Church Notes: Identity I (Pastor Peter Ayo-Alabi)



Dear Reader,

We started a new series, which will run through the month of June tagged “Identity”. Please follow the series keenly as I will be posting up after service for you to be blessed by it. Better still check out the messages on RhemawordNG or join us by 9am for the live broadcast every Sunday.

A pertinent question on the minds of everyone on a constant basis is the question “who am I?” this also doubles as the biggest question on earth. It is important for everyone to know who he or she is, as this enables us to live our fullest lives on earth. The question of identity started in Genesis 3 where the devil kept searching for the “seed” God said would crush him. Jesus Christ was the seed God was referring to, but the devil misconstrued this seed to be Abel, hence, he had Cain kill him. Why did the devil do this? He keeps paying attention to the flow of God’s love and goes to destroy it at any given time. He attested to God bearing witness to Abel’s sacrifice, which was a representation of Jesus as the lamb.

In addition, we see the devil employing this same tactic in Luke 3:21-22 with Jesus Christ. He went after Jesus to question his identity by tempting him and questioning his power. Matthew 4 and Luke 4 explains this in detail. It is worthy of note that our mission or profession is not our identity, you are not what you do with respect to your vocation and behavior. However, behavior aligns with identity to the degree you are controlled by it.

In Matthew 16:13-20, Jesus asked the disciples who people think he is. They gave him a three-person identity – John the Baptist (Preacher), Elias (Miracle worker) and Jeremiah (Prophet); the different sides of Jesus each person had experienced.  Hence, people label you based on what they see you do. You are not your doings, you are a son of God! We should note that our identity is defined by God, our father and the authentication of which is from our origin. People’s view about who Jesus was, is likened to a mirror, it reflects what they want to see and is not the real you! The inner thought is you, the self-image you perceive is what rules your life.   (To BE is greater than to DO). James 1:19-25.

In conclusion, the most reliable mirror is God’s word. Please read the following scriptures - I John5:4, John3:6, I Peter 1:8, 23-25, Isaiah 40:8, I Corinthians 5:17, I Peter 1:3, Genesis 1:1-5, II Corinthians 4:3&4. 

GOD DOES NOT DEPEND ON YOUR PERFORMANCE TO LOVE YOU!

Stay blessed!

Aramide 

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