Remember Who

You

Are

You Are Loved and Carry the

Authority of Jesus

Ken Winton

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 3

6/7/12 7:35 AM

© Copyright 2012–Ken Winton

All rights reserved. This book is protected by the copyright laws of the

United States of America. This book may not be copied or reprinted for

commercial gain or profit. The use of short quotations or occasional page

copying for personal or group study is permitted and encouraged. Permis-

sion will be granted upon request. Unless otherwise identified, Scripture

quotations are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL

VERSION®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2010 International Bible

Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Scripture

quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright

© 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used

by permission. Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The Holy

Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway,

a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All

rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the

NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,

1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used

by permission. Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King

James Version. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy

Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission

of Tyndale House Publishers., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked TNIV are taken from Today’s New Interna-

tional Version, © Copyright 2001, 2005 by Biblica. All rights reserved. All

emphasis within Scripture quotations is the author’s own.

DESTINY IMAGE PUBLISHERS, INC.

®

P.O. Box 310, Shippensburg, PA 17257-0310

“Promoting Inspired Lives.”

This book and all other Destiny Image, Revival Press, MercyPlace, Fresh

Bread, Destiny Image Fiction, and Treasure House books are available at

Christian bookstores and distributors worldwide.

For a U.S. bookstore nearest you, call 1-800-722-6774.

For more information on foreign distributors, call 717-532-3040.

Reach us on the Internet: www.destinyimage.com.

ISBN 13 TP: 978-0-7684-0283-4

ISBN 13 Ebook: 978-0-7684-8806-7

For Worldwide Distribution, Printed in the U.S.A.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 / 16 15 14 13 12

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 4

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Dedication

To Becky

Becky, you simply are the delight of my life. You express your

commitment to us in more ways than I can count. What amazes

me the most about you is you get me; what a gift you are. You are

easily the greatest earthly gift God has ever given me. You truly

are Jesus with skin on.

I Love you, and I am glad that with Jesus we will be together

eternally.

To Kara, Paul, Joshua, Sara, Jason and Julissa

I have the great pleasure of being your Dad. You have brought

me immense joy; and you have also stood by me, even in my most

difficult hours.

It gives me delight to watch each of you and your families

reach for God. God has delighted you with amazing spouses and

kids! So, remember who He says you are and all will be well.

To The Prayer House in Chico CA

The lovers of God at The Prayer House have been intense

and passionate about the spirit of intercession and worship. Their

dedication to stay on the wall of intercessory worship is inspiring

to others and myself. They never quit and God is noticing.

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 5

6/7/12 7:35 AM

You know that the impact of your spiritual intimacy with God

means every thing to the kingdom of God. It has and always will

be my pleasure to grow with you in our fascination of Jesus. I

admire each of you and, more importantly, our heavenly Father

admires you and yes, He likes you!

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 6

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Acknowledgments

Many individuals have poured into me through the years and

there is no way I could begin to thank everyone who has invested

in me. Your Godly DNA and collective knowledge has moved

me closer and closer to the King and comes out within this book.

Thank you for your personal counsel and advice. You have spo-

ken into me at just the right season. I am eternally grateful and I

am continuing the discipleship by pouring into others.

I will never forget Walt. I want to acknowledge you and thank

you for being just like Jesus. When I was completely and utterly

lost, you introduced me to my Savior, Jesus.

Pastor Phil Ensley is and has been one of my closest friends. I

remember all the questions I had as a new believer and you were

always there with help and encouragement. Therefore I acknowl-

edge your powerful influence in my life. Thank you!

Pastor Chris Reyes is a man who has received me and pushed

me into the loving arms of my heavenly Father. You have given

me immense counsel, and you have always believed in me. You

are more to me than my Pastor. You have been a phenomenal

leader and friend to me. Thank you!

Dave Johnson and Jeff VanVonderen. You have had a massive

effect on my relationship with our eternal Father. Your wealth

of kingdom insights has catapulted me deeper and deeper into

a revelation of Jesus. I have used your materials for years and

I thank you for your important writings and teachings on the

bridal paradigm.

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 7

6/7/12 7:35 AM

To Christina Files. Your input and creative editing on this

book have been brilliant. Along with being a professional editor

you have become a good friend. Thank you.

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 8

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Endorsements

Ken is a dear friend of mine. Not only as the director of The

Prayer House in Chico California, but truly as a man of prayer. I

know Ken has written this book from the place of deep intimacy,

with a steady gaze on Jesus, his eternal bridegroom. I believe

“Remember Who You Are” will be a great resource, and open

the minds of those who read it. Ken so clearly lays out who we

are in Christ ‘now’ and shows us how we can live confidently

in the affections of a passionate bridegroom-God, whose love is

unmoved by our weaknesses.

EddiE Boasso

Senior Leadership at the International House of Prayer in

Kansas City

Ken’s journey has given him much to teach, and that he does

in a marvelous way. His book covers so many vital areas of theol-

ogy, experience and passion for Jesus. Whether someone is new to

Jesus or a seasoned veteran, it is a truly great read.

Francis anFuso

Senior Pastor, The Rock of Roseville and Conference Speaker

It is a privilege for us the bride of Christ to know God’s desire

to keep giving himself to us in amazing and transforming ways.

God has given Ken a deep insight of truth for our generation. A

deep awakening is what this book will do to every reader. In light

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 9

6/7/12 7:35 AM

of the hour we live, Remember Who You Are is a must read by

Christ’s bride. I believe this book will do as much for this gen-

eration of believers as the American Revival of 1905 did for that

generation.

MikE kingslEy

CEO and President of Latter Glory World Mission and Only

Prayer America

“Remember Who You Are” is a wonderful exclamation of

the Father heart of God and a bold exhortation to every believer

to know and rely on the love God has for us! Ken’s insight and

instruction challenged my thinking and understanding of Grace,

walking in the Spirit, and being the Bride of Christ. Throughout

the book and into your daily life you will hear the Spirit saying

my child... “Remember Who You Are”!

BonniE rEiMErs

International Conference Speaker

Ken will knock you off the couch of your comfortable beliefs.

You may think he has overstepped some boundary. I just chal-

lenge you to examine his arguments. Ken is my very dear friend

of multiple decades and has always been a uniquely engaging

person, but the path on which God has led him has singularly

equipped him to be the champion of grace he is today. You may

discover the boundaries of God’s love and mercies are broader

than you ever imagined!

