To the Northside church of Christ

1. To the Northside church of Christ

5. WHO I AM: Embracing Your Identity in Christ

6. At the end of this lesson: • We will attain a better understanding of our personhood as a Christian. • We will be able to identify what are the advantages of being in Christ. • We will be able to recognize the responsibilities of being a Christian entails. • We will have a broader knowledge on what to expect being a partaker of God’s most amazing gift of salvation.

7. If someone asked you, "Who are you?“ how would you answer? "I would give the person my name."

8. Who are you ? • Carlos • Canadian/ Mexican/ El Salvadorian/ Filipino (on as needed basis) • Husband to a beautiful and amazing wife • Father of 2 incredible and handful children • Brother • Son • Child of God, a Christian

9. Being a Christian • There are many descriptions found in the bible that illustrates who we are, who we ought to be and who we should identify ourselves as. • For tonight’s lesson, I have chosen six main passages that I will expand on. As well, we will delve into more additional supporting bible texts in identifying our personhood as a Christian.

10. I am alive with Christ Eph. 2:5 I am an ambassador for Christ 2 Cor. 5:20 I am the salt of the earth & light of the world Mt.5:14 Personhood as a Christian I am God‘s workmanship Eph. 2:10 I am free from the law of sin & death Rom. 8:2 I am a new creation in Christ 2 Cor. 5:17

11. I am alive • with Christ • Eph. 2:5

12. I Am Alive With Christ Ephesians 2:4-5 New King James Version (NKJV) “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)” • This verse illustrates to us that because of God’s exceeding love and mercy, He made us alive with Christ.

13. Wages of Sin is Death

14. Without Christ in one’s life, one will continue to live a life that will lead to death because only through Christ will a person be able to attain an opportunity to live eternally. John 14:6 New King James Version (NKJV) 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

15. I am the Salt of the Earth & Light of the World • Mt. 5:14

16. I Am The Salt of the Earth & Light Of The World Matthew 5:14-16 New King James Version (NKJV) 13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

18. In ancient times SALT was given to Roman soldiers as payment. If a soldier was unable to fulfill his duties he was said to be, “Not worth his salt.” • One of the primary uses for salt in Jesus’ days as well as today is that it is used as A PRESERVATIVE. • The presence of “salt” in food products slows down the decaying process. • Were it not for the presence of “salt” many food would “rot” sooner and become unfit to eat.

19. When you and I live the kind of life that Jesus has just described for us in the Beatitudes, our presence in the world has the same effect as “salt” in food. • Our presence here preserves the righteousness in a world that is filled with unrighteousness. • Our presence here preserves the truth of God in a world that is filled with lies and deception. • Our presence here slows the moral decay and rottenness of the world.

20. Critical Truth! In order for us to have any kind of impact on the world around us we cannot isolate ourselves from the world. Salt inside a salt-shaker doesn’t do any good. It is only when salt is sprinkled out of the salt shaker that it can fulfill its purpose of flavoring or preserving food.

22. Jesus explains why we are to be the light of the world, “so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” • We do not do good works because we are trying to impress other people in the world. • We do good works so that people will turn and glorify God.

23. How will the world glorify God by our good works? • I want us to recognize that this can never happen if we do not say to the person that our good works are because of Jesus. • Faith does not come by seeing our good works, but faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). • They are to see our good works and hear the gospel message so that God can be praised. • Our good works are to be the shining light to the world so that they see the way to God. We shine so that people can see God, not us. We must point to Jesus when we do good.

24. Self-Examination • Do people look at our marriage and see a God glorifying marriage? • Do people look at our family and see a God glorifying family? • Do people look at us at work and see a God glorifying employee? • Do people look at you while on vacation and see a God glorifying life? • Do people look at everything we do, on a small and large scale, and see God glorified? • That is what it means to be the salt and light of the world. We live such radical lives that people want to know God.

25. I am free from the law of sin & death • Rom. 8:2

26. I Am Free From The Law of Sin & Death • Romans 8:1-2 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

27. Law of Sin & Death vs. Law of the Spirit of Life • These two are mutually exclusive. • Every accountable person is subject to one or the other. • He is either condemned by the law of sin and death, or justified by the law of the Spirit of life. • He either walks after the spirit or after the flesh.

28. THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE • This came into existence when Jesus, the perfect sacrifice was offered for the sin of all humanity. • In living the law perfectly Jesus did away with the curse of the Law (Gal. 3:13-14). Galatians 3:13-14 New King James Version (NKJV) • 13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. • At Christ's death, the Law of Moses was abolished and replaced with the Gospel.

29. THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE • It is called "The Perfect Law of Liberty" (James 1:25) because it sets man free instead of keeping him in bondage. • It is also called "The Word of God" (1 Thess. 2:13) because it is a message from God who is its source. • It is called "The Doctrine of Christ" (2 John 9) because it is the body of teaching revealed by Christ, through the Spirit. • It is called "The Faith" (Jude 3) because it is a system of faith as opposed to a law system. • It is also called "The New Testament" or "Covenant" (2 Corinthians 3:6; Hebrews 8:6-8), because it is a binding agreement between God and man.

31. I am a new creation in Christ • 2 Cor. 5:17

32. I am a New Creation in Christ • 2 Corinthians 5:17  17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

34. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, Paul proclaims, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come.” • What does the word “new”bring to mind? For me, I think of words like fresh, untouched and flawless. • I see images of beautiful, newborn babies, green leaves in spring after our long Alberta winters, and the rays of the rising sun that proclaims a brand new day.

35. The words “in Christ” refers to being in union with Him. • Genuine change begins life transformation, and not just reforming the old nature (sinful nature). • The indwelling Spirit creates divine life in believers, enabling a life of new things .

36. Other New Testament passages use the words “born again” or “regeneration” ( Jn. 3: 3-8, Tit. 3:5, 1Pet. 1:23). • Sinners, who formerly put self interest above God’s glory (Rom. 1:21; 3;23), have been brought to cherish God as their highest treasure (2 Cor. 4:6).

37. I am God‘s workmanship • Eph. 2:10

39. All of us are a beautiful and unique masterpiece--God’s work of art! When Paul says that you are God’s “workmanship,” don’t even think that you’re a second-class project. • The Greek word for “workmanship” that Paul chose for this sentence is “poiema,” and what he had in mind is a work of masterful creativity. • Paul selected this word carefully. The only other time in Scripture he used it was in Romans 1:20.

40. Romans 1:20 • 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,

41. Paul is saying that the redeemed saints of God are His masterpieces. • The saints are God’s greatest achievements. • The saints are the greatest work of the Master Potter. • We are saved because He took the shapeless, dead clay of our lives in His loving, powerful hands and molded us into something new for His glory. • God shaped us by His grace and wrote His love into our lives.

42. 2 Cor. 5:5 (ASV) • 5 Now he that wrought us for this very thing is God, who gave unto us the earnest of the Spirit • The word “wrought” in that verse means, “to fashion.” We are “His Workmanship!”

43. I am an ambassador for Christ • 2 Cor. 5:20

44. 2 Corinthians 5:20  (NKJV) • 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

45. Whom does your life represent? Christ or you?

46. As a Christian, you are an ambassador for Christ. That is: one who represents Christ. • Just as an earthly ambassador represents and communicates the desires and will of the country that sent him or her, so are you to represent and communicate the desires and will of Christ to others.

47. The truth is that our actions give more impact than what we say. • In our daily lives, the way we conduct ourselves can either represent Christ or misrepresent Christ.

48. You are an example to others, no matter how you live. The question is whether you are a good example, or a bad example. We can say it in another way: Your life is at all times representing someone – the question is “Whom?” • Jesus said that you will know the tree by its fruit. People always taste the fruit that comes from your life in daily situations. • We should be careful that as we represent Christ in our lives, it should be in a way that brings glory to His name.

49. Self-Examination • Are you living for your own self interests, or living for Him? • It may be easy to live for Him some of the time, but the rest of the time are you just living for yourself and your own interests? • Whom are you representing when you sit down at the computer or use social media? • Is your role as ambassador for Christ part-time or full-time?

50. I am alive with Christ Eph. 2:5 I am an ambassador for Christ 2 Cor. 5:20 I am the salt of the earth & light of the world Mt.5:14 Personhood as a Christian I am God‘s workmanship Eph. 2:10 I am free from the law of sin & death Rom. 8:2 I am a new creation in Christ 2 Cor. 5:17