Identity Security

Giving up has always been a struggle for frail humanity. But when Jesus urges us to ask for strength to escape, he has something particular in mind, something he sees coming: “At that time many will turn away from the faith” (Matthew 24:10). Saint Paul was deeply troubled by this as he wrote his friends living in Thessalonica: “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day [the day Christ returns] will not come unless the falling away comes first;…

The context of the journey of deliverance from the false self and restoration of the true self is unique, but the process is universal. It begins with awareness. The first step to becoming true is becoming aware of the false. Who am I in my false self? What version of myself do I present to the world as a mask to self-protect? What is my effect on people? What do people feel when they are around me? You’ll want to get to know the false self and get very familiar with.…

Our false self demands a formula before he'll engage; he wants a guarantee of success; and mister, you aren't going to get one. So there comes a time in a man's life when he's got to break away from all that and head off into the unknown with God. This is a vital part of our journey and if we balk here, the journey ends.Before the moment of Adam's greatest trial God provided no step-by-step plan, gave no formula for how he was to handle the whole.…

We don’t know much about stages of development in our instant culture. We have someone else make our coffee for us. We no longer have to wait to have our photos developed—not even an hour—for now we have digital cameras that deliver back to us the image, instantly. We don’t have to wait to get in touch with someone—we can e-mail them, page them, call them on a cell phone, instant-message them this moment. We don’t need to wait for our…

Have you ever felt like a failure, or of no use to God, or thought that God wouldn’t want to answer your prayers? Until I first read Colin Urquhart’s book, *In Christ Jesus*, I had never realized how significant that little word ‘*in*’ is in the New Testament. Understanding that, as a Christian, you are ‘*in*’ Christ Jesus revolutionizes how you see yourself, your self-image, your identity and how you understand your value to God. Write…

Part of our healing comes with forgiveness (of ourselves and others), and part of it comes with repentance. But first, we have to begin with how God sees us. How he sees you. Do you know? You are deeply and completely loved (Rom. 8:38–39) You are totally and completely forgiven (1 John 2:12) When God sees you, he sees the righteousness of Jesus (2 Cor. 5:21) You mean the whole world to him (John 3:16) He thinks you are beautiful. Right now (Song of Sol. 4:1) He is…

How do you handle guilt? Mankind has tried to avoid dealing with this painful emotion for as long as humanity has existed. It all began in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve disobeyed God, and we’ve been using their faulty methods in an attempt to silence guilt ever since. Adam and Eve’s first reaction was to cover up rather than “fess up,” but nothing can conceal sin from God. Next, they attempted to hide from the Lord. Have you ever found…

In order for us to live in freedom and become the women we are to become, we need to receive God’s love even in our lowest places. Spiritual warfare is designed to separate you from the love of God. Its goal is to keep you from living in the freedom that Jesus has purchased for you. Satan whispers to us when we have failed or sinned or are feeling horrid that we are nothing and no one. He is a liar. And our fight for our freedom involves exposing him for who he is…

Michelangelo Buonarroti, the 15th-century Italian artist known for masterworks like David and the Pietà, once said this about his art: “The sculpture is already complete within the marble block before I start my work. It is already there. I just have to chisel away the superfluous material.” Though not made of granite or marble, we are also creations of a Master Craftsman. Ephesians 2:10 says, “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for…