In the days in which we live, the cry of the masses is enormous for a genuine and authentic representation of Jesus in a people who will model the very character and consecration of resurrection life in Christ. In certain areas of The Church, and particularly in America, calling oneself a Christian has become all too casual, as though we have forgotten what that really means. Rather than being an empowering and life transforming relationship with Jesus Christ, the term “Christian” is often passed around as if it were a religious label, preference, or affiliation. Yet Scripture clearly states that those who become Christians become new persons. “They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!” (2 Cor. 5:17 NLT) In other words, “As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like Him and reflect His glory even more.” (2 Cor. 3:18 NLT) Is this your view of reality, and has your mind been renewed by this truth?

The Holy Spirit's campaign is to take over more and more territory until your life is completely His. Sure, there will be temptations and trials, and your “flesh” to battle along the way, but the outcome will never be in doubt. “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.” (Php. 1:6) Christ lives in you, (see Col. 1:27; 1 Cor. 3:16) and that will always be a reality you can verify. (see 2 Cor. 13:5)

Knowing who you are as a new creation in Christ will bring about a quietness of heart and mind as you allow The Holy Spirit to appropriate the Life of our resurrected Lord and Savior in and through you. Nothing else can satisfy. In a seductive world, so many things compete for our devotion, but God created us for Himself, and for His glory. Those who base their identity and hope on anyone or anything other than Him, will never be whole. Yet those who are in Christ are saved unto a new life, and a new identity as the beneficiaries of His Grace and His Goodness. They are changed from the inside-out!

Don't be afraid to surrender to His will and His ways. Don't deprive yourself of the satisfaction and affirmation that can only come from your total dependence upon The Master Himself. As the apostle Paul confessed to the Galatians: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (2:20)