There's a big bush that grows right outside our front door, and what I saw a while back amazed me. During winter, that bush looked DEAD … I mean there was not a single leaf, the branches were dry and shrivelled, and it just looked like we would need to chop it down and dig out the roots, because it was DONE.
And then, amazingly, from seeing it like that on the weekend, when I looked again on Tuesday afternoon there were about 60 little, bright green leaves on the lower branches … and by the Friday the whole bush was covered in such a bright green that you’d think someone had spray painted it!!
It was the most amazing thing to see – from what I’d thought was dead and finished, to this glorious, living, vibrant plant that looks like it’ll live forever!
So what this means … this is going to sound REALLY obvious, but bear with me, please … is that the bush wasn’t really dead!
It LOOKED dead, it sounded dead when you snapped one of the branches, but deep down inside, in its core and at the roots, there was still life, waiting to burst out at the right time.
But, the thing is, if I didn’t know a little bit about plants, I’d have looked at that bush at the end of July, and because of its appearance I would have labelled it “dead plant” and pulled it out.
And it made me think about us as Believers. I think that very many of us are like “dead bushes” - not on the outside, so much, but on the inside …
In your spirits and in your hearts, maybe some of you reading this are feeling dried out, washed out, empty and defeated …
Maybe you’re feeling like “Is this it? Is this life? I had hoped for so much more!”
Do you know that feeling?
But the answer to your question is “NO!” That’s not all! There’s so much more life in you than you even know.
Maybe you’re feeling like that dried out bush – that people have identified you a certain way, and maybe that’s what you think you really are.
Maybe you’ve heard people say that you don’t fit in … that you’re not clever enough … not thin enough … not tall enough … not educated enough … not a good enough wife or husband … not a good enough parent … you don’t know enough Scripture or you don’t bake enough biscuits …
And you know what else, maybe even more than other people have told you these things, you’ve probably told yourself them!
We’re constantly measuring ourselves against other people – we think their house is nicer than ours, their clothes are better than ours, their job pays better than ours, their muscles are bigger or their hair is straighter or their cars are newer than ours - and so we believe that we’re not good enough …
And it’s this method we use to measure our lives that dries us out and stops us from growing into the fullness that we should have – the full rich lives we were designed to live.
I want to tell you that, just like that bush that looked all dried up and dead, but really had the fullness of life stored up inside it, you’re the same!! This idea that you or other people may have of you is just that – an idea! It’s not the truth of who you are, and who you are waiting to become.
In the New Testament, we find the story of the day that Andrew introduced his brother Simon to Jesus.
Let’s read John 1 v 35 – 42: The next day, John was standing with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
37 The two disciples heard him say this and followed Jesus. 38 When Jesus turned and noticed them following him, he asked them, “What are you looking for?”
They said to him, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
39 “Come and you’ll see,” he replied. So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about four in the afternoon.
40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John and followed him. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated “the Christ”), 42 and he brought Simon to Jesus.
When Jesus saw him, he said, “You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated “Peter”).
In John 1 v 42, that word “Cephas” in Aramaic, and “Peter” in Greek means “a rock”.
But here’s what’s really interesting about the story of Peter … if you read through the Gospel stories, you get the impression that Peter was actually anything but a rock!
In Luke 5 v 8 Peter tells that he is very aware of his own sinfulness; in several passages we see that he is an impetuous character, often speaking out of turn and putting his foot in it; and then to cap it all, after boasting that he would die for Jesus, he denies even knowing who Christ is, 3 TIMES!
But this story gives hope to us all, because it shows that when Jesus looks at us, He sees not so much what we are, but what WE CAN BECOME, if we are willing to let HIM manage our lives HIS way.
And so He gives Simon the new identity of Peter, “the rock”, and then He sets about working on Peter to produce the character that is in line with that new identity.
