Who Are Ya?

A friend of mine recently encouraged me with some verses from her study bible. I decided to send them on to a friend of mine, who could also do with the encouragement that these verses had brought me.

In the subject part of the email, I had written 'Who are ya?', but she had read it as 'How are ya?' and in her head she had answered 'I feel terrible'. It was only when she read the email and the verses included that she realised what I had actually written.

The verses were all about who she is in Christ. And i thought it was actually quite interesting and revealing that she thought I was asking how she was feeling rather than asking her who she is. How often do we 'do life' according to how we feel, or according to our circumstances? Rather than doing life according to who we are in Christ and what the Bible says about us; what our Heavenly Father says about us.

How often do we parent according to how we feel, rather than who we are in Christ, and who our kids are in Christ? How often do we respond with a tone or look because of how we feel, rather than the truth of who we are? How often do we judge others according to how we feel about them, rather than who they actually are in Christ? How often do we dwell on and mull over how we feel; our fears and worries, what is going on around us and what people think of us, rather than the wonderful biblical blessings, truths and promises from God? It changes perspective quite a bit. So today I ask, 'Who are ya?' not 'How are ya?'

Romans 3:24 - I am justified (declared "not guilty" of sin)
Romans 8:1 - No condemnation awaits me
Romans 8:2 - I am set free from the law of sin and death
1 Corinthians 1:2 - I am sanctified and made acceptable in Jesus Christ
1 Corinthians 1:30 - I am righteous and holy in Christ
1 Corinthians 15:22 - I will be made alive at the resurrection
2 Corinthians 5: 17 - I am a new creation
2 Corinthians 5:21 I receive God's righteousness
Galatians 3:28 - I am one in Christ with all other believers
Ephesians 1:3  I am blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ
Ephesians 1:4 - I am holy, blameless and covered with God's love
Ephesians 1:5,6 I am adopted as God's child
Ephesians 1:7 - My sins are taken away and I am forgiven
Ephesians 1:10-11 I will be brought under Christ's headship
Ephesians 1:13 - I am marked as belonging to God by the Holy Spirit
Ephesians 2:6  I have been raised up to sit with Christ in glory
Ephesians 2:10 - I am God's work of art
Ephesians 2: 13  I have been brought near to God
Ephesians 3:6 - I share in the promise in Christ
Ephesians 3:12 - I can come with freedom and confidence into God's presence
Ephesians 5:29, 30 - I am a member of Christ's body, the church
Colossians 2:10 I have been given fullness in Christ
Colossians 2:11 - I am set free from my sinful nature
2 Timothy 2:10 I will have eternal glory