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Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Who You Are, and Whose You Are

Today's blog continues from yesterday's focus upon how Jesus Christ is ministering in the life of Christians today.  We saw how His role as Prophet and Priest enables us to grow in the Christian life.  Today we continue by noting His Kingship, and how this office sheds even greater life on who the Christian really is in Christ.  If you would like to pick up the context of this blog, I would encourage the reader to read the blogs from the previous two days.

3. Christ as King reigns over believers and is worthy of worship, since He is both God and man

Hebrews 1:4 has already been considered in this blog, since in his humanity Jesus Christ demonstrated He was qualified to obtain the inheritance of His Father's Kingdom.  However we must also remember that as God, Christ is by right the True King.  Hebrews 1:5 notes - "For by which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee?  And again, "I will be to Him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son"?

The remarkable thing about this text is that on the one hand, when looking at Jesus as man, he obtained the right to inherit all things by living, dying and resurrecting from the dead in history. However as Christ the Divine Second Person of the Trinity, there has never been a time where He was never the True King.  

To be in Christ is to become in experience who I already am in position

Why did Jesus Christ have to obtain in his humanity the right that by virtue of His Deity He already possessed?  Quite simply because all of those who would unite to Him by faith are called to walk out their faith as heirs of God and co-heirs with Jesus Christ (see Ephesians 2:6-9).  Believers are given the incredible destiny as someday ruling and reigning with Christ. Furthermore, the Christian is already positionally ruling and reigning with Christ in the heavenlies.  In the realm of everyday experience the believer has to battle the world, the flesh and the devil.  By doing this the Christian progressively becomes in experience who they already are in position. 

Even though Christ has already accomplished the fact of the believer's kingly destiny, it is the believer's responsibility to obtain by growing experience the realization of who they are in Christ.  Daily exposure to God's word and prayer, and weekly times of being with God's people are the chief ways of remembering who I am and whose I am - Christ's treasured possession. (please compare Psalm 119:9-11, Hebrews 4:16 & Hebrews 10:24-25)

As those who are called to be co-kings with Christ and who are guided by Him in the prophetic scriptures, believers are also to live forth His presence as priests.  As 1 Peter 2:9 notes - "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."  Dear Christian, as you go forth, don't forget who you are (a co-heir with the Prophet, Priest, King Jesus Christ) and whose you are (Christ's treasured possession).