IDENTITY CRISIS

WE ARE CONSTANTLY IN A STATE OF FLUX

THAT CAUSES US TO BE EITHER FULL OF
THE HOLY SPIRIT OF TO BE FULL OF
OURSELVES. THIS IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE
BECAUSE IN ORDER TO TRULY BE THE
PEOPLE THAT GOD INTENDED US TO BE,
WITH THE ROLES GOD HAS DESIGNED FOR
US TO OCCUPY, WE NEED TO BE FULL OF
THE SPIRIT. WE MUST BE BORN AGAIN
3 JESUS REPLIED, “I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, UNLESS YOU ARE BORN
AGAIN, YOU CANNOT SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD.”
4 “WHAT DO YOU MEAN?” EXCLAIMED NICODEMUS. “HOW CAN AN
OLD MAN GO BACK INTO HIS MOTHER’S WOMB AND BE BORN AGAIN?”
5 JESUS REPLIED, “I ASSURE YOU, NO ONE CAN ENTER THE KINGDOM
OF GOD WITHOUT BEING BORN OF WATER AND THE SPIRIT. 6 HUMANS
CAN REPRODUCE ONLY HUMAN LIFE, BUT THE HOLY SPIRIT GIVES
BIRTH TO SPIRITUAL LIFE. 7 SO DON’T BE SURPRISED WHEN I SAY,
‘YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN.’ 8 THE WIND BLOWS WHEREVER IT
WANTS. JUST AS YOU CAN HEAR THE WIND BUT CAN’T TELL WHERE IT
COMES FROM OR WHERE IT IS GOING, SO YOU CAN’T EXPLAIN HOW
PEOPLE ARE BORN OF THE SPIRIT.”

JOHN 3:3-8
JESUS HERE EXPLAINS THAT FOR
THERE TO BE A CHANGE TO TAKE
PLACE, YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN.
FOR THAT “BADNESS” LEVEL TO GO
DOWN, YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN BY
THE SPIRIT.
YOU MUST LET GO OF THE OLD,
YOU MUST LET IT DIE FOR THE NEW
TO TAKES ITS PLACE.
20 MY OLD SELF HAS BEEN CRUCIFIED WITH
CHRIST. IT IS NO LONGER I WHO LIVE, BUT CHRIST
LIVES IN ME. SO I LIVE IN THIS EARTHLY BODY BY
TRUSTING IN THE SON OF GOD, WHO LOVED ME
AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME.

GALATIANS 2:20
BUT AS WE WALK THROUGH THIS CHRISTIAN
LIFE, WE STILL STRUGGLE. SOMETIMES WE GO
BACK TO OUR OLD HABITS, OR WE STRUGGLE
BECAUSE WE WANT TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
THAT’S THE NEW IDENTITY AND THE OLD
CLASHING. ITS OUR HABITS THAT WE’RE
TRYING TO UNLEARN VS THE HABITS WE’RE
TRYING TO CREATE, AND IT CAN BE SUPER
FRUSTRATING. BUT THE TRUTH IS, THERE IS A
WAY OUT OF THIS VICIOUS CYCLE: JESUS.
21 I HAVE DISCOVERED THIS PRINCIPLE OF LIFE—THAT WHEN
I WANT TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT, I INEVITABLY DO WHAT IS
WRONG. 22 I LOVE GOD’S LAW WITH ALL MY HEART. 23 BUT
THERE IS ANOTHER POWER[E] WITHIN ME THAT IS AT WAR
WITH MY MIND. THIS POWER MAKES ME A SLAVE TO THE SIN
THAT IS STILL WITHIN ME. 24 OH, WHAT A MISERABLE
PERSON I AM! WHO WILL FREE ME FROM THIS LIFE THAT IS
DOMINATED BY SIN AND DEATH? 25 THANK GOD! THE
ANSWER IS IN JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. SO YOU SEE HOW IT
IS: IN MY MIND I REALLY WANT TO OBEY GOD’S LAW, BUT
BECAUSE OF MY SINFUL NATURE I AM A SLAVE TO SIN.

