 Good morning, everyone. Yeah, the recording is started. Okay. Welcome to BC 11-0 on the class on identity, identity in Christ. So, so far what we have covered, we have covered on first two chapters. The first chapter, we covered on the revelation of being in Christ. So, what did we cover under this? Knowing who am I in Christ as who I'm really are. We spoke about John 15 as we abide in Christ and Christ been abiding in us. And we also covered on the wine and the branches. Then we lived into the foundation of the world, Ephesians chapter 1. We saw the finished work of the cross and our identity in Jesus Christ. And we also saw, we have been blessed with every spiritual gifts in the heavenly realms. And we saw the mystery been revealed. That is, God's work through Jesus Christ. How God redeemed the whole world through the work that Jesus did on the cross. And this plan was at the beginning of the world itself, that you and I will be redeemed through Christ. And then we see how the growing knowledge of being in Christ is. So with that, we moved on to the second chapter where we covered on the new creation in Christ, where the old things have passed away and we have become new creation in Christ. And if anyone is in Christ is a new creation. And when we talk about new creation, we're talking about the new life, the born again life that we have in Christ. So we see the Holy Spirit when we are born again, we have been baptized by the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit starts in dwelling with us and we are the new creature. We are the new species or we have a new identity in Christ. Then we spoke about how the old nature, the old things of us, our behavior, our nature have been passed over. Okay. We have been made new creation. We have been born again. We have this new identity that we carry in Christ. And you know, the scripture that talks about that all things have passed away, behold, you have become new in Christ. And again, here we see the growing into the full measure of Christ. It is a process. It is a process. And with that, we will move on to the third chapter. The chapter talks about justification in Christ. You have been justified in Christ. Now, what does justification mean to you? Sorry, being made right. Anyone from the first year online class, you can post on the chat, justification mean being justified mean. What does it mean to you? Right. Cheers. Made perfect standing before God as if one has not sinned. Thank you, Nina. We also have a Nina in online. Okay. Okay. Okay. Justification meant justified means just as if you're not sinned. So when we are in Christ, we have been justified, justified as though we have not sinned. But what is happening in in general or in natural? What happens? Many believers, those who have accepted Jesus has a lot in savior, but haven't renewed their mind. They still struggle with a sense of unworthiness with a sense of shame. What happens? They have been carrying this hurt within them. What's happening? There's a saying you remember, hurting people hurt others. They try to go and hurt others. There may not be any reason, but just because they don't have this sense of being accepted, sense of unworthiness, sense of shame, the some kind of gap that they carry within themselves. So they have this condemnation or self denial. So they are not because they're not able to overcome what happens. It has been shown in a different way to the people around them. So what we need to do? We need to be justified. How to be justified? Bring it to God. Bring it to Jesus. There's one thing we need to realize is there's nothing hidden. We cannot hide anything from God. The only way that we can overcome this area is by bringing it to God and surrendering that area to him. Lord, I don't want to be the way that I am. I don't want to carry this condemnation. That is my past life. That is my older nature. And when we are born again, when we receive Jesus as a Lord and savior, we need to renew our mind, put on the new man. What is a new man? One who carries the fruit of the spirit. So what is the fruit of the spirit? Being loving, being kind, being gentle, being long suffering, being patient, being self control over our self. So these are the fruit of the spirit that one should see within themselves. So as we emphasize on that, we need to embrace our new identity in Christ. We need to check our self day in and day out. Are we reflecting Christ in our nature, in our character? Will Jesus do the way I do? Am I reflecting Christ's nature in my life? It can be in any area. So what happens? Efficiency chapter one verse four, just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. So who has chosen us? God has chosen us. Now, how? What is the expectation from us? God is a holy God and we are reflecting his image. So how we need to be? We need to be holy and we need to be blameless. So how do we show this holiness and blameless, blamelessness in our character? The nature that we live our life every day should be the nature of Christ being reflected in us. So how do we do it? There is a process. It is a process where we consciously make an effect to be more like Christ in us. We are not the old person. That old nature has passed away. We are a new being, new creation and Christ. So the word here holy or being without blame simply means faultless, being blameless, unblamable or without blemish without spot. Can I request you to turn to Colossians chapter one verse 20 to 22? On our notes, we are on page 31. Colossians chapter one verse 20 to 22. I'll read and by him to reconcile all things to himself by him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of his cross. And you once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now, yes, reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and blameless and above reproach in his sight. So what does it say? Yeah, the scripture talks about we were once enemies, but now what's happened? We have been reconciled with God. How are we reconciled with God through Christ, through Christ, through Jesus, we're able to call above father. The relationship has been restored back. Now just imagine if you're