PhiliP EnslEy

Pastor, First Southern Baptist Church

Reedley, CA

Hospice Chaplain

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 10

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Contents

Introduction ..........................................................13

Chapter 1

The True Nature of God ......................................19

Chapter 2

Understanding the Bridal Paradigm ....................29

Chapter 3

Is There Spiritual Abuse? .....................................47

Chapter 4

God’s Grace Is Not Difficult .................................55

Chapter 5

Humanity’s Deepest Issue ....................................63

Chapter 6

God Makes a Promise ..........................................79

Chapter 7

The Flesh and the Soul.........................................93

Chapter 8

What Shall We Say, Then? ................................. 113

Chapter 9

Do You Think the Law Is Good? .......................129

Chapter 10

Is There a Battle? ................................................155

Chapter 11

The Cycles ..........................................................167

Chapter 12

God Gives Tools .................................................197

Chapter 13

God Believes in You ...........................................209

Chapter 14

God Says You Have All Authority .....................227

Appendix A

Gaining Revelation

Through Meditation ...........................................239

Appendix B

Answer Key ........................................................241

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 11

6/7/12 7:35 AM

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 12

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Introduction

I was receiving a revelation of Jesus and my life

was about to change.

In the early 1980s my wife and I took our kids to our annual

“family camp” at Alliance Redwoods Conference Grounds

nestled in the serene mountains just east of the Pacific Ocean and

north of San Francisco, California. The first year, Pastor (and

now friend) Dave Johnson from Open Door Community Church

in Minneapolis, Minnesota was the speaker. Throughout the

week, Dave spoke from the book of Matthew, specifically Chap-

ters 4 and 5.

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues,

preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every dis-

ease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all

over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with vari-

ous diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed,

those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.

Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and

the region across the Jordan followed him (Matthew 4:23-25

NIV) .

Jesus was performing miracles and He healed everyone the

people brought to Him. Jesus healed paralytics, demoniacs, the

13

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 13

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

blind, the sick, and those with deep emotional scars. Starting in

Galilee, thousands jumped on the bandwagon and began to fol-

low Jesus because He was moving in the fullness of the kingdom

of God.

From Matthew Chapter 5, Dave further taught that the king-

dom of God is real today and that Jesus preached both good and

bad news. The good news is that the miracles of the kingdom

of God are very much real and accessible to all believers today.

The bad news is that the kingdom of God is not going to flow to

and through whom you think it will. Many Christians assume

that the kingdom of God will only flow through religious leaders

and those that look real shiny on the outside. But, Jesus described

what a kingdom person looks like and what they desire. Jesus said

that the kingdom of God and its power would move through peo-

ple who are broken, mourning, and hungering and thirsting for

righteousness.

I was becoming aware of my own brokenness. I was begin-

ning to understand that “the poor in spirit” meant that I was

spiritually bankrupt. I had nothing that I could offer to God but

yet I was inheriting the kingdom of God. I was so hungry and so

thirsty for God and His righteousness. I was beginning to be satis-

fied by the Holy Spirit. I kept asking God to give me wisdom and

revelation so that I could know His Son better. My spiritual eyes

were beginning to be opened by God’s love. I was starting to see

the hope of Jesus’ calling on my life.

My family and I traveled to family camp for three summers

and listened to Dave Johnson and one of his associates, Jeff Van-

Vonderen, teach about the kingdom of God and our identity in

Christ through the bridal paradigm. Their teaching served as

a catalyst that caused me to re-examine everything I believed

about sin, the flesh, sanctification, and even my salvation. The

Holy Spirit was invading my soul with this life-changing message.

14

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 14

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Introduction

The Journey Continued

Three years into this voyage of understanding more about

the kingdom of God, I was asked to pastor a church that had

a rough history. Alongside others, I co-labored in helping this

church through a process of reformation. I was so excited to teach

others the fresh revelation God had been giving me concerning

grace and who we are in Christ. As I began to teach, there was

such an outpouring of salvation. The church went from 30 peo-

ple to over 200 in a short period of time, and most of them were

brand-new believers. To say the least, we were overwhelmed at

this move of God.

I taught this message of identity for some time until some of

the leaders in the church became discontented with my teaching

and wanted to meet with me. In hindsight, I realize that I did not

fully understand the subject matter that I was teaching. I knew

that I was preaching the truth, but I was unable to effectively

share apologetics for my message about who God says we are to

Him. Consequently, I was asked to step down from my position

as pastor.

To say I was devastated would be a serious understatement.

I collapsed emotionally, spiritually, and physically. I was too

immature in my own identity to handle the rejection that I felt

from the church leadership. To me, being fired from a ministry

position was the worst of failures. I could not separate my inabil-

ity to effectively teach the subject of identity from who I was.

I had reached the bottom of life. I remember being so afraid.

For the first time in my life, I contemplated suicide. I felt all the

pain of being abandoned. All my sense of worth and value as a

spiritual leader exited. I did not realize it at the time, but I was

finding all of my success wrapped up in what people thought of

me as a pastor.

Ironically, the very topic I was teaching on was what I needed

to hear and respond to. As I was teaching, God was using the

bridal paradigm message to free me from my own cycle of

15

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 15

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

performance for love. I was on the journey of discovering who I

was to God. God was out to reveal Himself to me and was com-

mitted to letting me know who I am to Him.

Shortly after being fired, I was lying in my bed and, in the

midst of all my emotional and spiritual pain, my friend, Pastor

Terry Wardle, came to see me.

Terry spoke a prophetic word into my spirit:

“Ken, you have taught the truth of who we are

to God, but sadly you have only revealed 10 percent

of the iceberg. Are you aware that only 10 percent of

an iceberg is revealed to the naked eye? The depth of

the iceberg (90 percent of it) is under the water. But

God says, ‘While you have heard the truth of who you

are to me, I am now going to allow you to experience

who I say you are. And you will teach the other 90

percent (of the bridal paradigm message) to many peo-

ple throughout the world because I am beginning to

release the message of identity to my bride. The bride

will know her Bridegroom, Jesus.”

Terry was speaking God’s heart to me. Through much tribu-

lation, trials, joy, and excitement, as well as 20 years of growing

in my own identity as His child, I have had the great pleasure

of training and teaching others throughout the earth about who

God says we are to Him. I consider it a privilege to be called His

beloved. He has truly brought me (and you) from death into life

through salvation by the blood of His only Son, Jesus. We are

reconciled to God to experience life abundantly.

