Philippians 2: 5-7 “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, BUT MADE HIMSELF OF NO REPUTATION, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

This passage of scripture portrays the Lord Jesus Christ willing to trade His identity as the Son of God, to become our Pattern Man as the Son of Man, in the form of a servant on earth, even to death, to redeem mankind according to our Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation to all who will receive Him, (John 3:16)

Many come to Christ unsure of their identity. Their experiences in the world have taught them to put on a false identity to win the approval of men, to be accepted by “the crowd,” some even making a name for themselves to glory in. When we become a new creation in Christ, God begins His work stripping away the layers of false identity, one by one like an onion skin. When the layers are all stripped away, we stand naked, afraid and vulnerable before our Heavenly Father not knowing or recognising who we are any more. At this point of undoneness our Heavenly Father ushers us into the royal dressing-rooms of heaven, and clothes us with a new robe, the righteousness of Christ! This new robe is divinely designed, it fits perfectly and the cloth is cut for superb comfort. It is a royal robe made from threads of divine wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption, (1 Cor. 1:30) 1 Corinthians 1:26-30 describes our calling in God which banishes our insecurities. When we are sure of our new identity in Christ, we no longer have to strive to uphold our reputation before men. The Indwelling Christ in us seeks to live His life through us. Humility is always required on our part, then the life of Christ within can flow freely out to others……”a well of Living Water,” (John 4:14) – divinely sourced!

Old things are passed away, divine displacement and replacement through new life in Christ. Colossians 3:3 “For you are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

In the natural no-one likes to make themselves vulnerable. We spend our lives planning our security and insurance but God requires something else. He wants us to be vulnerable to Him alone, to walk in humility and trust Him with our lives and our unknown future. In truth He is the only source of real security, the only One who cannot fail. What is highly esteemed and built by man can crumble in the wink of an eye, here today but gone tomorrow but God alone is the only infallible One, and we have our identity in His Son, Jesus Christ. When we are sure and secure of who we are in Christ, as the word of God teaches us, then we have nothing to prove anymore and we find freedom in Christ, to live our lives to Him and not to men. Proverbs 29:25 “ The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever puts his trust in the Lord shall be safe.” Only the work of the Holy Spirit in my life can set me free from living to men and their approval. God requires that I live my life to please Him first, in spite of what others may think of me. It is what God thinks of me that counts. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Proverbs 9:10

The Creator of the universe, who hung the planets in space, scattered the billions of stars in the heavens, furnished our earth with such beauty in land and sea, gave such diversity of plants and animals……created me, little insignificant me, for His good pleasure! But I now have a new identity….It is no longer I that lives, but Christ that lives in me!….and with this new identity comes divine destiny: I was born for such a time as this – to be conformed to the image of God’s Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. The Master beckons me to arise, to take His hand to guide me to the future known only to Him, where He will delight me as I journey with Him along the learning curves of life. He will teach me His ways as we travel towards the horizon of destiny, knowing that there is always more beyond the horizon – the “much more” of God, a life to be lived for His glory!