Where Is Your Identity Found?
Religion is a way for you to learn about God...though some of what you learn isn't true or it isn't the whole truth about God.
Grace is the way God restores His life in you providing a grace living relationship with Him. God lives in you and you in him, this enables God to work His works through you, as you work with Him.
Religion is man's doing.
Grace is God's doing.
Philippians 3:3-11, is the recorded account of Paul's new life...the Christ life.
Paul speaks of the false circumcision (religion)...people who sought to please and work "for" God in their own strength and with their own life and who measure their spiritually by their performance.
Paul speaks of the true circumcision, (grace)...people reborn by the Spirit of God. They understood that their relationship with God was through the gift of grace and grace alone. No longer would people try in their own strength to keep religious rules and regulations to gain or maintain favor with God.
Paul speaks of his former religious life. He used God and his religious education to try
to improve his life and elevate it above others while believing he was doing God's work. He looked very successful and, would be a candidate of idolization in many churches today.
However, after his encounter with Jesus and His Grace, Paul considered his former religious
life as trash. He knew that it was impossible to seek to improve his own self image and find his identity in Christ at the same time.
Through God's grace Paul was now learning to rest and live in the identity of Christ alone. The issue was no longer about his doing for Christ, but what Christ has already done for Him. His objective was to know Jesus in all His glory. He was no longer focused on
himself but on the incredible love, perfection and work of Christ!
Paul's new identity was Christ Himself. He was fully loved and accepted by God...just as acceptable to God as Christ was.
Wow, Amazing Grace indeed!
Where is your identify?
Religion is a way for you to learn about God...though some of what you learn isn't true or it isn't the whole truth about God.
Grace is the way God restores His life in you providing a grace living relationship with Him. God lives in you and you in him, this enables God to work His works through you, as you work with Him.
Religion is man's doing.
Grace is God's doing.
Philippians 3:3-11, is the recorded account of Paul's new life...the Christ life.
Paul speaks of the false circumcision (religion)...people who sought to please and work "for" God in their own strength and with their own life and who measure their spiritually by their performance.
Paul speaks of the true circumcision, (grace)...people reborn by the Spirit of God. They understood that their relationship with God was through the gift of grace and grace alone. No longer would people try in their own strength to keep religious rules and regulations to gain or maintain favor with God.
Paul speaks of his former religious life. He used God and his religious education to try
to improve his life and elevate it above others while believing he was doing God's work. He looked very successful and, would be a candidate of idolization in many churches today.
However, after his encounter with Jesus and His Grace, Paul considered his former religious
life as trash. He knew that it was impossible to seek to improve his own self image and find his identity in Christ at the same time.
Through God's grace Paul was now learning to rest and live in the identity of Christ alone. The issue was no longer about his doing for Christ, but what Christ has already done for Him. His objective was to know Jesus in all His glory. He was no longer focused on
himself but on the incredible love, perfection and work of Christ!
Paul's new identity was Christ Himself. He was fully loved and accepted by God...just as acceptable to God as Christ was.
Wow, Amazing Grace indeed!
Where is your identify?
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