I like how the Christian writer Hans Urs von Balthasar describes it: “Simon, the fisherman, before his meeting Christ, however thoroughly he might have searched within himself, could not possibly have found a trace of Peter. Yet the form ‘Peter’, the particular mission reserved for him alone, which till then lay hidden, at the moment of this encounter, was delivered over to him, and was to be the fulfilment of all that, in Simon, he would have sought for in vain, a form ultimately valid in the eyes of God and for eternity.”
And what was true of Simon-Peter is true of us today - we will find true meaning and fulfilment in our lives when we discover who Christ has created us to be, and work with Him to grow into THAT person.
So what I want to remind all of us today is who we really ARE – who we are in Christ, not who we are in the eyes of the world, or the eyes of our family, or the eyes of my bank manager, or the eyes of our classmates at school, not who we THINK we are – but who we ARE because Christ lives in us.
Paul describes it like this, in Galatians 2 v 20: I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
What he’s saying here is that the old independent “I”, who was in rebellion to God and out of fellowship with Him, no longer exists. It received its death sentence when we identified and aligned ourselves with Christ on the cross.
And because we experience the presence of the risen Christ in our lives through the presence of the Holy Spirit, Paul says that now the real “I”, the “I” created by God in me, is more alive than ever. So we discover our true identity in the context of our communion and restored relationship with Christ.
This is wonderful news for us … whether you were the head boy in high school or the nerd who sat alone every break; whether you can bake cookies that melt in your mouth or you burn the water when you make boiled eggs; whether you have a job with a company car and a corner office or you clean toilets for a living … Jesus’ death on the cross makes us all equal and equally worthy.
What you were, what you used to be, what people used to think of you, is no longer valid.
Any belief we have that we are inferior, useless, a failure or a mistake is plainly and simply a lie from our enemy the devil, and these lies about ourselves will hold us in bondage, and stop us from fulfilling the specific life-mission that God has planned for each and every one of us.
In John 8 v 32, Jesus tells us: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
If we think back to the description of the bush by my front door – imagine that the bush looked at itself in July and said “Oh, my, I’m all dried up and my leaves are gone … it’s all over for me … I’m going to fall over and die now” – would what the bush told itself be the truth? No, of course not. You and I know that it was still alive, and just needed warmth and a bit of rain to revive it.
But why are we so willing to believe the enemy’s lies about ourselves? The world tells us we don’t look right, we don’t fit in, our time has past or we’ll never make it … and we say: “Oh, that must be right”, and we stop living, stop growing, stop thriving and stop seeking God’s will for our lives...
So what is the REAL truth about yourself? What truth was Jesus referring to in John 8?
Let me tell you!
The truth is that, just like the bush, we have the means and potential for life and growth inside us already – the view we currently have of ourselves is not the end…
As a believer in Christ, Scripture tells us a whole lot of amazing things that we “are”, because of our relationship with Jesus.
Listen to this, and feel the life start to spread through your dry branches, and feel those new leaves start to open up as nourishment and refreshment flows through every part of you.
1. We are joined to Christ. John 15 v 5 tells us that as believers we “abide in Christ, and He abides in us.” We are not alone, not left to figure it out on our own – just like the branch doesn’t have to look for water or sunlight, because that’s the work of the roots and the leaves, we don’t have to do anything in our own strength – we have the strength of the vine, Jesus Christ Himself, to uphold us and keep us rooted through whatever life throws at us.
2. We have life. 1 John 5 v 12 tells us that whoever has the Son of God has life! And not just any old life, mind you – verse 11 just before that says that it’s eternal life, and life IN Christ. Now if you heard some of the preaching from the series on Hebrews you’ll know what a big deal that is – Jesus was raised from the dead, He is seated at the right hand of God, He has inherited all of creation and He has the power and authority of God – and then this verse says that we share in HIS life!! Oh my goodness! I might not have a fancy car or a big salary or a fancy job-title, but I have life, victory and authority in Christ!
