Who are you by the way (2)

The believer in christ must continually be reminded of who he is.
The knowledge of who you are affects everything .

Hence Paul's continuous emphasis to the church at Corinth with the same retort

1 Corinthians 3:16 KJV
[16] Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

Know Ye not ,

Seven times within 4 chapters he makes this acclaim

Many a believer need this shout out ,lest they continue misleading themselves

Some sing "Lord make me your home "."prepare me a sanctuary ".

They say so out of an identity crisis .

God never leaves the believer .

Hebrews 13:5 KJV
[5] for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

He lives in Us and never leaves us.

Jesus placed emphasis on accurate knowledge as we saw earlier

Matthew 16:15 KJV
[15] He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

Their identity was tied to His,hence any ignorance of the latter will affect visibly and substantially the former

Peter answered by revelation .

You can't know christ by Science ,movies ,been neighbors etc .

His kindred missed out earlier

Luke 4:22 KJV
[22] And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?

Family and neighbors equally need insights by the Spirit .

He is known by revelation .

Same with the believer

1 John 3:1 KJV
[1] Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

Because it knew him not.

They walk by sight ,we don't .

Matthew 16:16 KJV
[16] And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

The Son of God is the messiah .

He knew without examining his shoes ,manner of walking or hairstyle .

Matthew 16:17 KJV
[17] And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

A unique fact here will come out shortly .

In the revelation of christ is found that of the believer .

Philemon 1:6 KJV
[6] That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

What is in christ is in us .

If he is no choleric ,sanguine ,phlegmatic or melancholic personality neither are we .

Hear Jesus' further comments to this

Matthew 16:18 KJV
[18] And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Jesus refers to peter as a stone .

In knowing who Jesus is,he finds out who he is ,

Same for everyone of us .

Peter will write about this much later

1 Peter 2:4 KJV
[4] To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,

He called Jesus Christ a living stone .

1 Peter 2:5 KJV
[5] Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

And the believer," Ye also "

Never mind KJV translators ,using " lively stones " instead of living stones for us ,which is the original text .

I suppose they shuddered a bit in seeing such similarity with Christ Jesus and the believer .

It happens to many .

But such as we have .

We can't deny what He made us .

1 John 4:17 KJV
because as he is, so are we in this world.

In this age ,we are as He is ,where and how He is.

Thus ,our revelation of christ will affect our knowledge of ourselves .

When we see Him as He is ,We behold ourselves .

Let's hear paul ,who penned the words " in christ " used alongside its related terms about 130 times In his letters

2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV
[17] Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Any one found in Christ is a new creation ,new creature .

This refers to a kind of,species ,breed of mankind .

A breed of man kind only found in christ .

He instructs that we behold ,which means to consciously see.

You might never take note and Like James said " you will forget who you are and deceive yourself "

1 John 3:1 KJV
[1] Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us..

You must see it ,Else you might act like a beggarly element .

A non grata .

Yet you are a son ,just that you didn't behold yourself .You didn't consciously see .

In calling a believer in christ a new creature ,this must also be said of christ.

We are in christ .

Ephesians 2:10 KJV
[10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Created in christ .

This means all the materials for this creation were taken from and in Him.

Create means it didn't exist before .

Ephesians 2:15 KJV
[15] Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

At redemption christ made Himself One new man .

He was God who became flesh .

John 1:14 KJV
[14] And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Referred to in this incarnation as only begotten or begotten only of the Father

This is his humanity as it is in this that he is found a man .

This title is found describing His descent into humanity and recorded in the four gospels .

John 1:18 KJV
[18] No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

John 3:16 KJV
[16] For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

In His death, burial and resurrection he drops this title .

His death was for a reproduction .

John 12:24 KJV
[24] Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

Before His death ,He stood alone as the Son.

In His death and resurrection He was amongst Sons found .

Hebrews 2:10 KJV
[10] For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

Many Sons.