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears

say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one

who wishes take the free gift of the water of life (Revelation

22:17 NIV).

This verse is one of the most informative and significant

prophecies in the Bible describing the end-times Church. John

16

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 16

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Introduction

describes what will happen in the Church in the generation that

the Lord returns.

This prophecy describes the Church in deep unity with the

Holy Spirit. The Bride of Christ is saying and doing what the

Holy Spirit is saying and doing. The Spirit is interceding for Jesus

to come to His Church. The Spirit is revealing the Church’s

bridal identity (who we are as Jesus’ Bride). In other words, the

Word of God tells us what the Spirit of God will emphasize in the

end times.

For the first time in history, just prior to the return of Jesus,

the worldwide Church will be in dynamic unity with the Spirit,

and the Spirit will be resting on and moving through the Church

in great power. The Holy Spirit will universally emphasize the

Church’s spiritual identity as Jesus’ Bride. Notice that John does

not proclaim that the Spirit and the family say, “Come,” nor the

Spirit and the army, the kingdom, the body, the temple, or the priesthood. Rather, it is the Spirit resting on the Church as a bride. The

beauty of this reality is that the Bride will function as the family of

God, an army, the kingdom of God, the body of Christ, and the

Bride moving in her priesthood.

We must know who we are to God. He is preparing His

Bride for extravagant and powerful encounters with Him. These

encounters will launch His Church into boldness and heavenly

power (see Acts 4:29-32).

Why Read This Book On Bridal Paradigm?

Despite all of our commitment, many of us are still apathetic

instead of jubilant over who God says we are to Him. Maybe there

is a reason why the Church is so sleepy to this reality? Maybe we

misunderstand what God says about us? Maybe we are frustrated

with typical teachings from the Bible and are not willing to dis-

cuss our dissatisfactions? Maybe it has been implied that we are to

be consumed with rededicating, recommitting, or to trying to be

17

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 17

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

different? I will tackle these sluggish professions of faith concern-

ing the flesh, the soul, and our brand-new spirit.

I realize that some of my teachings are against the grain and

therefore you may be challenged by some of my writings. I believe

you will learn some things from this book, but equal to that, I

hope you unlearn some things as well. My hope is that you are

challenged enough to continue reading. I trust you will be pro-

voked internally to investigate what the Word of God says about

who you are to Him.

The great eternal exchange has occurred through salvation

and we have been embraced with an outrageous authenticity of

an exchanged life, His for ours. God’s heart is exploding with

desire for each of us and He will not relent until He has all of us.

It is from this position that I release this book. I am convinced

that this message will change your life, because it has changed my

life as well as the lives of many others. I pray that God will inten-

sify the revelation of Jesus into your soul. May you step into the

kingdom movement of God, and may you increase your activity

through recognizing the authority that you now have as the Bride

of Christ!

18

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 18

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Chapter 1

The True Nature

of God

It is time to meet the true God and to know His

nature and character.

My wife is a clinical psychologist and is the director of a local

counseling center and foster care agency. Becky could

tell you horrific and sad stories about some of the children her

agency has ministered to in the past. Some of these kids have

had anything but an emotionally healthy environment to grow

up in. Most have been infiltrated with lies and shaming messages

designed to control and manipulate them. In some of these chil-

dren, the shame grid has been well formed.

I also encounter a lot of people who come from shame-based

families who do not recognize that their real problem is shame

and a sense of defectiveness. They cope and find fulfillment by

manipulating their own behavior and the external circumstances

around them.

Many people have lived in exhausting and emotionally sham-

ing households. Some have experienced physical and sexual abuse

by their family members or caregivers. Many have grown up with

absentee parents or parents who made statements like “Children

are to be seen and not heard.” Some people have grown up in

19

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 19

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

triangle relationships. Many people have experienced families

that function in coded messages, which produce performance

behaviors or encourage them to give up.

Many followers of Christ, who have suffered the travesty of

shame, have attempted to find solace by studying the varied doc-

trines of God while missing the realness of His pure heart toward

them. After years of experience, I have concluded that no matter

how much doctrine a believer may know, a person will not expe-

rience deep and true victory until he or she has a true sense that

God is always good and gracious.

God Is Always in a Good Mood

The Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines the word mood as “a

conscious state of mind or predominant emotion or feeling; a

prevailing attitude; a disposition; a receptive state of mind predis-

posing to action.”1

This definition is but a glimpse into the mood of God toward

His creation. God’s mood is completely objective while the human

mood is often subjective and unsanctified. For example, if a per-

son cuts me off on the road, it might make me angry and put me

in a bad mood. In this case, I may have allowed another person’s

actions to influence my thoughts, behavior, and potential actions.

God is not subject to such emotional immaturity. His emotions

are always pure. He never changes.

It makes no sense that God is mad instead of glad. We make

statements like, “Certainly we must do something to pay for dis-

appointing God.” That is unredeemed thinking and certainly not

true. God is in a good mood, and we do not have to do anything

more to get God to love us! Zephaniah tells it all.

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves.

He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer

rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing (Zephaniah

3:17).

We need vital revelation about a joyful God!

20

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 20

6/7/12 7:35 AM

The True Nature of God

Some will also ask, “Doesn’t God send temptations to test our

faith?” The Bible answers this so clearly in the book of James:

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”;

for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt

anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and

enticed by his own lust ( James 1:13-14 NASB).

We keep confusing God with the enemy. God does not tempt.

He always assures us that there is a way of escape from temptation

(see 1 Cor. 10:13). Remember that Christ was tempted by the devil

in the wilderness (see Luke 4:2). The book of Hebrews says, “For

since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted” (2:18 NASB). This does not

say that He tempts, but rather that He comes to help those who

are tempted.

God is not tempting people. He is not making people sick or

diseased. God does not have an angry disposition toward human-

ity. In Scripture you never see Jesus laying hands on people to

impart sickness to them. Instead, He healed everyone who came

to Him (see Matt. 4:24; 8:16; 12:15; Mark 3:10).

Many times we quote Romans 8:28 to encourage ourselves

during trying times: “And we know that in all things God works for the

good of those who love him….” Although God makes all things work

for good, He is not the author of all things. He will take what

happens and use it for good, but He does not author or initiate

everything that happens on this earth.

Don’t believe lies about the nature of God. Look at Scripture

and the life of Christ, and you will start to recognize that God is

always good.

It’s Time to Meet the Best Father

Even though some of us grew up in stable and functional

homes, had good fathers, and are good fathers ourselves, we all

need to know the best Father ever!