3. We have the best friend the world has ever known. John 15 v 14-15 tells us that Jesus calls us His friends. Have you ever been the last person picked for a team, or the kid who wasn’t invited to all the cool birthday parties? This verse tells us that we need never feel lonely or sidelined again – we have a TRUE FRIEND. And verse 16 goes on to say that HE chose us! We don’t have to prove ourselves, or try to get into the cool crowd – this friend comes and seeks us out, and says “Come, be my friend...”
4. We have love. Do any of you know the song “What the World needs now, is love, sweet love; it’s the only thing that there’s just too little of ...”? It’s so true, isn’t it? You can do so much, and you feel so much better about yourself when you know that someone, somewhere loves you and is rooting for you to succeed ... just ask any newlywed couple! John 15 v 9 says that Jesus loves us with the love of the Father. And what do we know about the Father’s love? He loved us – the world – enough to sacrifice His Son for us! People in the world won’t love us perfectly – I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that, right? You’ve experienced it – but this verse tells us that even when we are rejected, looked down on, overlooked by others, we are loved in a way that the world can never love us, and in a way that makes all other love look weak by comparison! And unlike the world, this love of God isn’t dependent on what we’ve done or what we’re able to do for someone else – God loves us simply and completely for WHO WE ARE. Romans 5 v 8 says: “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” How loving is that?! God loved us so much that He made a way for us to be in relationship with Him, long before we ever considered becoming His followers.
5. We have joy. John 15 v 11 says that Christ has put His joy in us. Now think about that for a moment … how much joy do you think Jesus has? He kicked Satan’s behind, He went home to heaven, He has all power and authority, and He’s preparing a home to take all of His best friends to at the appointed time … I’m going to go out on a limb here and say Jesus is probably pretty joyful!! And we have His joy!
Not happiness – not a momentary feeling that depends on our mood and our circumstances – but JOY … a deep-rooted feeling that “IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL”. Things may be going a bit badly in my marriage now – but they’ll get better; I’m not feeling so well at the moment – but I will be healed; the economy’s not looking great – but I’ve got everything I need.
6. We are justified and declared innocent. If you’ve ever sinned, this is great news! Sin is (basically) anything that we do that displeases God – and comes in all shapes and sizes, from gossip to lust to stealing to murder … and Romans 6 v 23 tells us that “the wages of sin is death” – in other words, anyone who has sinned deserves eternal punishment, as our sin and God’s holiness cannot live together in the same place.
But then, in Matthew 26 v 28 Jesus tells us that His blood would be poured out for the forgiveness of our sins. And then, as if forgiving us wasn’t enough, God chose to FORGET our failures, our sins, our past shortcomings and mistakes. In Hebrews 10 v 17, God says “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” Just as God has forgiven and forgotten our sins as soon as we repent of them, He doesn’t want us to remember or be defined by them anymore either. He chooses to see us as a blameless child before Him, and we should do the same.
7. We are clothed in the righteousness of Christ. When we accept Christ as our Saviour and repent of our sins, an amazing exchange takes place. Our sin gets swopped for Jesus’ righteousness. What that means is that God sees us as innocent, as if we had never sinned.
Ephesians 4 v 22 – 24 tells us that in Jesus, we are to “to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, 23 to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.”
If we put that verse into easy-to-understand terms, it’s like Jesus takes my old, dirty, worn-out Pep takkies, and swops them for a brand new pair of Converse All Star kicks. In spiritual terms, it means that Jesus took the punishment that we deserved for our sins, and gave us His righteousness or innocence in exchange!
If you read your Bible you’ll find even more promises of who we are in Christ, but I’m going to stop with these 7 today.
When we don’t know who we are in Christ, our faith will be crippled, because we will fail to live out the fullness of our God-given purpose.
If we lack assurance and security in Christ, we’ll feel unworthy and unable to walk into the plans God has for us in making His Kingdom known throughout the earth.
And our enemy the devil is looking for those lacks, those gaps in our faith and our identity, because he loves to fill them with doubt and negativity. As human beings, we are driven to find our identity, but unfortunately, as human beings, we often look in the wrong places for what that could be …
If we allow ourselves to be defined by the world’s standards, or even by the standards we set for ourselves, we deny the work that Christ did for us on the cross.
