18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with
light so that you can
understand the wonderful future He has promised to those He
called.
I want you to realize what a
rich and glorious inheritance He has
given to His people.
19 I pray that you will begin to understand the
incredible greatness of
His
power for us who believe Him. This is the same mighty power
20
that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place
of
honor at God’s right hand in the
heavenly realms.
-------------------------
-- John 13:34-35
34 So now
I am giving you a new commandment: Love each
other.
Just as I have loved you, you
should love each other.
35 Your love for one another will prove to the
world that you are My disciples.
-- 1
John 3:21-24
21 Dear friends, if our hearts
do not condemn us,
we have confidence
before God
22 and receive from Him anything we ask, because we obey His
commands
and do what pleases Him.
23
And this is His command: to believe in the Name of His
Son,
Jesus Christ, and to love one
another as He commanded us.
24 Those who obey His commands live in
Him, and He in them. And this is
how we
know that He lives in us: We know it by the Spirit He gave us.
-- Colossians 3:11-17
11 Here
there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or
uncircumcised,
barbarian, Scythian,
slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
12 Therefore,
as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved,
clothe
yourselves with compassion,
kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
13 Bear with each other
and forgive whatever grievances you may
have
against one another. Forgive as the
Lord forgave you.
14 And over all these virtues put on
love,
which binds them all together
in perfect unity.
15 Let the Peace of Christ rule in your
hearts, since as members of
one
body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
16 Let the Word
of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and
admonish
one another with all
wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns
and
spiritual songs with gratitude
in your hearts to God.
17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed,
do it all in the Name
of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
--
1 Peter 2:9-10
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.
10 Once you were not a
people, but now you are the people
of God;
once you had not received mercy, but now you have received
mercy.
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