21

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 21

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

It is time to meet the true God and to know about His nature

and character. I want you to clearly see the one who loves you

with an everlasting love. Who is the one whose perfect love casts

out all of your fears? The God who is always in a good mood!

It is okay to struggle with Him; He is a big God who can

handle it. I know that God has received bad press and publicity

from individuals who misrepresent Him. The true nature of God

graciously volunteered His Son for you just so He could get you

back. He is willing to accept you unconditionally, and He wants

to partner with you.

David cries out to God while simultaneously challenging Him

in this psalm:

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so

far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? O my

God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am

not silent. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the

praise of Israel (Psalm 22:1-3).

David was so bold with God, using statements like, “My God,

my God, why have you forsaken me?” David was so comfortable with

God’s love that he knew he could be bold and challenge God. Yet

every time David blared at God (because he felt safe with Him),

he would conclude with praise and truth. “Yet you are enthroned

as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel” (Ps. 22:3).

Happy Are…

In Matthew 5:4, Jesus teaches, “Blessed [happy] are those who

mourn for they will be comforted.” We typically think that “to mourn”

evokes a picture of people grieving at a funeral, wearing black,

and hanging their heads down low and weeping because a loved

one has just passed away. Or we think about mourning over our

fallen world full of sin, mourning over the complacency of the

Church, and so on.

22

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 22

6/7/12 7:35 AM

The True Nature of God

While these are all true of mourning, I believe Jesus was refer-

ring to something even deeper in Matthew 5:4. I believe Jesus was

saying: Blessed (happy) are those who get on the outside what is

really going on in the inside, for they receive comfort. God makes

a statement of truth. Allow me to explain. When we are real with

God and we tell Him what is really going on inside our souls

(mind, will, and emotions), He supernaturally brings peace and

comfort. God is fully aware of the stuff that is going on inside us.

He is simply waiting for us to share it with Him so that He can

deliver His great comfort.

This is actually what David was doing in Psalm 22. David was

telling God exactly what was going on inside of him. David began

to receive comfort from God as he declared who God is: “Yet you

are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel” (Ps. 22:3) .

In the beatitudes, Jesus was proclaiming what believers act

like and what they produce. “Blessed are the poor in Spirit…” (Matt.

5:3). They are spiritually bankrupt, yet they get the kingdom of

God. All things in the kingdom are backwards to the things of this

world. We have nothing to give God, but we get all things. Blessed

are those who mourn and tell God everything that is going on

in their souls for they will receive comfort from God. Kingdom

people have the privilege of telling God everything because they

know that He will receive them and all their frailties and weak-

ness. He actually loves our weakness!

God’s Transforming Love

God loves us in the same way that God loves Himself. The

measure of the Father’s love for Jesus is the measure of His love for

us. This is the ultimate statement of our worth to God. This real-

ity gives believers the right to view themselves as “God’s favorite.”

It is not difficult to believe that God loves perfected believers in

heaven. The difficulty comes with believing that He has affection

for weak people in this age. God loves us like God loves God. “As

the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide [live] in My love” ( John 23

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 23

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

15:9 NKJV) . “That the world may know that You…have loved them as

You have loved Me” ( John 17:23 NKJV).

Jesus spoke these verses to the apostles at the Last Supper to

prepare them to recover from condemnation, confusion, and dis-

appointment after Jesus died and some betrayed Him (see John

14–17). We are to behold or be attentive to how the Father feels

about us. “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us…”

(1 John 3:1 NKJV).

The ocean of God’s love includes the pleasure of us desiring

and enjoying God and being tenderized by Him. This is beauti-

fully communicated in Ephesians as Paul prays for the church:

So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that

you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to com-

prehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and

height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses

knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God

(Ephesians 3:17-19 NASB).

God enjoys us even in our immaturity. He delighted in David

on the day of his repentance after sixteen months of compromise

in Ziklag (see 1 Sam. 27-30). “…He delivered me because He delighted

in me” (Ps. 18:19 NKJV) .

God delights in showing us mercy. He wants us to be confi-

dent in the fact that He enjoys us even when we are weak. This

confidence causes us to run to Him instead of from Him. “…He

does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy” (Micah 7:18 NKJV).

We must have confidence in our access to the presence of the

indwelling Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the glory that Jesus gave us

that empowers us to walk in unity with God’s heart. Unity with

God’s heart is the essence of intimacy with God.

Here is what Jesus prayed:

The glory which You gave Me I have given them [indwelling

Spirit], that they may be one just as We are one, I in them, and

24

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 24

6/7/12 7:35 AM

The True Nature of God

You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the

world may know You have sent Me, and have loved them as You

have loved Me ( John 17:22-23 NKJV).

We place our cold hearts in the bonfire of God’s presence

every time we seek Him through His Word and intercession. God

is thrilled every time we simply gaze upon Him!

As we have read, we know that God is the great restorer and

giver of truth. He understands that if He continues to speak His

truth into us, we will begin to believe Him, and we will begin to

behave in a way that is consistent with who we believe we are. We

were created to respond to His truth and His love.

God’s immeasurable love for you is undaunted and will pre-

vail forever and ever. He truly is in a good mood. He definitely

likes you and loves to be with you as you partner with Him to

bring the King and His kingdom to wherever you are.

Before I go any further, in the next chapter I will bring some

understanding to what the bridal paradigm message is and what

implications it has for the Church.

Summary Questions

1. How does Merriam Webster’s Dictionary define the word

mood?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

2. Do you believe that God is always in a good mood toward

you?  Yes  No

25

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 25

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

3. If your answer to question 2 is “yes,” what do you believe God

says about you? If your answer to question 2 is “no,” ask the

Holy Spirit to give you revelation about what God thinks of

you.

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

4. Read Zephaniah 3:17 in the NIV. What do the words in

Zephaniah 3:17 mean to you?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

5. Review pages 19-21. Read James 1:13-14 in the NASB. If the

enemy of God tempts us and draws us into sin, what does God

do?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

26

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 26

6/7/12 7:35 AM

The True Nature of God

6. Have you ever been frustrated or even angry at God? If so,

explain the scenario. Use another piece of paper, if needed.

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

7. Matthew 5:4 says, “Blessed [happy] are those that

_____________ for they will be ______________” (see pages

22-23).

