Who You Really Are

Who You Really Are

By Apostle Felix

13  Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.
14  And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.
15  And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?

Acts 19: 13 – 15

Identity in Christ is critical to living a victorious life. We have been faced with a huge challenge of identity crisis in the church. Most of the problems in the body of Christ are identity related. The church has been talked into identifying itself with the world. The pressure to look like the world is very heavy on the church. The church wants to dress, sing, talk and do almost everything like the world. This is the main reason the seeker sensitive churches tend to compromise the standards of God’s word in order to accommodate the world. We are not commanded to accommodate the world but to be the light. The motive behind is to seek relevancy on the expense of the integrity of God’s Word. The seeker-sensitive movement is a church growth strategy, that structures worship and programs to be welcoming, accessible, and non-threatening for non-Christians or those exploring faith, using contemporary music, self-help sermons, and professional production to attract “seekers”. The focus is more on been accepted by non-believers than working on non-believers to accept God’s standards.

4  And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
5  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

1 Corinthians 2: 4, 5

Seeker sensitive sermons are essentially self help oriented, focusing on life application and avoiding core doctrinal teachings of the Bible. And this has produced a high motivated church community and yet shallow in sound doctrine. We have church members that believe so much in their abilities and having high esteem and yet little knowledge of Christ. It is good to inform people on what they can do, but it is more important to teach on the knowledge of Christ. Most of the sermons preached in churches are motivational speeches. Motivational speech can make one to identify with the inner potential and self worth. Motivation makes you to identify yourself with yourself. But it has to power to transform you into a Christ-like person. We have people who are highly motivated and yet lacking the character of Christ.

1  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 

Colossians 3: 1 – 3

There is good information, but not every good information is the gospel. There is a confusion in the church between the gospel and good information. Good information is not for the formation of Christ in one’s life. Only the gospel of Christ has the power to form Christ in one’s life.

19  You are my dear children, but I agonize in spiritual “labor pains” once again, until the Anointed One will be fully formed in your hearts!

Galatians 4: 19

The labor Paul was referring to is the labor in teaching the doctrine of Christ. And how do we know? The verse before verse nineteen, Paul talked about false teachers who were misleading the saints from the truth with their false teachings.

17  Can’t you see what these false teachers are doing? They want to win you over so you will side with them. They want you divided from me so you will follow only them. Would you call that integrity?
18  Isn’t it better to seek excellence and integrity always, and not just only when I’m with you? 

Galatians 4: 17, 18

It is the teaching of the doctrine of Christ that forms Christ in people’s lives. All these good information messages should just be part of the message of Christ than making the good information the main diet of the church.

Your real you can only be in the gospel of Christ. The first man made a mistake to seek identify in the created. He was supposed to find his identity in Christ but instead resorted to heeding to the devil’s voice. The devil motivated Adam and Eve to find their self-worthy without God. The devil’s speech was self centred and promoted looking to self for making it in life.

5  “I am the sprouting vine and you’re my branches. As you live in union with me as your source, fruitfulness will stream from within you—but when you live separated from me you are powerless.

John 15: 5