carrying a old nature within us, hate, anger, enmity. If you're carrying this old nature, how can it how can we go in the presence of God and call God above father? We are not pleasing to God in any way. So we need to correct ourselves. We need to come to a place where we say, Lord, change me. Change me inside out that I may be a person of love, person who loves everyone the same way. Because Christ love is not partial. God's love is not partial. He loves everyone the same way. He calls everyone by name and he says, you've been wonderfully and fearfully made and I love you. And he also cried. The scripture says that you are the apple of my eyes. Each one, each one of you are very precious in his sight. And Jesus died for each one of us on the cross. Our sins have been forgiven. We have been justified in his in Christ. We have been justified. So God looks at each one of us through Christ. That's how we have been justified. So what happens? We need to embrace God to finish work of Christ and try to lead our life, which is holy, blameless in Christ Jesus. So that does not happen automatically. It is not an automated process. It is an effort that takes place within us. It's a decision that we make to lead a life pleasing to God. Am I pleasing God in my nature, in my words, in my actions, in my in my behavior? Am I pleasing God? Am I showing Christ reflection in me? We need to check ourselves. And how does God view at us? Let me turn to Ephesians chapter one verse six. Ephesians chapter one verse six to the praise of the glory of his grace by which he made us accepted in the beloved. Who is beloved? Yeah, Jesus is the beloved. So God has accepted us. God has accepted you and me in Christ. It literally means he made us accepted means a special honor. We have been highly favored and we have been covered by his grace. We have been covered by his grace. We have the favor of God upon us when we lead our life pleasing to God. When we carry the identity of Christ upon us. So class, can I request you all to just say this out loud? Just speak out, speak this over yourself saying, Father, I thank you that in Christ I have been granted special honor and I'm highly favored and I'm covered by his grace, surrounded with favor, honored with blessings, an object of your grace. Thank you, Jesus. In Jesus' name, amen. So this is what we need to claim over self every day. So when we are claiming no one can understand ourselves better than us, isn't it? So it's okay. Even when we have done things wrong, we have not worked or we have we are not our actions, our words may not be pleasing God. But again, as I said, it is a process. You need to bring yourself to the presence of God and say, Lord, these are the areas that I want to change. Bring it to God. One thing we need to remember is we cannot change ourself by our own. It is by the grace of God. So grace of God can work within us only when we acknowledge it. When bring ourself to God and say, God, these are the areas I'm struggling with. These are the areas I want to see myself change. I need your grace. I need your grace. I need your favor and claim it over yourself. Declare it over yourself every day saying that I am highly favored by God. I have the special honor granted by God himself over me and I'm covered by his grace. Wherever I go, I see God's grace around me. And as our God favors me, I favor people. As our God loves me, I love everyone around me. You know, there's a condition, right? Even in our father saying, God forgive me as I forgive others. If we don't forgive others, and how can we expect God to forgive? If we don't love others, how can we ask God to love us? So we need to be very careful. It is an effort that we put in. It is a decision that we make to lead our life in Christ's likeness. Saying, God, I love you. And because I love you, I love my neighbors. That's one of the command, right? Jesus said, love your neighbors as yourself. We need to be loving. Why? Because God is love and God is dwelling in us. We need to lead our life in the nature of God. So the beloved who's here is Jesus Christ is the son of his love. What do we read in John chapter three verse 16? God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. The very nature of God is love. The very nature. God is love. Whatever God does is out of his love. He loves you and me so much that he gave his only begotten son. Again, you see the nature of Jesus when he was as a human on earth. He was a man of love. He loved everyone. Matthew 14, 14 says, Jesus moved with compassion. What is compassion? What is compassion? Charisma to extend mercy and love towards others. God is love. Jesus, the scripture says, Jesus was moved with compassion. And whenever Jesus moved with compassion, you see him doing signs, wonders and miracles. So if we are identified in Christ, how is a person identified in Christ? By the very nature that a person carry. That's where the person says, hey, you are not somebody who used to be before. We may look the same, but what has changed within us? When you're born again, when you have received Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. The nature, the behavior, our character is changed. Our action, our words, our deeds are changed. So who does it reflect? It reflect the Christ in us. The Holy Spirit who is in us will also lead us to Jesus, the very nature of Christ. That's why we call it the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace. Self-control, patience, long-suffering. These are the fruit of the Spirit. Bearing with each other. These are the fruit of the Spirit. So we need to have these nature added to our behavior, added to our nature. So what we were before? We were like, you know, we may be hated by others, but now the new identity that we have in Christ is that we have been loved by God. Maybe before we were accused, we were not accused. Maybe before we were accused, sorry. But now we have been accepted by God. Maybe before we were shaved. Now we have been honored in this new identity. We may have faced a lot of condemnation before, but right now we have been highly favored by God himself. So we are no more strangers, but we are the sonship we have in Christ Jesus. That we will move on to the next point which talks about, we have been washed, sanctified and justified. 