I Am a New Creation: Created In His Image
1. THE OLD IS GONE - DEALING WITH SATAN'S TEMPTATION AND GUILT
2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Rom 6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
That’s what water baptism is all about – when we get into the water, it represents us dying and being buried to our past sins and old sinful lifestyle and coming out of the water, we come out clean and we have a brand new start – an outward declaration of an inward change
The enemy would say to me, “If you were new you wouldn’t have those bad thoughts”, the truth is my spirit was saved but my mind needed to be renewed and I had to learn who I was in Christ
Many people think God is against them because of their failures and mistakes
The inner image we have of ourselves will cause us to fail or succeed in life
2 Cor 10:4-5 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ
Prov 23:7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.
2. THE NEW HAS COME - KNOWING WHO WE ARE NOW IN CHRIST
Jn 8:32 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Js 1:25 (nlt) But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
By getting in the word, we see ourselves the way God sees us
God doesn’t see you as you are now, He sees you as you will be after the word does a work in you.
God calls those things that are not as though they are.
Matthew 16:18 I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Had s shall not prevail against it.
Simon – means unstable one, shaky like a reed. Jesus told Simon that his new name was to be Peter - solid like a large rock
Our new identity is so valuable, Satan constantly attacks it.
Satan wants us to believe lies about ourselves, that we are our failures, weaknesses, sins and mistakes but we are not any of that, we are what God says we are because we are in Him.
Mk 16:7 go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”