Blaise Pascal says: “Not only do we only know God through Jesus Christ, but we only know ourselves through Jesus Christ … apart from Jesus Christ we cannot know the meaning of our life, of God or of ourselves.”
If you remember the story of the bush that I started with, these 7 truths reveal the life that’s stored up inside us as children of God. My life may look dry and scraggly on the outside, but on the inside I have life, love, peace and joy to overflowing!!
And when I know my true identity, when I see myself the way my Heavenly Father sees me, I can stand through any storm, I can face any giant and I can hold my head up high as I seek His will for my life.
Below are listed (with supporting Scripture) just a few of the many TRUTHS contained in the Bible concerning our secure position in Christ Jesus. The facts are there . . . all we need to do is believe them!!
The Word of God Says in Jesus Christ...
I am faithful (Ephesians 1:1)
I am God's child (John 1:12)
I have been justified (Romans 5:1)
I am Christ's friend (John 15:15)
I belong to God (1 Corinthians 6:20)
I am a member of Christ's Body (1 Corinthians 12:27)
I am assured all things work together for good (Romans 8:28)
I have been established, anointed and sealed by God (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)
I am chosen before the creation of the world (Ephesians 1:4, 11)
I am adopted as his child (Ephesians 1:5)
I am in Him (Ephesians 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:30)
I have redemption (Ephesians 1:8)
I am forgiven (Ephesians 1:8; Colossians 1:14)
I have purpose (Ephesians 1:9 & 3:11)
I have hope (Ephesians 1:12)
I am included (Ephesians 1:13)
I have been chosen and God desires me to bear fruit (John 15:1, 5)
I am a personal witness of Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8)
I am God's co-worker (2 Corinthians 6:1)
I have been shown the incomparable riches of God's grace (Ephesians 2:7)
God has expressed His kindness to me (Ephesians 2:7)
I am God's workmanship (Ephesians 2:10)
I have been brought near to God through Christ's blood (Ephesians 2:13)
I have peace (Ephesians 2:14)
I have access to the Father (Ephesians 2:18)
I am a member of God's household (Ephesians 2:19)
I am secure (Ephesians 2:20)
I am a holy temple (Ephesians 2:21; 1 Corinthians 6:19)
I am a dwelling for the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:22)
God's power works through me (Ephesians 3:7)
I can approach God with freedom and confidence (Ephesians 3:12)
I know there is a purpose for my sufferings (Ephesians 3:13)
I am completed by God (Ephesians 3:19)
I can bring glory to God (Ephesians 3:21)
I have been called (Ephesians 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:9)
I can mature spiritually (Ephesians 4:15)
I can have a new attitude and a new lifestyle (Ephesians 4:21-32)
I can forgive others (Ephesians 4:32)
I can give thanks for everything (Ephesians 5:20)
I can be strong (Ephesians 6:10)
I have God's power (Ephesians 6:10)
I am not alone (Hebrews 13:5)
I am growing (Colossians 2:7)
I am His disciple (John 13:15)
I am prayed for by Jesus Christ (John 17:20-23)
I am not in want (Philippians 4:19)
I possess the mind of Christ (I Corinthians 2:16)
I am promised eternal life (John 6:47)
I am promised a full life (John 10:10)
I am victorious (I John 5:4)
My heart and mind is protected with God's peace (Philippians 4:7)
I am chosen and dearly loved (Colossians 3:12)
I am blameless (I Corinthians 1:8)
I am set free (Romans 8:2; John 8:32)
I am more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37)
I am the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21)
I am safe (I John 5:18)
I am part of God's kingdom (Revelation 1:6)
I am healed from sin (I Peter 2:24)
I am no longer condemned (Romans 8:1, 2)
I am not helpless (Philippians 4:13)
I am protected (John 10:28)
I am born again (I Peter 1:23)
I am a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
All Scriptures used in this text are quoted from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.