Thursday, December 27, 2007
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When Queen Elizabeth was growing up - then Princess Elizabeth - she always knew that one day she would be queen. It wasn't that way with Queen Victoria. When she was young, she actually was shielded from the fact that she would be the next ruling monarch of England. They didn't want her to grow up spoiled. But finally her teacher did let her discover for herself that she would one day be Queen of England - the most powerful monarch in the world at that time. Victoria's response was simple: "Well, then I will be good!" She understood that she needed to live her life based on her royal position.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "Special Identity, Special Life."
Young Victoria knew what every child of God listening today needs to understand. When you know you have a special position, you live a special life. Which leads me to ask you this question, "Do you know who you really are?" You see, your real identity is not what your family says you are or your employer or our culture. You're not what your friends or your enemies say you are. You are who God says you are. If you belong to Jesus Christ, He says, "I will be a Father to you and you will be my sons and daughters,' says the Lord Almighty." Since He's the King of Kings, that would make you a prince or princess in the royal family of God!
Which leads us to the life-enlarging challenge in our word for today from the Word of God. It's in Ephesians 4:1, "I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received." Big calling - big life. Unfortunately, too many of us are under-living; living a life unworthy of who God has made you to be. Princes living like paupers.
Because you've gotten so many wrong messages in your life about your identity, it's important to see the special identity that your Creator, your Savior has given you - no matter how small your income may be, no matter how insignificant you may seem by society's standards. What do they know anyway? Ephesians 1:3 says that God "has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ." You are a spiritual billionaire because you're the child of a Father who is infinitely wealthy, and He's made all the spiritual blessings of His wisdom, His guidance, His love, and His strength available to you. You don't have to live at the mercy of your situation or your weaknesses. You have access to a spiritual fortune!
Then Ephesians 1 goes on to say that "He chose us in Him before the creation of the world" and that we are living "according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will." In short, what you see isn't even a fraction of what you get. You are living a big, big plan, conceived and guided by a big, big God. You're not a victim of circumstance. You are living an eternal plan today! And Ephesians 1 says, "We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." You don't have to be what you've always been. You're a free man, a free woman, redeemed by holy blood. You're a child of the King with access to His resources, living an eternal plan, freed from your sin by His blood.
So live worthy of who you are! The chapters that follow in Ephesians describe what the life of a royal child like you should look like: selfless in your relationships, not self-centered, truthful in everything you say, controlling your temper - not your temper controlling you, always building people up - never tearing them down, allowing nothing dirty into your heart or mind, putting your family's needs above your own, talking up the Jesus you owe everything to. Anything else is unworthy of the special person God has made you to be through the blood of His Son. You're not living up to some rules. You're living up to your royalty!