1 Corinthians chapter 6 verse 9 to 11. 1 Corinthians chapter 6 verse 9 to 11. It says, do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived, neither formicators, nor idolaters, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor rivallers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you, but you were washed. But you were washed, you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God. In the scripture we will see our old nature. It clearly says, these are the old nature and these old nature has no power over our new being. They do not have any power. Why? Because we have been born again. We have been identified in Christ. So they do not have any power over us. We need to believe that these are my old nature and they don't have any power over me. How do we believe it? We need to renew our mind. That's why Paul, time and again says we need to renew our mind. A renewed mind should believe in the new nature. That is a new nature that we have in Christ. This is the old nature. This nature has been washed, has been sanctified and we have been justified in Christ. So this nature of mine has no power over me and I need to renew myself, renew my mind. So how do you renew yourself? Each time when we give in to our old nature, we need to correct ourselves. How do we correct it? If you have hurt anyone, it is good for us to ask sorry with that person. You're making an effort. Asking sorry is not that you're putting yourself down or you does not become lower than the other person. But by asking sorry, you're showing the Christ lightness within you. By being loved, you're showing Christ lightness within you. The other person may not be right. You don't have to go and defend yourself or hurt that person to justify your right. No, it's okay. Let go. Why are you doing that? That's the Christ nature. That's okay. That person is going through a difficult time. I can talk to that person much later. The time when he or she can understand better. We don't, we were like, we're not anymore in that old nature. Like trying to fight our rights or trying to prove ourselves that we are right. We are being gentle. We are being loving. We are being kind. These are the new nature that we have in Christ. And we will allow this nature to grow and take root in us. Very important. As I said, it is not automatic. Doesn't happen automatically. But it is a process. It is a decision that we make. Why? Because we love Christ. Because we love Christ, we are going to show God's kind of nature in and through us. We need to know that we've been washed. We have been sanctified. What a sanctified means. Sorry. To be made pure. Anyone? Charis? Anyone from online also? The post. To be made holy. Consecrated. Boys? Very quiet in the class. What is sanctified means? We have Christ say pure. Sanctified means set apart. Set apart for God's use. You have been set apart. We have been set apart. We are different from others. We have been set apart. So we are sanctified for the use of God. We have been washed. Washed from the old self by the blood of Christ. The old nature has no power over us. We have been set apart. We have been sanctified for the work of God. And we have been made righteous. We have a right standing with God through Jesus Christ. With that, we will move on to the next. Being made righteous of God. As I said, is God righteous? He is holy. He is blameless. And he's righteous. So we have been made righteous in Christ Jesus. So what is in God? Has been come to us. There was an exchange on the cross. Jesus took away us in nature on him. And he gave his righteousness. He gave his holiness on us. So we have been made righteous in Christ Jesus. That when God looks at us, God sees that we have been made righteous. We have a right standing through Christ Jesus. So we see in Romans chapter 3 verse 22. Even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe for there is no difference. So we have the righteousness of God. How? When we believe, when we have accepted Jesus as a Lord and Saviour. When we have this faith that because I have received Jesus as a Lord and Saviour, now I have whatever is in Christ has come to me. I have this inheritance of Christ in me. We also see in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 30 it says But of him, you are in Christ Jesus who became for us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Christ is our wisdom from God who's become for us a righteousness, a sanctification and redemption. Christ, we have been redeemed through Christ. We have been sanctified. We have been set apart through Christ and we have been made righteous in Christ Jesus. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 21 talks about the exchange that happened on the cross where for he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him. So Christ who never sinned has taken our sin on the cross and he died on the cross and in turn he gave his righteousness for us so that we may become righteous. Our relationship with God will be restored. So this is what it says here. So the righteousness of God which is God's own righteousness has been imparted to all of us to all those who believe in Jesus Christ and have accepted him as a Lord and Saviour. So what we need to do we need to understand this truth. We need to embrace this truth for this truth to become live in us. Most of us struggle with our identity it's not because you're not a believer you are a believer. You do believe in Jesus as a Lord and Saviour with the work that he did on the cross. You believe you believe that you have been redeemed. You believe that the old nature have passed over. You are new in Christ. You carry this new nature. But what is not happening here is we're not embracing the truth over us. This can happen only when we renew our mind. Imagine for example, I know many of us are from different age group online and year as well on campus or students even on e-learning. Despite your age for example, if a person is 20 year old for last 20 years the person has