Some have chosen to ignore these truths and claim we are born children and mature into sons .

They are ignorant .

We shall see this later .

Many Sons .

Hence,Jesus is referred to after His resurrection in a different light

Romans 8:29 KJV
[29] For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

First born .

This isn't Like first son before second son etc

If this theory were true it will appear to put a lie to the truth .

For In His resurrection we bear the same honor

John 17:21-22 KJV
[21] That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
[22] And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

Glory is the same ,We are one .

First born means Prototype in original language .

It's like model of what others will be like .

When you see the first born ,you know the stuff all the children are made of .

Hence the term " conformed "

This word is not the same as paul used it in Chapter 12 of this letter

Romans 12:2 KJV
[2] And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Which is a gradual adaptation .
Even though KJV used the same word they mean different concepts .

We don't gradually become sons neither do we adapt to sonship .

The similar word to "conformed "in chapter 8 is found in another epistle

Philippians 3:21 KJV
[21] Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Fashioned Like unto .

Same word " sumurpho" .

Meaning "made like ".

It presupposes a pattern / design others follow .
This text refers to Jesus body been the kind of the believers at the resurrection .

Thats no process .

It's instantaneous !

We are fashioned in His image because He is the Protopype,First born among many of His kind ,brethren ,

Notice the term " to be " in Romans 8:29 is italicized ,meaning it's not original .

God prepared us ,preplanned us ,fashioning us in the image He made Christ at the resurrection .

We are one spirit with Him

1 Corinthians 6:17 KJV
[17] But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

We are Sons ,Just like Christ.

When behold Him in His resurrection ,we see our kind ,species ,breed .

We see our selves in Him

Hebrews 2:11 KJV
[11] For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

The term "brethren" means from the same womb .

Not Mary's womb at the incarnation .

Then He came from Heaven .

1 Corinthians 15:47 KJV
the second man is the Lord from heaven.

Here He was referred to as the Only begotten .

In His resurrection ,he came from the dead .

Our "dead ",our death .

Acts 13:33 KJV
[33] God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

David prophesied this .

This day here is not the incarnation but the day of the resurrection .

He was begotten ,Referring to being raised from the dead .

The first man to be born again ,coming from the dead.

Where we were before

Ephesians 2:1 KJV
[1] And you hath he quickened , who were dead in trespasses and sins;

He died here too .Buried in our sins .

He came out from the dead and defeated death ,

Conquered the enemy .

Hebrews 2:14 KJV
[14] Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

He took care of sin and its doldrums .

The third day .

He was the first man to come out from this  death ,

But won't be the only neither the last .

For He is predestinated or better said as pre planned to be first of this kind and we fashioned like Him.

Recall,this womb is death .

Christ was born from the dead.

Colossians 1:18 KJV
[18] And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

From the dead He became  first begotten .

Now to us .

Ephesians 2:5 KJV
[5] Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Glory!

We were raised with Him.

Since He is the prototype of this species ,the resurrection must be similar .

Same womb ,

Ephesians 2:6 KJV
[6] And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

We sit together now .

We are just like the first born ,prototype of our breed .

Who He is ,is who we are ,

Where He is,is where we are .

Just as He promised

John 14:3 KJV
[3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

He died and rose again to prepare a place for us ,His own place and position .

We aren't second born or third born ,we are like the first born ,raised Same way and seated same place .
John 14:19 KJV
because I live, ye shall live also.

Hence what He told Mary ,

John 20:17 KJV
and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

Now we share surnames .

Same names .

Same family .

Ephesians 2:18-19 KJV
[18] For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
[19] Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

When we see Christ at His resurrection we see every believer in Christ .

We are in Him ,just like Him ,as He is today .

This is our breed and species ,

Victors ,conquerors,champions ,winners ,just like the prototype .

No failure in Him,thus no failure in us !

We shall continue from here..

I call you blessed

Jesus is Lord,We Win

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