D07 Triple Identity
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D07 Triple Identity
Let’s briefly look at the extremely important identities of three key characters. When you grasp the essence of each of them deeply within, your access to people who do not yet know Jesus will wide open.
A) Identity of Jesus
Frist, read in the Word of God itself about the fact that Jesus is the Son of God, He has divine nature (Philippians 2:6-11), all that exists was created for Him and through Him (Colossians 1:16), and many other amazing facts. Then look at the references below this lesson or in good Christian literature.
The Lord Jesus had such a grasp on His identity – and His mission – that He was able to confront all sorts of traps and attacks in many cases with vigorous and biblical strength, and at other times – in face of all sorts of accusations – He was able to remain completely silent! His identity empowered Him to factually testify against Satan’s temptations, and not to answer the high priests, nor even Pilate when being questioned. It was as if He were saying, „I know who I am and why I am here. And you can’t change that!“ (Matthew 26:62; 27:12-14; Mark 14:60-61; 15:4-5; Luke 23:9)
B) My identity in Jesus
In previous lessons we have touched lightly on what my identity is in the Lord Jesus (lesson D06). If we have personally invited Jesus into our lives as our Savior and Lord, if we have confessed our wrongs to Him and accepted His forgiveness, we have become children of God. (John 1:12) From that moment on, our identity is derived from Jesus‘ identity! He has redeemed us from bad things and their power and from the power of the dark forces. (Colossians 1:13)
The more I come to know who Jesus is, the more I submit (James 4:7) my mind, and my emotions, and my decision-making to Him – that is, the more I am obedient to Him in these areas of my being – the more I realize who I am in Him, and the easier it is then to realize who He has made me to be, the mission He gives me! The inward acceptance of our own identity – derived from the identity of the living Jesus – is immensely liberating and uplifting!
C) The identity of people without Jesus
Just very brief look at the identity of people without the Lord Jesus. (See biblical references at the bottom of this page.) Around us there are citizens who are educated, wealthy, characterful, but also people with no education, no possessions, and perhaps very poor morals… Now, I am interested in the spiritual status of our people – until they get to know Jesus. In the vast majority I observe manifestations of emptiness. They miss the point of things they do. They have only earthly horizons in front of them. These may give them some hope, but they can never really, deeply fulfill their hearts. Many of them are dissatisfied, yet they do not know, and often do not even admit, that there is something more to be discovered and experienced in this life…
In addition to the emptiness of ordinary life of people without Jesus, I also think about their eternal destiny. That’s important part of their spiritual identity! The Apostle John says: He who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. (John 3:18) He who rejects the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. (John 3:36)
Many Christians miss this fact – that people without Jesus are already condemned! But we know the way to get them out of that condemnation! To friends in the city of Ephesus the apostle Paul writes: God also raised you up when you were dead in your trespasses…! (Ephesians 2:1-5) That condemnation of our fellow citizens can be changed while they are alive! However, the ultimate fate of people who do not accept Jesus during their earthly life will be very bad and unchangeable, then! The apostle John captures that final moment in the book of Revelation: Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death: the Lake of Fire. And he who was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire. (Revelation 20:14-15)
How do we look at the unbelieving people around us? Sure, their condemnation is on them rightfully. But it is on them just as it was on us! God wants everyone to be saved! (1 Timothy 2:4) And through Jesus, He provided everything needed to do so at extremely high cost!
Lord Jesus, Your weeping over Jerusalem overcomes me, and Your wailing over other cities… (Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34; Matthew 11:21; Luke 10:13) You made the highest sacrifice to open the way for those bound people! You open Your arms with perfect salvation even for our people today…
Biblical references about the identity of Jesus
(This is a limited SELECTION!)
The identity of Jesus
Hebrews 1:1 „God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the world. 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become so much better than the angels, to the extent 5 For to which of the angels did He ever say, “You are My Son, Today I have fathered You”? And again,
“I will be a Father to Him And He will be a Son to Me”? 6 And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, “And let all the angels of God worship Him.“
Hebrews 2:8 „You have put everything in subjection under his feet.” For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. 9 But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of His suffering death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.“
John 10:30 I and the Father are one.” 33 The Jews answered Him, “We are not stoning You for a good work, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.”
John 14:10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own, but the Father, as He remains in Me, does His works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. 20 On that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I in you.
Matthew 3:17 A voice from the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
John 8:23 And He was saying to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world.
John 8:58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”
Luke 22:70 And they all said, “So You are the Son of God?” And He said to them, “You say correctly that I am.”
Mark 14:62 And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
Colossians 1:13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation: 16 for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also the head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.“
John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; the one who comes to Me will not be hungry, and the one who believes in Me will never be thirsty.
John 8:12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
John 10:7 So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 9 I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 11 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and I know My own, and My own know Me,“
John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me will live, even if he dies,
John 13:13 You call Me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’; and you are correct, for so I am.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.
John 15:1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
Luke 22:27 For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.
John 4:10 Jesus replied to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who is saying to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
John 5:15 The man went away, and informed the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.
John 5:27 and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.
John 1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Jesus is alive!
Acts 2:32 (Peter) It is this Jesus whom God raised up, a fact to which we are all witnesses.
Acts 4:10 (Peter) let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health.
Acts 5:30 (Peter and the apostles) The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you put to death by hanging Him on a cross. 31 He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
Acts 7:56 (Stephan) and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
Acts 10:40 (Peter) God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He be revealed,
Acts 13:30 (Paul) But God raised Him from the dead;
Acts 17:18 Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,” because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.
Acts 25:19 (Festus) but they simply had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive.
Acts 26:8 (Paul) Why is it considered incredible among you people if God raises the dead? 9 “So I thought to myself that I had to act in strong opposition to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 15 And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you as a servant and a witness not only to the things in which you have seen Me, but also to the things in which I will appear to you.
Biblical references about the fate of people without Jesus
(This is a LIMITED SELECTION!)
John 3:18 The one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
John 3:36 The one who believes in the Son has eternal life; but the one who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”
Ephesians 2:1 And you were dead in your offenses and sins, 2 in which you previously walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all previously lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest. 5 even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
Luke 16:22 Now it happened that the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s arms; and the rich man also died and was buried. 23 And in Hades he raised his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his arms. 24 And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus, so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set, so that those who want to go over from here to you will not be able, nor will any people cross over from there to us.’
2 Thessalonians 1:7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted, along with us, when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God, and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These people will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes to be glorified among His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—because our testimony to you was believed.
John 12:46 I have come as Light into the world, so that no one who believes in Me will remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears My teachings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects Me and does not accept My teachings has one who judges him: the word which I spoke. That will judge him on the last day. 49 For I did not speak on My own, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak.
Acts 17:30 So having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now proclaiming to mankind that all people everywhere are to repent, 31 because He has set a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all people by raising Him from the dead.
Romans 2:12 For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; 13 for it is not the hearers of the Law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the Law who will be justified. 16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of mankind through Christ Jesus.
Revelation 20:14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.