Dwight Fletcher | WHO ARE YOU?

IN ORDER to survive and thrive in the times we now live in, which will continue to become more challenging for us as Believers, we must know who we are in Christ and walk in the way of life. This is more than doing what’s ‘right’. We must move away from human-driven way of living which is by regulations and rules, and move to a Holy Spirit-led life which produces a conqueror’s way of living.

This kind of living can only flow out of relationship with God and close fellowship with the Holy Spirit. This will seriously affect how we see and label ourselves. We need to see ourselves through the Word of God. As saints, we’re alive in Christ, citizens of the Kingdom of God, more than conquerors, seated in the heavenly realm and led by the Holy Spirit.

When we choose to live out this identity in Christ, even when times get hard, and the pressure heats up, we will be able to conquer. We should know, however, that this world doesn’t want us to live this way. “Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 ‘Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!’? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.” Colossians 2:20-23 (NIV).

Paul helps us to understand that we can either be led by the spirit of this world, or the Spirit of God; rules instead of relationship. There are spiritual forces in this world that inveigle us to obtain righteousness by doing and obeying rules, rather than by submitting to the Spirit of God and building a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus. It looks good on paper when we do things, and we can feel good that we’re not like ‘those’ other people. In reality though, it doesn’t allow or encourage us to build a relationship with God through which we can develop discernment, know and trust what the Spirit of God is saying, and how He may be leading us away from danger through God speaking to us.

In Revelations 2 and 3, we see churches that seemed great, but God was not pleased with them. Consider the Church in Ephesus. Jesus said, “I know all that you’ve done for me – you have worked hard and persevered. I know that you don’t tolerate evil ... 4 But I have this against you: you have abandoned the passionate love you had for me at the beginning. 5 Think about how far you have fallen! Repent and do the works of love you did at first. I will come to you and remove your lampstand…” Revelations 2:2,4-5 (TPT).

The spirits of this world deceive us into believing that we can gain right-standing with God by obeying rules, but it won’t work. Right-standing with God is based on relationship with Him through Jesus as Saviour. We are designed for relationship with God. Relationship means that we personally learn what pleases God, and are living life in relationship with an alive spiritual being who is God. God wants us to know Him, interact with Him, spend time with Him and learn to hear Him through His Word.