8. What does it mean to you to get on the outside what is really

going on in the inside?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

9. The measure of the Father’s __________ for Jesus is the same

measure of His ___________ for us (see page 23).

a. “As the Father _______ Me, I have also loved _______;

abide [live] in My love” ( John 15:9 NKJV).

b. “That the __________ may know that You have

________ _________ as You have __________ Me”

( John 17:23 NKJV).

10. What does it mean to you to know that God enjoys you even in

your weakness? Before you write your answer, review Micah

7:18 in the NKJV (see page 24).

27

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 27

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

11. Why is God thrilled with you every time you simply glance

upon Him? (See pages 23-25.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

Endnote

1. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, s.v. “Mood”; http:// www.

merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mood (accessed Febru-

ary 17, 2012)

28

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 28

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Chapter 2

Understanding

the Bridal

Paradigm

From this demonstration of power, the Bride of

Christ will receive boldness to preach and prophesy

to the lost and hurting souls of the earth.

Bridal paradigm is a term used to describe the analogy of Jesus

as the Bridegroom and the Church as His Bride. The bridal

paradigm is to be viewed as the relationship between Jesus as the

Bridegroom King and the Church (individuals and corporately)

as His bridal partner. It illuminates His great desire for us and

our response toward Him. This analogy is seen throughout the

Bible, such as in Revelation 21:9, “One of the seven angels who had the

seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I

will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”

Likewise, Song of Solomon 8:6-7 says:

Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for

love is strong as death, jealousy fierce as the grave. Its flashes are

flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord. Many waters cannot

quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love

all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly despised (ESV).

29

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 29

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

Bridal paradigm is a picture of

how Jesus feels aBout us.

God wants us to experience the “superior pleasures” of the

gospel as expressed through the bridal paradigm message. He

knows that we are best equipped to resist the “lesser pleasures”

of sin as we experience satisfaction in intimacy with Him. In

the days ahead, I believe we will increasingly experience these

“superior pleasures,” empowering us to extravagantly follow our

Bridegroom wherever He goes.

Jesus’ Emotions Toward Us

God energizes our spirits with passion for Him when we

understand His devotion and commitment to us as seen in the

cross. The Bridegroom message includes the revelation of Jesus’

emotions for us. Let’s take a look at some of Jesus’ emotions toward

His Church.

1. Jesus the Bridegroom is filled with tender mercy.

He is gentle with our weakness. While we often confuse rebel-

lion with immaturity, God does not. God is angry at rebellion,

but He has a heart of tenderness toward sincere believers who

seek to obey Him. He enjoys us even in our weakness (see Ps.

18:19,35; 130:3-4). He knows that, in our sin and weakness, His

tenderness makes us run to Him instead of away from Him.

2. Jesus the Bridegroom has a thrilled and

happy heart.

While on earth, Jesus had more gladness than any person in

history (see Heb. 1:9). Most believers throughout Church history

have thought that God is angry or sad the majority of the time

when He relates to us. However, Jesus is very glad when He relates

30

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 30

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Understanding the Bridal Paradigm

to us, even in our weakness. In Isaiah 62:4, God tells us that His

Church is His Hephzibah. 1

…But you will be called Hephzibah…for the Lord will take

delight in you… (Isaiah 62:4).

This Hebrew word translates to “my delight is in her.” God

is always thrilled with us! He is always bragging about us to all

of heaven. God has the amazing ability to see us as the finished

Bride. That’s each one of us! He is fully aware of our failures,

shortcomings, and sin. But this is not His focus. His focus is our

righteousness and wholeness in the blood of Christ. Therefore,

God is always happy with us!

3. Jesus the Bridegroom has fiery affections.

He has a burning desire and longing for His people. We are

Jesus’ great reward. He looks at us, His created ones, with fiery

eyes of passion. Because of this great reality, we are drawn to His

fiery affections.

As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love

( John 15:9 NKJV).

4. Jesus the Bridegroom is zealous.

He destroys all that hinders love (see Prov. 6:34; Zech. 1:14;

8:2; Ezek. 38:18-19; Rev. 19:2).

Then the angel who was speaking to me said, “Proclaim this

word: This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘I am very jealous

for Jerusalem and Zion’” (Zechariah 1:14).

5. Jesus the Bridegroom possesses

indescribable beauty.

He fascinates our hearts. He becomes all that we desire. He

causes us to gaze on His beauty. He draws us to meditate on Him

all of our days.

31

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 31

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

One thing have I asked of the Lord…to gaze upon the beauty of

the Lord (Psalm 27:4 ESV).

At its core, the bridal paradigm is John 3:16: “For God so

loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” (NKJV).

Jesus is overwhelmed emotionally when we look upon Him.

His heart is ravished by just one look from us (see Song of Sol.

4:9). Even when we were dead in our trespasses, He made us alive

together with Christ, and it is by grace we have been saved. We

need to study the emotions of God.

The word paradigm describes a pattern upon which we arrive

at a decision. Our paradigms color every experience we encoun-

ter in life. In other words, what we think, what we feel, and what

we express are derived from a paradigm.

The bridal paradigm also illuminates how we feel toward

Him. There is great fruit when we declare who He is and how

much He delights in us.

Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am,

and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved

me before the creation of the world ( John 17:24).

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,

made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgres-

sions—it is by grace you have been saved (Ephesians 2:4-5).

…He delivered me because He delighted in me (Psalm 18:19

NKJV).

Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for

love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It

burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame (Song of Solomon

8:6).

Behold, you are fair, my love; behold, you are fair! (Song of

Solomon 1:15 NKJV)

32

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 32

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Understanding the Bridal Paradigm

The bridal paradigm is a picture of how Jesus feels about us.

The bridal paradigm is one way to tell the glorious story of how we

as human beings were created by an all-sovereign, all-powerful,

and all-wise God. We were established in the beautiful Garden of

Eden to be in constant and eternal relationship with our Creator.

He owes us nothing and needs nothing from us. Yet, out of His

great compassion and love, God freed us from the law of sin and

death so that we could be with Him in eternity, unto His glory.

his heart is ravished By Just one

look from our dove eyes.

He freed us because He loved us. He freed us because He

greatly desired us. He is not only coming back as a King to reign,

a Judge to bring justice and right wrongs, but also as a Bride-

groom to reveal His great love and kindness (see Eph. 2:7). It is

the story of how He died for our sins, how He needed to conquer

death by rising from the grave, how He went to prepare a place

for us (see John 14:3), and when He is coming back for us (see Rev.

