THIS IS WHO YOU HAVE BECOME!
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
In our previous article, we learnt that if any person believes in the Lord Jesus Christ and confesses His Lordship over his/her life, he is born again. In other words, he is saved. At that point, you become a new creature. You are no longer that person we knew before. Old things are passed away, behold all things have become new.
If you made the confession that was recorded at the end of the previous article, you were born again. Now, you need to understand what being born again means. If you have been a believer all the while, this one is for you too. You need that understanding, failure of which you will not fully enjoy the life that God ordained for you in Christ Jesus. In this article, we will predominantly dwell on one thing, just so you are able to get the depth of it.
Upon salvation, you receive a new nature. Your old nature is supplanted. In other words, it is done away with. It’s the “old” referred to in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that is done away with. The new nature you now have is the nature of God. Hitherto, you didn’t have this nature. But now that you are a child of God, you have it.
John 1:12 says, But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: (NKJV). Upon salvation, you became a child of God. An offspring carries the DNA of its parent. No wonder the offspring will exhibit the nature and characteristics of its parent. Being a child of God, you carry His DNA. You too have God’s nature and characteristics.
Look at it this way. A human being gives birth to a human being. It is so natural for the child to behave like a human being. He doesn’t think, “should I behave like an elephant or a human being?” He doesn’t have to! The nature of a human being in him will inherently cause him to behave like one. He is human by nature!
A dog gives birth to a dog, and the offspring will behave and function like one. An elephant gives birth to an elephant, a donkey to a donkey, and so on. It would be amazing to see an elephant giving birth to a lion. That would be a first! Likewise, God gives birth to gods. Psalms 82:6 (NKJV) ¶ I have said, You are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. In Christ Jesus, you are a god!
Oh yes! You may read that and say, “that must be heresy!” Lo! It isn’t! Read the Scripture again. It says, I have said, You are gods; and all of you are children of the most High (Psalms 82:6, NKJV). God said it – all of His children are gods. Of which you are one if you received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.
Your response to this ought not be one of questioning it. Rather acknowledge it as God’s truth for you. This is what will cause you to walk in the fulness of the blessing thereof. Philemon 1:6 (KJV) says, “That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.
The word communication in the verse above is from the Greek word “koinonia” which means fellowship, partnership, and participation. Your fellowship in the faith will become effective if you acknowledge the good things that are in you in Christ Jesus. If you are to enjoy all that God has made available to you, and who He has made you in Christ Jesus, you must acknowledge it. If you deny it, then you cannot enjoy it. It’s as simple as that!
Being a god, you carry God’s DNA. You have His life and nature in you. This should help you understand why Scripture calls you the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). It is because you have the God-kind of righteousness. God gave you His own righteousness when you believed (Romans 5:17). You are as righteous as He is. You are sharer, a participator in His righteousness. Hallelujah!
Because you carry His DNA, you are as divine as He is. 2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. You are a partaker, a sharer, a participator in divinity. That means you share in the God-nature. You are in God’s class of divine beings.
This is why it is illegal for you to fail in life. You are a god! God is not a failure; therefore, you can’t be one. You have His nature. You cannot be poor in life. This is because God isn’t! As He is, so are you. Sickness and death cannot have dominion over you. Your Father God doesn’t fall sick, neither does He die. Are you getting it?
Gods don’t live an ordinary life. They are set for the supernatural, transcendent, and extraordinary life. This is the life you must live as a child of God. Never talk words like, “I am just a human being like everyone else. What was I supposed to do?” These words are inconsistent with your identity in Christ. You are not just a human being; you are a god! You are of the superior nature, the one you received when you got born again. Walk in the light of this truth every day. Your life will never be the same again!
Pastor Somandla Ndlovu
Resident Pastor – Bethel Ministries International Church
somainzim@gmail.com