BBD 05.07.14 Mistaken Identity (Classic)
Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>
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The Burning
Bush Devotional
Classic
from 2007
05.07.14
Mistaken Identity
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,
he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have
become new. - 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV.
But as many as received Him, to
them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His
name. - John 1:12.
In Him also we have obtained an
inheritance…. - Ephesians 1:11a NKJV.
Blessed be the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the
heavenly places in Christ. - Ephesians 1:3 NKJV.
Having predestined us to adoption
as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.
- Ephesians 1:5 NKJV.
In Him we have redemption through
His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. -
Ephesians 1:7 NKJV.
Now, therefore, you are no longer
strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of
the household of God. - Ephesians 2:19 NKJV.
In Elk City, Oklahoma (2007), a 21-year-old
man had been drinking and was walking back to his hotel when he stumbled into
the path of a car. The man was knocked unconscious and sustained other
injuries. He was mediflighted to Oklahoma City about 110 miles away. He did not
have any identification other than his shirt, which on the back in large
letters said “INMATE.” Thinking the man was on the loose from the
Department of Corrections of some state the effort was begun to contact
Corrections’ officials. However, no one had any information related to this
individual and when he finally woke up he told them he had bought the shirt at
a convenience store.
This 21-year-old man can be thankful that he
survived his injuries and that when he woke up he didn’t wake up in a prison medical
facility. Lessons learned: Drinking can be harmful to your health and wearing a
shirt with “inmate” on the back might not be in your best interest. Oh,
and you might want to carry some identification with you.
Some of us who are Christians have a mistaken
idea about our own identity. Some of us prayed to receive Christ as our Savior
and then went back to living just as we had before. When you receive Jesus as
your Savior your identity is changed, transformed and you are no longer a
stranger and foreigner to God - you are no longer an enemy of God. No, things
have changed and they will never be what they were before. Why? Because
you are a “new creation” and “old things have passed away” with “all things become new.”
Why? Because you have become a child of God. You have been adopted into
the family of God through Jesus Christ. You have “obtained
an inheritance” and been blessed with “every
spiritual blessing.” No, you are no longer, what you were;
instead, you are “fellow citizens with the saints and
members of the household of God.”
Maybe you have been confused about your true
identity. If you know Christ Jesus as your Savior, you may have been involved
in all kinds of evil, sinful things in the past. But those things have passed
away and it is now time to begin to live your new, true identity. You are you
see a child of God. You are part of the royal family of the King of kings. Let
us live like it!
Copyright © 2007 - 2014. Ed
Wrather. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On
June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.
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