19:6-8). We are His glory (see John 17:10), and in us He has wealth

and riches (see Eph. 1:18).

What the Bridal Paradigm Is Not

The bridal paradigm is not about men getting in touch with

their feminine side. Men, you don’t have to imagine yourself

dressed in a beautiful wedding gown, holding hands with your

Bridegroom Jesus, walking through the flowery meadows. We do

not have to imagine ourselves kissing Jesus on the lips. Song of

Solomon 1:2, “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth…,” is not about literally kissing Jesus on His lips. It is an analogy, and the

mouth represents His Word or His thoughts about us as His Bride,

and the kiss represents the passionate impact His words have on

33

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 33

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

our hearts. When the Bride intercedes for the kisses of His mouth,

it is a request to the Father that our hearts would be impacted and

set on fire by the words of Jesus so that we would love Him more.

Two Moves

God is so active in His recapturing of creation unto Himself.

He postures Himself at all times to be proactive toward His pur-

suit of us. In other words, God will not relent until He has all of us.

Because of this, I believe there are two significant moves of

the Holy Spirit occurring at this time in history. I do not mean to

imply that God is limited by these two moves of the Holy Spirit,

nor are these two movements the only releases coming out of

heaven. Many people in the circles that I move in have observed

these two activities of heaven increasing. I have also seen the

Church at large beginning to advance in these two areas, and

this brings evidence that God is releasing these two areas at this

time in history.

First, the bridal paradigm message is being released from

the hallways of heaven. Although God calls us many things, our

identity as His Bride shines light on how to step out of unhealthy

cycles of shame, fear, doubt, and insecurity. God is preparing His

Bride for the days ahead. She must know who she is so the Church

will be prepared to endure and to walk in power, demonstrating

signs, wonders, and miracles. By demonstrating power, the Bride

of Christ will receive boldness to preach and prophesy to the lost

and hurting souls of the earth, as stated in Acts.

Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to

speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to

heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name

of your holy servant Jesus. After they prayed, the place where they

were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy

Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly (Acts 4:29-31).

34

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 34

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Understanding the Bridal Paradigm

Second, God is releasing a spirit of intercession and worship

(intercessory worship) that is preparing us for the days ahead. God

made a powerful promise in Isaiah that He would bring a great joy

of intercession in the last days, shortly before the return of Christ.

God is going to bring great joy to His house of prayer because the

Bride of Christ lacks joy regarding prayer and intercession.

the Bridal paradigm and

intercessory worship are

inseparaBle and are Being

released from god’s throne.

And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to serve him,

to love the name of the Lord, and to worship him, all who keep

the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my cov-

enant—these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy

in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be

accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer

for all nations (Isaiah 56:6-7).

We must remember that intercession coming from the Bride

of Christ, in agreement with Jesus (who is the Chief Intercessor), is

the very fuel that will empower and release preachers and proph-

ets to perform signs and wonders in the streets, in homes, and in

the marketplace. Before the return of Christ, He will bring His

Bride into deep and joyful intercession. Both of these considerable

moves of God—the bridal paradigm and intercessory worship—

are inseparable and are being released from God’s throne. We

will experience more revelation and the release of the power of

heaven as we step into deep intercessory worship. I am convinced

that one of the significant reasons the Church is not interceding is

because she simply does not know who she is. But she will!

35

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 35

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

The Beginning and the End

Humanity’s walk on earth began in a wedding where God the

Father confirmed the marriage of Adam and Eve. It will culmi-

nate in a wedding where God the Father presents the Church to

His Son as His Bride at the marriage supper of the Lamb. Among

others, believers in Jesus have three primary identities throughout

the New Testament:

1. The body of Christ

2. The sons of God

3. The Bride

But in the end, on that glorious day when Jesus returns, He is

returning for His Bride, and it will be in that hour that the Bride,

in full agreement with the Holy Spirit, will cry out to her Bride-

groom Jesus, “Come, Lord Jesus, Come” (see Rev. 22:17).

This is not to diminish the importance or significance of any

of the other positions we hold in Jesus. This is simply a way to

view the whole of Scripture through a focused lens. When we

begin to view Jesus as our Bridegroom, as the lover of our souls, as

the one whose heart is ravished when He looks upon us, it moves

our hearts in new ways as we begin to understand that we can

only truly love Him because He loved us first. We are wooed into

that place of being a lovesick Bride who only has dove eyes for her

Beloved (see Song of Sol. 1:15).

Created to Carry Out God’s Redemption

We need to go back to the beginning to see God’s original

purpose and desire for creation, specifically in the creation of

humanity. When we recognize the pattern God established in

creation, it illuminates why God chooses the allegory of marriage

to relate to us. Genesis chapter 1 gives a pattern to creation. The

pattern is “according to its kind.”

36

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 36

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Understanding the Bridal Paradigm

Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing

plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, accord-

ing to their various kinds.” And it was so. The land produced

vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees

bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God

saw that it was good.

…So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living

and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their

kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw

that it was good. God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and

increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds

increase on the earth.”

…And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures accord-

ing to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground,

and wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so.

God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock

according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the

ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good

(Genesis 1:11-12, 21-22, 24-25).

The Genesis chapter 1 blueprint of creation established and

brought together everything “according to its kind.” God cre-

ated everything to have a counterpart, including plants like grass,

herbs, and fruit trees; every living thing in the waters, like sea

creatures; and all living creatures. God clearly established the

divine blueprint of creation. God created an original and then a

counterpart “according to its kind” ten times. Why? God designed

creation so that it would take two to generate life. God’s purpose

in union was to generate life.

Then God created people to have and take dominion over the

earth.

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to

Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over

the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over

37

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 37

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man

in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and

female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said

to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it;

have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air,

and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Genesis

1:26-28 NKJV).

The Uncreated One declared a most amazing statement. He

created a being in His image who would have all dominion over

creation. God imparts and gives dominion to those made in His

image to serve as His representatives on the earth.

After God created ten consecutive times, an original and then

a counterpart according to its kind or in its likeness, He did some-

thing different. In His eleventh act of creating, He didn’t create

an original, but instead created one in the likeness of another. The

Uncreated One created us (humanity) in His likeness and image.

What was God doing? He was creating a new order of beings

(humans) who were to be the counterpart of the pre-existent

Uncreated One, the second person of the Trinity, Jesus. The coun-

terpart, Adam, was created for union with Jesus, the original.

