Discover Your Spiritual Identity!
The Revelation of the Names and Titles God Has Given His People
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5:17, NKJV).
Salvation in this New Covenant era is not based on mere rehabilitation; it is an act of recreation. It is not achieved through human effort; it is received as a gift of God. It is not accomplished by just striving to be a better person; it is accepted by “faith” (Eph. 2:8).
Titus 3:5 celebrates this truth in wonderful words:
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.”
“Regeneration” means rebirth. “Renewing” means to be made brand new all over again. These complementary acts of a loving Creator do not result from just following religious rules or participating in rituals. Though repentance and baptism are necessary steps, these would be utterly insufficient were they not followed by supernatural transformation.
This superb insight dominated Paul’s teaching. Going against the grain of some believers who were still gravitating toward the law, he dared to insist:
“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but a new creation” (Galatians 6:15, MEV).
He understood that all our religious rituals, traditions, and doctrines pale in comparison to the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.
One Old Testament prophet enthusiastically looked forward to this New Covenant era by declaring an amazing oracle:
“Also, I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them” (Ezek. 36:26-27).
So, in this age of grace, God doesn’t just fix damaged hearts; He makes them brand new. Jesus was referencing this mystery when He told Nicodemus, “You must be born again!” (John 3:7). The Greek word translated “again” in that passage is anothen, which literally means from above. So, to be “born again” is to be “born from above.” When we were born the first time, a new physical body came forth from “below,” out of our mother’s womb. When we were “born again,” a new spirit entered into us from “above”—from the very heart of God. This regenerated spirit is described in Ephesians 4:24 (NKJV) as:
“the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”
So, the very moment the blood of Jesus washes our hearts clean, we are reconciled to God, made holy and reckoned as righteous in the sight of heaven. How righteous, you might ask? The answer is astounding:
“God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21, MEV).
We do not just appear as righteous as the firstborn Son in the eyes of the Father (“imputed righteousness”). We have received an infusion of righteousness as a gift (“imparted righteousness”). In fact, the Scripture above declares we become the very “righteousness of God.” How should this impact our hearts and minds? No more guilt. No more shame. No more condemnation. And if we worshipfully and gratefully respond as we should, no more carnality and worldliness.
If you are a born-again believer, to fully function in this new and wonderful status, you must be “renewed in the spirit of your mind” and “renewed in knowledge” (Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:10). Once that happens, the renewed, regenerated spirit gains ascendancy and the flesh part is brought under subjection. Then, instead of being focused on what we shouldn’t do, we become focused on what we should do. Instead of being predominantly “sin-conscious,” we become “God-conscious” (aware that God is with us, God is in us, God is for us, and He has made us worthy).
Oh, we may falter from time to time, but through humility and faith, this status of total victory is constantly being reinstated:
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16).
No wonder “no weapon” formed against us shall prosper (Isa. 54:17).
To explore this wonderful subject more deeply, listen to a past episode of Mike Shreve’s weekly podcast called, “Discover Your Spiritual Identity” on our calling to be “A New Creation.” {eoa}
A product of the Jesus Movement Era, Mike Shreve has traveled evangelistically in the United States and overseas since 1970 with an emphasis on healing and the prophetic. His primary biblical teaching for over 35 years has been the spiritual identity of believers. This powerful insight is featured on his weekly podcast on cpnshows.com and his TV program—both titled Discover Your Spiritual Identity. It is also the theme of his Charisma House book titled WHO AM I? Dynamic Declarations of Who You Are in Christ. The first three categories on his YouTube website expand on this amazing revelation: YouTube.com/mikeshreveministries.
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