lived his life in the identity of what the world has given him from his birth. From his birth he's come across hatred he's come across rejection and this has become the real fact in his mind and his heart because he has been hurt from birth, he's been rejected from his birth and he's seen a lot of failures and rejections in his life so as we said in the last class what's in the bottle is what when you shake and when you pour it out comes out right so what is within you hatred rejection failures no love yearning for the human kind of love every man, every human yearns for love if somebody is showing out hatred and is outside it is not because they are hurt, no there is a kind of love there is a kind of vacuum that they have which is not filled and because of that that person goes around yearning for that around people and when they don't get that what's in hatred comes out rejection comes out, failure comes out so the every reaction of a person is nothing but what they have gone through in their life so now how they can overcome all this is it possible yes it is possible through Christ through Christ it is possible that's what the scripture says you are more than an overcomer in Christ Jesus you have been loved no one in this world can love you as God can love you no one can fill that gap what God can do it for you it's only he so what we need to do we need to embrace this this truth it's not going to be easy but it's not difficult at the same time there is no man or no human on this earth have overcome their life just like that the minute they receive Jesus as the Lord and Saviour but they have gone through the process they have decided the older nature has no power over them they have embraced to this new nature they have made the choice to lead a life that is loving they have made a choice to get the fruit of the spirit to be the nature of their own they have embraced it and that's how you can overcome that's how you can lead a life that is pleasing God so the only way that we can lead a new life identified in Christ is by embracing the truth that the scripture says the enemy may bombard you with the lies of this world but then you go with what the word of God says you are loved you are an overcomer you can lead a new life your sins have been forgiven there is no more gap within you you have been loved by the most high God you don't have to search for that love through any man any human have been identified in Christ you have a new identity your identity is not on the position that you carry no it's in Christ what we have so when we have these things set right you see yourself flow in the nature of God in the fruit of the spirit so we have been justified been made righteous through faith sorry what happens when we lead our life that is pleasing God what happens we are exercising the faith that we have we are exercising the right that we have with God you know being loving is the birthright that we have the nature of God is a birthright because now you are the child of God so we need to behave as a child of God so we have this axis that is faith God kind of faith in us and we stand in the place of grace before God and we are full of joy because of God because of the work that Jesus did on the cross now we have a hope in our life which was not there before has become now into us because we have been justified been made righteous in Christ Jesus so in Romans chapter 5 verse 9 Romans verse 9 page 38 much more than then having now been justified by his blood we have been saved from wrath through him Colossians chapter 1 verse 20 and 21 and by him to reconcile all things himself by him whether things on earth or things in heaven having made peace through the blood of his cross and you once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works yet now he has reconciled despite our old nature we have been reconciled to God through the work that Jesus did on the cross Jesus died on the cross Jesus has paid a price his own blood he has paid a price to redeem you and me there is a cost involved to redeem us from that old nature we need to know that we need to understand we need to we need to understand that Jesus died on the cross he shed his complete blood on the cross to redeem you and me we have been redeemed we need to get this revelation that the work on the cross was done to redeem you and me he has redeemed us from the clutches of the enemy so when he has redeemed us from the enemy's hand our nature should not be reflecting any way of his kind our nature should reflect God because we have been redeemed we have been accepted by Christ and you know we have the Holy Spirit living in us we have God living in us so if God is living in us our nature should reflect the God kind of nature that is love the fruit of the Spirit in us so we have some of the practical implication of being justified and being made righteous here we have listed them out here that knowing and understanding these are the certain things that we should know and understand that there is no condemnation against us and so we live free from any sense of guilt, shame accusation or condemnation we are on page 38 so there is no more condemnation that we have because we are in Christ we have a boldness now we have a boldness to enter into God's presence how as a child of God we have a fellowship that we can have with God now a relationship has been restored back to God that which was not there before we reign in life and we have dominion over a life situation why because we have been brought out from the sickness from the sin from that old nature and we can confront Satan we confront Satan asking and master over him and his demons and that has no power over us because we have Christ in us who is much greater that is what the scripture says greater is he who is greater greater is he who is in us then the one who is in the world we have the greater God who is living in us so Satan has no power over us and we need to embrace that truth we should be more careful in the fellowship that we have with people be very careful because this will affect our mind and our heart so there is no condemnation in Christ Romans chapter 8 