God Himself has union with a part of creation, a union that

generates the flow of heavenly life through the rest of the cre-

ated order. The Eternal and Uncreated One created humans for

the purpose of union and intimacy with Him. The human spirit

was designed in God’s likeness and image. The very design of the

human spirit is God’s statement of His desire for intimacy. Since

we were created to be in God’s likeness, we are internally and

eternally designed to fellowship and govern with God.

God has drawn each of us into a great and eternal partner-

ship to engulf the earth with the beauty, power, and holiness of

our Father. God chooses to recapture the earth and all of cre-

ation with His loving hands. He chooses to use us, His beloved,

to assist Him in capturing the hearts of those in our generation.

The reason we were born again was not to simply avoid hell, but

38

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 38

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Understanding the Bridal Paradigm

we were born again to be a dwelling place for the one who loves

us eternally. In this, we will stand with Him in the recapturing of

the earth and His creation.

Humanity was created with the capacity to reign over all. God

gave dominion to us as an expression of His favor and love. God

had plans of royalty, of honor, of great favor for humanity. We need

this kind of favor from God if we are to carry out our purpose.

The Bridal Message Invites All

In the same way that all believers are the sons of God, so are

all believers the Bride of Christ. The bridal paradigm invites us

all, male and female, into a relationship with our God that is

based on intimacy of the heart. We are invited to become lovers

of Jesus. By growing in this love, we begin to press in to under-

standing the length, width, height, and depth of His love for us

(see Eph. 3:16-19). As we become more focused on Jesus as our

Bridegroom, we are stirred into asking our Father to give us more

wisdom and revelation into the knowledge of the one we love,

Jesus (see Eph. 1:16-19).

This approach to God draws us into a place where, in response

to His love, we long to put first what Jesus called the first and greatest commandment, to love God with extreme passion and

with our whole hearts.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your

soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest com-

mandment. And the second is like it, “love your neighbor as

yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39).

We embrace the Father’s true love, and from this place, we

can truly walk out the fruit of the new commandment of Jesus to

love one another. When we truly adore God our Father, when we

truly are fascinated with Jesus, and when we are captivated with

the Holy Spirit, we then become motivated to love one another.

39

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 39

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

When the reality of loving one another is flowing, then we begin

to understand the commanded blessing of Psalm 133.

How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!

It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the

beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of

his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount

Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forever-

more (Psalm 133).

God is willing and excited to pour out the oil of the Holy

Spirit on us, and He is capable and desirous to give us the dew of

refreshing. This is why God commands His blessings toward those

who are first wholly devoted to Him and who love one another.

We simply cannot love one another without first receiving His

love. As we declare His perfect love, we will love one another and

enjoy the oil of His Spirit.

Why Is God Pouring Out This Message?

First, it’s important to know that we are the Bride and that He

is the Bridegroom because it is biblical truth. Though it is not the gospel, it is part of it. It gives us the big picture of why God sent

His Son to die for our sins—because of His love for us. It’s the

reason His Son, Jesus the Christ, has given us life and is coming

back to the earth.

He passionately desires to reveal His great love and kindness

to us. God’s eternal purpose for His creation is to provide a family

for Himself and an equally yoked Bride for His Son as His eternal

companion who will reign with Him in love. God is rising up a

prepared Bride for His worthy Son.

Second, many believe that we are living in the age in which

the Lord will return. In the age when the Lord returns, it is

imperative that the Bride makes herself ready (see Rev. 19:7) and

that she buys oil (see Matt. 25:1-12). Matthew says that in the final

days, “because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 40

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 40

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Understanding the Bridal Paradigm

but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Matt. 24:12-13). I will elaborate more on this subject later .

Mike Bickle, director of the International House of Prayer

(IHOP), Kansas City, gave a prophetic word to this generation

while ministering in Cairo, Egypt. He said, “God is going to change

the understanding and expression of Christianity in one generation.” This expression isn’t being changed to something new. The Church in

our day is preaching many other things outside of Christianity,

and God is going to bring our understanding of the good news

back to the foundation of His Word.

I believe that the generation that Mike Bickle has spoken of

will immediately realize that they cannot fight the battle over lost

souls from the view of the pews. They will come to recognize

that they need to move out into the enemy’s camp. They will

understand that a confined Church loses validity (relevance and

meaning), that a confined Church is an expiring Church instead

of an explosive Church, as it should be. I believe that this fresh

generation of young believers will not allow themselves to stay in

their comfort zones. They will recognize and even know instinct-

ively that the anointing comes to people who are willing to step

out of their comfort zones and proclaim who God says they are!

The bridal paradigm is not for the purpose of saying that we

just found a new way to walk out Christianity. The bridal para-

digm is the Bible’s way of helping us understand our purpose for

living and existing. God’s desire has always been for us to know

who we are and why we were created. When this revelation occurs

in each of us, we will move in the genuine authority that we have!

In his book Bridal Intercession, Gary Wiens answers why God is

pouring out this message.

The whole reason we were chosen from the begin-

ning of time was so that the passionate heart of Jesus

would be satisfied! We were redeemed and adopted

for a purpose, and that purpose was that Jesus might

41

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 41

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

present us to Himself as His perfect counterpart,

washed in His blood, filled with glorious beauty and

made fully like Him. We were created and redeemed

for romance, and because of that fact, we now have

the hope that our deepest longings for intimacy and

significance will be satisfied through relationship with

Jesus.

The fire that has burned in the heart of God since

the beginning of the beginning is the passion to have

a partner for His Son! We were chosen to be holy and

blameless in Christ before the worlds were made, so

that we might become a bride suitable for Him, a part-

ner who is like Him. The good pleasure of the will of

God the Father was to have this kind of relationship

with human beings, that He might nurture us with

perfect love and prepare us to be joined to His Son

Jesus in the romance of the ages.2

The bridal paradigm message changes the way evangelists

preach salvation, the way pastors counsel people through life, the

way teachers explain the Bible, the way forerunners prophesy, the

way entrepreneurs run businesses, and the way intercessors pray

(see 1 Cor. 1:9).

In the next few chapters, we will chase down roadblocks to

experiencing God. One of the greatest roadblocks to the body of

Christ is spiritual abuse. In the next chapter, we will bring defini-

tion to spiritual abuse and the power and influence it carries.

Summary Questions

1. Two significant moves of the Holy Spirit are

___________________ and ______________________ (see

pages 34-35).

