First things first, congratulations on your decision to become born again. Heaven rejoices greatly over you. Now that you have taken your first step into God’s kingdom of light, you need to know your identity, your rights and responsibilities as a kingdom citizen. In this article, I will explain who you are now that you are born again.
YOUR IDENTITY
You are now a child of God (John 1:12): God, who created the heavens and the earth is your father. The one who owns the cattle upon a thousand hills is your dad. Dear child of God, you have unrestricted access to everything your father owns. As God’s child, you are also an heir of salvation, and this means that you are under the protective covering of your father’s messengers. God has numerous angels at his beck and call, and you have access to these ministering spirits.
Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? Hebrews 1: 14
You are an heir of God, and a joint heir with Christ (Romans 8:17): This is amazing! You are not just a child of God; you are God’s heir. Everything Jesus owns in God’s estate also belongs to you. You have a beautiful inheritance in God. Your name is boldly written in God’s will, and His will for you is good. Read this section of God’s will for you:
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give an expected end.
Jeremiah 29:11
You are loved unconditionally (Romans 8: 38-39): Yes, God loves sinners, and He doesn’t want any man to perish. However, as His child, He loves you infinitely more. You are his beloved, and you mean so much to him. Read what Jesus said about you:
My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. John 10:29
You are the apple of God’s eye (Zechariah 2:8): This means you are very special to God. It also means nothing will happen to you from now henceforth unless He allows it. God has invested in you, and He will only allow the things that are for your good and His glory to happen to you.
He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. Deuteronomy 32:10
You are the light of the world and the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13-14): As a child of God, you are the hope of a dark world, and the sweetness of a bland world. When you gave your life to Christ, you did not just come into the light, you became light. (Ephesians 5:8). As light and salt, you have the power to make the world a brighter and better place for others.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16
You are victorious in all things (2 Corinthians 2:14): Your past failures and defeats are gone. Now that you are born again, you have entered a no-defeat zone. Whatever put your back on the ground no longer has power over you. Sin does not have dominion over you, and neither does failure. You are a new creature in Christ Jesus, and constant victory is your inheritance.
Nay, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Romans 8:37
You are an alien (1 Peter 2:11): You see all those movies that depict green creatures from another planet, they are just false representations of the real aliens. Now that you are born again, you are no longer a citizen of this world. You are from another planet, another civilization, another kingdom: God’s Kingdom. Since you have changed citizenship, your life is no longer under the dictates of the prince of this world; the devil. As an alien, a stranger and a pilgrim, this world is not your home, and you must live with the consciousness of the kingdom you now belong to.
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul. 1 Peter 2:11
You are seated with Christ in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6): As God’s child, you are seated with Christ in heavenly places far above principalities and powers. Do you know what this means? It means you are at a position of great advantage, and satan has no power over your life, except you empower him through sin and disobedience. You are in a place of great privilege, honour and blessings. You also have access to classified heavenly information because of your sitting position. This is out of this world!
And has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:6
You are royal (1 Peter 2:9): Your Father is the King of Kings, and this automatically makes you royalty. You are not a common subject in God’s Kingdom, you are a king as well. This means you cannot be a beggar on earth. Or have you seen a king’s child begging for money on the streets? Definitely not! Since the King who rules over all is your father, your earthly needs can never be a problem. Just ask your Father, and consider them met.
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.1 Peter 2:9
This is just a glance into the amazing world you entered when you gave your life to Christ. As you read and study God’s word, you will understand more about your identity in Christ. Understanding your identity is very important because it helps you know your rights and privileges. It also helps you reject experiences that negate your status as a child of God. In the next article, I will explain your responsibilities as a child of God.
If you are not yet born again, none of these applies to you. The only way to become God’s special child is to accept His gift of grace through His son, Jesus Christ. I implore you to decide to accept Jesus today. Life has no guarantees, and if you die in your unsaved state, the eternal consequences are unfathomable. Kindly say this prayer if you desire to be identified as God’s own:
Dear Jesus, I know that I am a sinner in urgent need of your grace. I have heard your knock at the door of my heart, and I open the door to you today. Come into my heart and take over my life. Let your blood cleanse my heart of every sin and make me a citizen of your kingdom today. Thank You for making me a new creature. Amen.