ROMANS 7:21-25
THERE’S STILL ONE QUESTION: WHAT
DOES IT MEAN CHRIST LIVING IN ME?
CHRIST IS THE ONE WHO OVERTURNS
MY OLD HABITS. HE GIVES ME THE
STRENGTH; HE GIVES ME THE POWER
AND THE VISION NEEDED FOR ME TO
OVERCOME. THIS HE ACCOMPLISHES BY
HIS SPIRIT WHICH HE HAS GIVEN AS
PROOF HE WILL DO WHAT HE SAYS. AND
IF HE’S LIVING IN ME THERE’S GOING TO
BE A CHANGE!
3 AND NOW YOU GENTILES HAVE ALSO HEARD
THE TRUTH, THE GOOD NEWS THAT GOD SAVES
YOU. AND WHEN YOU BELIEVED IN CHRIST, HE
IDENTIFIED YOU AS HIS OWN BY GIVING YOU THE
HOLY SPIRIT, WHOM HE PROMISED LONG
AGO. 14 THE SPIRIT IS GOD’S GUARANTEE THAT
HE WILL GIVE US THE INHERITANCE HE
PROMISED AND THAT HE HAS PURCHASED US TO
BE HIS OWN PEOPLE. HE DID THIS SO WE WOULD
PRAISE AND GLORIFY HIM.

EPHESIANS 1:13, 14
IF CHRIST IS LIVING IN ME, THEN I’M
ABLE TO HAVE THE SAME CONNECTION
WITH GOD THAT JESUS HAD.
20 “I AM PRAYING NOT ONLY FOR THESE DISCIPLES BUT
ALSO FOR ALL WHO WILL EVER BELIEVE IN ME THROUGH
THEIR MESSAGE. 21 I PRAY THAT THEY WILL ALL BE ONE,
JUST AS YOU AND I ARE ONE—AS YOU ARE IN ME, FATHER,
AND I AM IN YOU. AND MAY THEY BE IN US SO THAT THE
WORLD WILL BELIEVE YOU SENT ME.
22 “I HAVE GIVEN THEM THE GLORY YOU GAVE ME, SO THEY
MAY BE ONE AS WE ARE ONE. 23 I AM IN THEM AND YOU ARE
IN ME. MAY THEY EXPERIENCE SUCH PERFECT UNITY THAT
THE WORLD WILL KNOW THAT YOU SENT ME AND THAT
YOU LOVE THEM AS MUCH AS YOU LOVE ME.

JOHN 17:20-23
JESUS WANTS US TO HAVE SUCH AN
INTIMATE CONNECTION WITH GOD
THAT OUR THOUGHTS ARE THE SAME,
THE WAY WE ACT IS THE SAME,
EVERYTHING WE DO COMES FROM THE
SAME SPIRIT. AND BY HIS SPIRIT WE
ARE ABLE TO HAVE THIS CONNECTION.
SO WHAT WILL YOU DO? WILL YOU CHOOSE TO
BE BORN AGAIN?
14 “SO FEAR THE LORD AND SERVE HIM
WHOLEHEARTEDLY. PUT AWAY FOREVER THE IDOLS YOUR
ANCESTORS WORSHIPED WHEN THEY LIVED BEYOND THE
EUPHRATES RIVER AND IN EGYPT. SERVE
THE LORD ALONE. 15 BUT IF YOU REFUSE TO SERVE
THE LORD, THEN CHOOSE TODAY WHOM YOU WILL SERVE.
WOULD YOU PREFER THE GODS YOUR ANCESTORS SERVED
BEYOND THE EUPHRATES? OR WILL IT BE THE GODS OF
THE AMORITES IN WHOSE LAND YOU NOW LIVE? BUT AS
FOR ME AND MY FAMILY, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD.”

JOSHUA 24:14, 15
CHOOSE THIS DAY WHOM YOU WILL
SERVE…

WE ARE EACH GIVEN THIS CHOICE

EVERY MOMENT OF EVERYDAY, BUT
HOW OFTEN ARE WE CHOOSING GOD.
WHAT’S OUR BADNESS LEVEL AT? HOW
CAN WE DIE TO SELF AND BE BORNE
AGAIN TODAY?