Who you are
Do you know your identity – who you really are? We all have an ID book or card, but do you know who you really are spiritually? In Acts 19:14-20 we read that the seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, tried to cast out demons by using the name of Jesus. We then read: ‘But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?” Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered.’ These seven sons did not have their identity in Christ, which resulted in their lack of authority to cast out demons, and the demons knew this and were not intimidated by them. I recently listened to a YouTube clip in which Kevin Zadai mentioned, without any discernible pride or arrogance, that he used to be afraid of the demonic but now the demons were afraid of him.
Jesus knew who He was, and that is why He could simply say ‘be healed’ as in Mark 1:41 and Luke 5:13 where he told the man with leprosy; ‘be healed’ and he was instantly healed. Because Jesus knew who He was and His authority He was able to heal every sick person brough to him, and to cast out evil spirits (demons) with a simple command, and the demons knew this. Because He was sinless, Jeus was also able to say that Satan had no power of hold over Him (John 14:30).
Matthew 8:16 That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. He cast out the evil spirits with a simple command, and he healed all the sick.
Mark 1:34 So Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons. But because the demons knew who he was, he did not allow them to speak.
Bear in mind, however, that everything Jesus did was in total submission to the Father.
John 5:19 So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.
We read that the apostles commanded healing on several occasions. They did not ask Jesus or God to heal anyone; e.g. Peter in Acts 9:34 told Aeneas to ‘get up, and roll up your sleeping mat!’ They were not commanding God; they were releasing the power of God with the authority of God, because they were confident of their identity in God. How do we know this? Because the Bible clearly tells us Jesus gave them authority to do so. See also Mark 6:7 & 6:13.
Mark 3:14-15 Then he appointed twelve of them and called them his apostles. They were to accompany him, and he would send them out to preach, 15 giving them authority to cast out demons.
Matthew 10:1 Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness.
The apostles, too, did not act on their own, but were always led by the Holy Spirit. Paul, for instance, frequently referred to himself as a “doulos”, meaning a voluntary slave or bond servant, to emphasize his humility and complete dedication to serving the Lord.
This same authority has been made available to all of Jesus’ disciples, since the day of Pentecost.
Mark 16:17-18 These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. 18 They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”
That is why in Acts 14:10 Paul was able to say to a man with crippled feet ‘stand up’ and the man was instantly healed. He did not pray and ask God to heal the sick person; he simply said; ‘stand up’ and the person was healed.
Obedience
The first step of identifying with Jesus is to make obedience to Jesus your priority. This does not mean that we have to be perfect and never sin. King Saul sinned, but unlike King David he was not repentant and did not have a heart committed to obeying God.
1 Samuel 13:14 But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”
Acts 13:22 But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’
Psalm 40:8 I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart.”
Romans 4:5 But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.
Becoming a disciple of Jesus
Jesus was very clear on the standard He expected for anyone to be His disciple, and warned that not everyone who simply called him ‘Lord’ will be saved.
Luke 9:23 Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
John 8:31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.
Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.
Revelation 12:11 And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.
Jesus equated love for Him with obedience to His commandments, saying that our love for Him will be demonstrated in our obedience to His commandments.
John 14:15 “If you love me, obey my commandments.
John 14:21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
John 14:24 Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me.
John 15:10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.
1John 2:5 But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him.
When we live this way, in obedience to Jesus, Jesus says that we will all be loved by the Father, and we will be ‘in Jesus’ and He will be ‘In us’.
John 14:20 When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
Living as a disciple of Jesus
In Matthew 6 Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us about how to live each day, and the Lord’s prayer as a simple outline on how to pray each day. The encouragement is to live with kingdom values in mind rather than with worldly problems, concerns and personal wealth.
Matthew 6:10 May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
Here are some more points on how to identify with Jesus
Faith and Belief
Our life as a born-again Christian start with our believing in Jesus Christ as the Lord in control of our lives and the Savior of our souls. This is the foundation of a Christian identity.
Public acknowledgement
Baptism in water (by full immersion) is a public declaration of our new faith in Jesus. We all become witnesses, ready to share our faith in Jesus whenever the opportunity arises. The way we live is also a testimony of our faith in Jesus. This includes loving others, forgiving, and serving those in need.
Matthew 10:32 Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.
Grow – be transformed
Jesus is called ‘the word of God’. When we spend time in reading the Bible (the Word) and in prayer to God, we draw closer to Jesus and build a personal relationship with Him. We become more like Him, in our outlook and in all our ways.
2 Peter 3:18 Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.
Christian Community
We are not meant to live our new lives as Christians in secret, or alone. Joining a church enables us to share our faith with fellow believers, as a Christian community. Fellowship with other believers strengthens our faith and provides support.
In My Name
Jesus made several promises about the use of His name. Let’s look at some of them:
Mark 16:17 These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages.
Mark 16:18 They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.
John 14:13-14 You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. 14 Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!
John 15:16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.
John 16:23 At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name.
John 16:24 You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.
Does this mean that we can simply ask for anything that we might desire, by adding on to the end of our prayer that we are claiming it ‘in the name of Jesus’? Let’s see what ‘in the name of Jesus’ really means. The Greek word ‘onoma’ used here for ‘name’ is not some one’s literal name. The better literal understanding of that word is someone’s character, reputation, or purpose. So when Jesus says ‘whatever you ask for in my name will be done for you’, what He is saying is that if you pray in accordance with His character, it will be done for you, or if you pray in accordance with His will and what He cares about, it will be done for you.
How do we know what Jesus’ will and purposes are? The Bible tells us that Jesus always sought to glorify the Father, and to spread the message of the Kingdom throughout the earth. This must be our guide. A good example of this is in Acts 4. Peter and John had been arrested, and then released after having been threatened by the members of the council of all the Jewish rulers to never again speak or teach in the name of Jesus. Just look at their reaction to these threats.
Acts 4:29-30 And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. 30 Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.
They did not pray against the members of the council for threatening them, or even for protection from them, but for ‘great boldness in preaching your word’, and their prayer was answered!
Dr Brian Drury