A New Year. A New You. A New Identity

A New Year.

A New You?

Are you like many who see the beginning of a new year as the time to make changes in their life?

Have you made the resolutions?

Have you promised yourself to change?

Have you had the acrid taste of failure by the middle of February?

Yeah, me too!

However, in 2017 I gave up making New Year’s Resolutions.

Instead, I decided to work on Receiving, Remembrance, Reconciliation, and Restoration through the Holy Spirit.

You can read this process in No More New Year’s Resolutions! Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

The purpose of this process is restoration, a renewal, a new identity.

A New Year. A New You?

As the Father’s mercies are new every morning, so too, are we new in Him, day-by-day.

²² The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. ²³ They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. ²⁴ “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.” Lamentations 3:22-23 NASB

As Believers, We Have Left Our Past Behind

As believers, we have left our past life.

As believers, we no longer live broken and sin-filled lives in a broken and sinful world.

The words of Isaiah are true:

¹⁸ “Do not call to mind the former things, Or ponder things of the past. Isaiah 43:18 NASB

Paul writes of laying aside the “old self” in his epistles to both the Ephesians and the Colossians.

²⁰ But you did not learn Christ in this way, ²¹ if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, ²² that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, Ephesians 4:20-22 NASB

and

⁹Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, Colossians 3:9 NASB

Through the life, death, and resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah, we, too, have died to our old self and our old life.

⁵ For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶ knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; ⁷ for he who has died is freed from sin. Romans 6:5-7 NASB

And, as we have died to the old life, so we now have life anew.

³ Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? ⁴ Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:3-4 NASB

We are no longer dead in spirit.

We are alive in our Lord, Jesus, the Christ, the Anointed One.

¹³When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, ¹⁴ having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Colossians 2:13-14 NASB

Our New Identity In Christ

We have received a new self, a new identity.

¹⁷ Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 NASB

We are “now-and-not-yet” in the likeness of the resurrected Messiah.

⁵For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶ knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; ⁷for he who has died is freed from sin. Romans 6:5-7 NASB

Our New Identity In God

We are born of the Father.

¹²But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, ¹³ who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12-13 NASB

As in the beginning humanity was created in the image of Elohim,

²⁷ God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:27 NASB

so, we now are re-created in the likeness of God.

²⁰ But you did not learn Christ in this way, ²¹ if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, ²² that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, ²³ and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴ and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Ephesians 4:20-24 NASB

Our New Identity In the Holy Spirit

This new identity via a new spirt was promised long ago.

¹⁹ “And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, ²⁰ that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God. Ezekiel 11:19-20 NASB

The Holy Spirit is IN us.

¹⁶ “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; ¹⁷ that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17 NASB

¹⁶ Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16 NASB

The Holy Spirit transforms and renews us.

¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16 NASB

How Are We to Get and Live In Our New Identity?

We live out our new identity in and with the Holy Spirit.

We need to receive the Spirit, be empowered by the Spirit, and be transformed by the Spirit.

Receive the Holy Spirit

When we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, we receive the Holy Spirit.

³⁶ “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ – this Jesus whom you crucified. ³⁷ Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” ³⁸ Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off [Gentiles], as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” Acts 2:36-39 NASB

Live Transformed By the Holy Spirit

With the transforming power of the Holy Spirit IN us, we can begin to live out our new identity.

² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2 NASB

The Christian Life

The life of a Christian is to walk, to live, in a manner worthy of their new identity.

⁹ … be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰ so that you [we] will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; ¹¹ strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously ¹² giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. Colossians 1:9-12 NASB

This new identity is to be visible to the world by our response to salvation.

This new identity is to be visible to the world by our words and works, our speech and actions, our thoughts and deeds.

¹Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, ² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, ³ being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:1-3 NASB

¹² So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; ¹³ bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Colossians 3:12-13 NASB

¹⁴ We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. ¹⁵ See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. ¹⁶ Rejoice always; ¹⁷ pray without ceasing; ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:14-18 NASB

We are to examine ourself for a Christ-like response to our circumstances.

⁵Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you – unless indeed you fail the test? 2 Corinthians 13:5 NASB

We are to live, a life guided by the Spirit, focused on the Son, to the glory of the Father.

¹⁷ Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father Colossians 3:17 NASB

In his letter to the Colossians (continued from above), Paul adds:

⁹Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, ¹⁰ and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him – ¹¹ a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all. Colossians 3:9-11 NASB

The old self exists no more.

The old has passed away.

The new self is now and is becoming.

The new self is renewed and is being restored.

¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. ¹⁸ But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NASB

One Last Question

So, do you want a new you, in this new year?

Verily, verily, put not your faith in the words of man (or woman), whether spoken aloud or written on paper.

Rather, put your faith in The Living Word of God.

– TLThomas

Seek to be truly renewed, to be genuinely changed, to be supernaturally transformed.

Speak the Truth of the Word into Your Life.

Keeping always in mind: Faith is Obedience AND Trust.

¹⁴As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, ¹⁵ but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; ¹⁶ because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.” 1 Peter 1:14-16 NASB

⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. ⁶In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 NASB

Yes, put your faith in the Father and in the Son and in the In-Dwelling Spirit.

¹⁴The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14 NASB

Blessings,

TLThomas

My Word On The Word