I’ve been using this as the core scripture for my series, “Get Used to Different”.
“From this time on we don’t think of anyone as the world thinks of people. It is true that in the past we thought of Christ as the world thinks. But we don’t think that way now. When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new!” – 2 CORINTHIANS 5:16-17 (ERV)
As Christians, we don’t think of people as the world thinks of people. How can that happen? It’s only because of what God’s done on the inside of us. How we’ve seen people in the past is not how we see them now.
Before God changed our mindsets, we would see people like the world sees people: “Seeing” them for what they’ve done, rather than seeing them for who they’re called by God to be.
These verses also point out the truth that we had different thoughts about Jesus in the past, but that too has changed.
How did the world think about Jesus Christ when He was on the earth? They thought He was a teacher and possibly even a prophet of some kind. But ultimately, in their eyes, they saw Jesus as someone who caused problems. The Romans didn’t like Him because He was causing a stir…problems. The Jewish leaders didn’t like Him because He was taking attention and power off of them; that’s where the Jewish leaders got their identity from.
Jesus came to give us a new identity. That’s why people fought so hard against Him, because they didn’t want the new; they wanted to hold onto the old. But in Christ, it’s a whole new world! The old things are gone and suddenly everything is new! So, our eternal destiny has been shaped and altered from one way to another. God is the Great Potter; life is not the potter.
“God is the Great Potter; life is not the potter!”
God shapes us and forms us into what He sees us to be. Life doesn’t have that ability, unless you relinquish authority and power over to what happens to you.
We’ve been changed from dying to living, from darkness to light and from ignorance to revelation. And when you know who you are and have revelation of who you are, you know the authority you have to walk in.
One of our pastors – Pastor Dana – taught something recently that really paints a picture well. She said that believers’ authority and our identity are like two pieces of a hinge: When they come together like they were designed, they work perfectly. Your authority stems from your identity and if you don’t have identity, you can’t effectively use your authority. The pin that holds that hinge together is faith!
When you have your identity and authority working well, then you’re able to see that the same truth is God’s will to be seen in all people. We need to see people not for what they’ve done, but for the people God has given identity to as well as authority. That’s the design He created humanity to be! People just don’t realize it.
It’s like people are sitting in a prison cell – with the door wide open – and yet they think they’re still in chains. God has called us to see people as God sees them. One of the best ways of doing that is how we respond to challenges in our lives. God has given us authority and identity; the fires that occur in life should not be our focus, because we know not only who we are in Christ but what He says in His Word.
Our focus should never be on the fire; the fire has no power over the promises of God!
As we live out that truth, others will notice that. They’ll see our lives are noticeably different, and that will give them a hope that they, too, can walk and be different. Body of Christ: Let’s be a Church that is noticed for being with Jesus, walking in the identity and authority He has given.
Be noticeably different!
To watch the May 9, 2021 message on which this post is based, CLICK HERE.