verse 1 says there is no more therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who do not walk according to flesh but according to the spirit so what a joy it is for us to know that there is no condemnation over us when we live a life in Christ we have been accepted we have this new life to freely embrace it we need to embrace this life in Christ and demonstrate that life in Christ in and through us over others how by not judging over others what does the scripture say do not judge for you will not be judged God is the only judge so allow the Lord to judge not ourselves and do not reject anyone God saying love your neighbour as your self so we have a new boldness that we can enter the presence of God because of Christ what we did on the cross so Hebrew 416 says let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need we have this new boldness where we can approach God through Christ Jesus 1 John chapter 3 verse 20 there on page 41 1 John chapter 3 verse 20 and 21 for it says for if our heart condemns us for if a heart condemns us God is greater than our heart and knows all things what does it say here God is greater than our heart and he knows all things he is all knowing omniscient 2nd verse 21 says if our heart does not condemn us we have confidence towards God that means we have allowed God to work in them through us and there is no more condemnation in our heart and we have this confidence so how we need to exercise that in us so this is what apostle John has been teaching us to live a life from self condemnation as well we should not condemn ourselves so we must maintain a heart that does not condemn us since what enables us to have confidence towards God walking in love walking in righteousness gives us the confidence before God so what is it we need to make an effort we need to make a decision to walk in love walk in the righteousness of God Hebrew chapter 10 verse 19 to 22 says therefore brethren having boldness to enter the holiest blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he concentrated for us through the veil that is his flesh and having a high priest over the house of God let us draw near with the pure heart true heart in full assurance of God having the heart sprinkled from all evil conscious and our bodies washed with pure water here it talks about the picture talks about the boldness that we can have to enter the holiest of holy that is through Jesus Christ through the blood of Jesus then we why because we have been washed we have been justified and we have been made right righteous in Christ Jesus so that we have this new assurance that we have in full faith we can walk in boldness and in confidence before God so what is it when we talk about boldness and confidence before God how we can walk in boldness and confidence before God if our way of life is not pleasing God how can we do that the scripture says one who walks in the fear of the Lord can walk in confidence if you fear God when you have this consciousness of God is watching over you God is watching over our very thought our words and our mind the word of God says no man looks at the outward appearance God looks at the heart God knows when we walk in this knowledge when we walk with the fear of God we will keep our self from hurting anyone we will keep our self from sin we will watch every step of our life and when we do that when we consciously walk our life with the fear of God and every step that we walk we walk pleasing to God you see there is a confidence that comes within us that we can come into the God with a pure heart and say Lord here I am here I am because God is the one who looks at the attitude he knows our thoughts he says I know every word even before it is formed on your tongue he knows it so there is nothing that we can hide or manipulate with God we cannot twist and turn our words with God isn't it no I never meant this way what I meant when it was actually like this no you cannot do it because God knows everything when we lead our life with the fear of God we have this confidence to walk in the presence of God with boldness of God saying God you are your daughter you are your son I have come into your presence except me as I am that we can reign in life because of the gift of righteousness that Jesus did on the cross so that we may not be offended but then lead our life that is pleasing to God and yes the armor of righteousness has been made available as we see in Ephesians 6 13 to 14 you see that the whole armor of God we have the access to the old armor of God that we can withstand the evil day or withstand the enemy the rails of the enemy and also in 2 Corinthians 6 7 we see by the word of truth by the power of God by the armor of righteousness on the right hand on the left so this is a spiritual armor that has been spoken here we have this armor of God available to us to withstand the denomic forces or the enemy's plan and when we have this armor of God we know that we have this right standing with God when we fellowship with God with righteousness we have our right we know that we are the child of God we have a birthright in God and with that we have been justified we have been made righteous so before we could end the session let's declare this over our cell let's believe the truth let's embrace this truth I have been justified with God I have a right standing with God and I need to embrace this truth to lead a life that is pleasing to God so with that let's declare it over our self God justified and made me righteous freely by His grace and because of Christ work on the cross this qualifies me to live a joyful life without any sense of condemnation where I can have a fellowship with God with freedom and intimate I can boldly ask of God and reign over my life matters and confront Satan and his authority over me and over my life in Jesus name Amen Amen is there anyone would like to add anything to today's session you would like to say anything okay with that we end the session thank you please go through all the scriptures claim it over yourself that which is applicable to you and embrace the truth of Christ in you thank you for joining in God bless thank you