We ended Part 1 of "Know who you are in Christ Jesus" with this question: Could the wandering lamb/sheep, not know who they are in Christ? There could be various reasons why sheep go astray. I would like to focus on the one who as gone or who is wandering astray because his relationship with the Great Good Shepherd has been compromised! The enemy is a master at twisting truth and very manipulative. Those who are vulnerable to the enemy's lies are those who place their dependency on man and not on God. If the enemy can get your eyes on man and off of Jesus he will have control of your life. The Bible warns us to beware of wolves in sheep clothing for they can be very influential and are masterful liars! Drawing you away to themselves is their goal and having a mindset of fleshly fun and pleasures more than of spiritual growth and relationship with Jesus and His Word is their focus. Is your Christianity based mostly on your relationship with man more than your relationship with Jesus? If your honest answer is the former rather than the latter then you are set for being easily deceived and being lead astray.
I would like to set the stage on how God sees us. God sees us (His children) corporately as well as individually. We each (individually) were delicately knit together in the womb of our biological mothers to be a unique vessel of honor for God's glory in the body of His Son (Jesus Christ)! We are the salt of the earth, a city on a hill, a light that shines, a representative, a witness and example corporately as well as individually for the glory of God (our Father and Creator)! He knows the number of hairs on each of our heads, now if that is not knowing us intimately I don't know what is. He loves us and knows us in every detail. There is nothing or no one in this great universe that shares your finger print. We are each unique, and nothing about us is hidden from God, we are open before Our Father in Heaven! When we become part of the body of Christ, we are each given a unique gifting as to be used to edify others for the Glory of God! And when one part of the body is not functioning the body cannot function properly, this is how important each of us is, and Christ will judge each of us "individually" for the works we have done! He is the author and the finisher of our faith, and the good work that He has begun in us He is faithful to complete it. He is also faithful and just to forgive us of our sins because He loves each of us very much and does not want to see even "one" perish! When your eyes have been opened because it has been revealed that He first loved you and has accepted you just the way you are and how much He truly loves you, then your knowing Him is loving Him and your loving Him is truly knowing Him! And to continue to look to man instead of Jesus might be a passing thought but is quickly dismissed!
Back to the enemy, that master deceiver. The sheep who is established in his relationship with his Great Good Shepherd is not easily deceived, but the one who is not established will wander from time to time making themselves vulnerable to the wiles of the devil! They become an easy target to be manipulated! The Bible says that we must be alert and vigilant, always watching because Satan roams to and fro through out the earth like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour! The Bible also says that we are to have on the whole armor of God so that we can quench all the fiery darts of the devil! If one piece of the armor of God is missing we are vulnerable! In Part 3 of "Know who you are in Christ Jesus" I will unmask the enemy and how he operates!
To be continued....
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