When we see a knife we don’t refuse to call it what it is because we haven’t seen it cut anything. In order words, the knife don’t have to cut anything to prove that it is a knife. We call it a knife because of its shape and structure. You don’t see a cup at a shop and be like “Well, you look like a cup, but until I use you to drink, I can’t call you a cup.” Whether it has been used for drinking or not, a cup is a cup. In fact, the reason we try to use it for drinking is because we see that it is a cup. Even when the car hasn’t moved, we call it a car. An Orange tree don’t need to bear Orange fruits to be identified as an Orange tree. A light might be off, but we still call it a light. A dress is a dress, whether nobody has ever worn it or it has been worn a thousand times.
You Are
If you’re a Believer in Christ Jesus, 2 Corinthians 5: 17 tells us that you are a New Creation. Old things are passed away and all things have become new. You are the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21). You are the Redeemed (Ephesians 1:7). You are the Set Apart. You are a Royal Priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). There are a whole lot the Bible says You are, but they are all summed up in one “You Are” and that’s…You are a Child of the Most High God. Since you are already in Christ, you don’t pray to become righteous. You don’t read your Bible to become righteous. You don’t fast to become righteous. You are already, from the moment you were born again. Whether you read the Bible or not, You Are. You might have forgotten the last time you really prayed, but You Are. You said all the wrong words yesterday, but You Still Are. Who we become when we accepted the offering of Jesus, and all we are as God’s children has nothing…absolutely nothing…to do with us. We become, freely, when we believe in Jesus. We are, without our efforts. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For it is by grace that you are saved through faith. And This salvation is not of yourselves. It did not come through your own striving, but it is the gift of God. Not because of works, least any man should boast…”
You Do because You Are
We know the function of a thing when we identify that thing. So, a car…it moves us from one destination to another. An Orange tree…it bears Orange fruits. A light…it illuminates. A dress…it is worn. If you are invited to a dinner, you expect to eat. When dinner is served, what would you do with the cup, spoon, fork and knife? The knife is for cutting. right? The fork will help the knife to cut, and will send the food to the mouth. The spoon will help get the liquid and tiny delicacies into the mouth. The cup will be for drinking. Nobody expects you to use the cup for cutting or for eating your meal. If you try to eat your meal with the cup, you have to make sure you are alone at the dinner table because that would be very weird. Why? Well, that’s not what cups are made for.
So, why do we still ask children of God to do things like pray, study the Bible and fellowship with other believers? The answer is simple. Children of God should communicate with God constantly and they achieve that through prayers and reading God’s Word. They are Priests, and Priests intercede. They are Royalties and Royalties make decrees. If you’re a child of God, you are not righteous because you pray; You pray because you are righteous. You are not righteous because you read the Bible; You read the Bible because you are righteous. You are not righteous because you stay away from sin; You stay away from sin because you are righteous. Wearing a crown doesn’t make you or anyone a King, but Kings wear crowns. Sitting on a throne doesn’t make you or anyone a King, but Kings sit on thrones. You can give orders like a King, but your orders are nothing and can even be laughed at if you’re not a King. But. You. Are. A. King.
Back to Knife, Orange tree and Light
When a knife can’t cut things, we get frustrated with it. If an Orange tree refuses to bear fruits, we might call it names. As children, I remember how my siblings and me gave this particular Orange tree names, nasty names, because for years it occupied a particular space in our home, yet remained fruitless. When a light can’t come on, what do we do? We try to replace it as soon as possible. Our reactions aren’t wrong. Things should do what they are created or made for. In the same vein, children of God should do things that they are created for. In Ephesians 4:1, Paul writes, “I therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to and beg you to walk (lead a life) worthy of the divine calling to which you have been called…”
God can’t be frustrated with us though. God can’t call us names like my siblings and me. God can’t replace us like we would a faulty light bulb. Nonetheless, God desires to see us exude the characteristics of Who We Are in Christ Jesus. When we are not exuding these characteristics, we grieve the Holy Spirit…and the Holy Spirit isn’t grieving for Himself. The Holy Spirit is grieving for us, because He knows that when we aren’t living a life that is worthy of our divine calling, we’re nothing but toys in the hands of the devil.
My prayer for you and me:
Like never before, may we know Who We Are in Christ. Like never before, may we live out Who We Are in Christ. Amen.
Get in the gym.
Stay Spiritually Fit.