42

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 42

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Understanding the Bridal Paradigm

2. Our identity as His Bride shows us how to step out of the

unhealthy cycles of (see page 34):

a. _______________

b. _______________

c. _______________

d. _______________

3. Write a biblical definition of intercession. Feel free to use a Bible dictionary or other resource, if necessary.

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

4. Read Isaiah 56:6-7 in the NIV. What is the powerful promise

God made about intercession? (See page 35.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

5. What are the three primary identities of believers that Jesus

noted throughout the New Testament? (See page 36.)

a. ____________________________

b. ____________________________

c. ____________________________

6. Read Song of Solomon 1:15 in the NIV. What does it mean to

see with dove’s eyes?

43

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 43

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

7. In your own words, describe what the phrase bridal paradigm

means (see page 39).

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

8. List some of the emotions Scripture indicates God has toward

us (see pages 40-42). If necessary, use another sheet of paper.

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

9. The bridal paradigm is the Bible’s way of helping us under-

stand our _____________ for _______________ and

_______________ (see page 41).

10. Why is God advancing the bridal paradigm message unlike

during any other time in history?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

44

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 44

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Understanding the Bridal Paradigm

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

Endnotes

1. Brown, Driver, Briggs, and Gesenius, The NAS Old Tes-

tament Hebrew Lexicon, s.v. “Chephtsiy bahh” (#2657);

BibleStudyTools.com; http://www.biblestudytools.com/

lexicons/hebrew/nas/chephtsiy-bahh.html (accessed

February 17, 2012).

2. Gary Wiens, Bridal Intercession (Greenwood, MO: Oasis

House, 2001).

45

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 45

6/7/12 7:35 AM

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 46

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Chapter 3

Is There Spiritual

Abuse?

A hallmark of spiritual abuse is treating the person

who dares to point out a problem as the problem.

There are multiple forms of abuse, and all forms of abuse are

painful. Just ask someone who has experienced physical or

sexual abuse. I believe there is another kind of abuse that is equally

horrific and can be one of the most devastating to experience.

This abuse is well hidden and is at large in the spiritual arena. It

is deep, pervasive, and very difficult to unravel. Spiritual abuse

brings forth immense damage in the form of spiritual wounds.

Spiritual abuse is an irrefutable and unholy use of power, and

it is the exact opposite of love. Spiritual abuse can occur when a

spiritual leader uses his or her spiritual position to control or dom-

inate another person. It often engages the feelings and thoughts

of another, without regard to what will result in the other per-

son’s state of emotions or spiritual well-being. Spiritual abuse

often refers to an abuser using spiritual or religious rank in taking

advantage of the victim’s spirituality by putting the victim in a

state of unquestioning obedience to an abusive authority. Power

is used to reinforce the position or needs of a leader above one

who comes to the leader in need. Spiritual abuse can also occur

47

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 47

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

when spirituality is used to make others live up to a spiritual stan-

dard. This promotes external spiritual performance or is used as

a means of proving a person’s spirituality.

When religious systems are not based on the truth, they can-

not allow questions, dissent, or open discussions about issues. The

person who dissents (rather than the issue raised) becomes the

problem. The truth about any issue is settled and handed down

from the top of the hierarchy. Questioning anything is considered

a challenge to authority. In a controlling and spiritually abu-

sive environment, leaders suppress those who want to think for

themselves by explaining that they doubt God and His anointed

leaders. Thus, the follower controls his own thoughts out of fear

of doubting God.

Some in the Church have labeled individuals who have expe-

rienced the tragedy of spiritual abuse and who have dared to

speak out about it as unloyal, unspiritual, judgmental, and even

disobedient.

Illustrations of Spiritual Abuse

When John was a new believer, his spiritual leaders told him

that he needed to give money to the church and that they needed

to monitor his personal finances. As John communicated that he

did not agree with this, he was labeled as disobedient. And even-

tually he and his family left the church.

Mike and Joni’s experience is another example of spiritual

abuse. This couple went to their senior pastor to talk about pos-

sibly leaving the church due to an unhealthy spiritual climate.

As they were talking with the pastor, he told them that if they

decided to leave the church the devil would haunt them and over-

run their lives; therefore, they should stay at the church to avoid

the attacks of the enemy. When they left the church, they were

labeled as unloyal and unspiritual.

48

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 48

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Is There Spiritual Abuse?

How Spiritual Abuse Operates

A “bounded-set” mentality does breed spiritual abuse. In

this atmosphere, leaders communicate to their followers that in

order to be accepted into their fellowship they need to do every-

thing leaders tell them to do, speak the same way leaders speak,

embrace what the leaders embrace, and avoid what the leaders

avoid. If people in this type of atmosphere do not conform to

these rules, they are never fully accepted into the fellowship. They

may not be literally kicked out (although this may happen), but

they will never occupy a place of authority themselves or carry

any influence in the congregation.

Some religious arenas advocate that the needs of the people—

what they think, feel, or want—do not matter, and they believe

that the people are to meet the needs of the leadership. When

spiritual leaders use their authority to manipulate or shame people

into meeting their needs, it amounts to abuse. This is extremely

wounding to the victim, and a place that God designed to be

safe—a church—becomes unsafe. One of the greatest blockades

to the bridal paradigm is spiritual abuse.

Spiritual Abuse in the Gospels

Spiritual abuse is certainly nothing new to the twenty-first

century Church. Spiritual abuse was alive and well in Jesus’ day.

Perhaps the most obvious use of spiritual abuse is found in Mat-

thew’s gospel.

They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but

they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them (Mat-

thew 23:4).

It is interesting to note what Jesus says about spiritual abuse.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will

give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I

49

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 49

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your

souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matthew

11:28-30).

The religious leaders of the day were placing weighty yokes on

their followers. The word yoke comes from the Greek word zugos,

and it is used in a variety of contexts. It can refer to balances or

scales, such as those used by merchants or those that symbolize

justice. In this context, the word zugos refers to a heavy crossbeam,

which is a metaphor for being bound in slavery to a heavy load.1

Christ tells us that His yoke is easy. Great significance and

meaning is packed into the Greek word for “easy,” which is chres-

tos. This word is used to refer to something that has a good or

excellent purpose or pleasant requirements.2 Jesus says He offers

something more excellent, something superior.

The Greek word chrestos can also refer to loving-kindness and

mercy. When Christ says that His yoke is easy, He is telling us

that it is suitable to bind us to His everlasting kindness and mercy.

Christ’s way of living is easier and less of a burden than false

traditions, and it is a much lighter burden than the oppressive,

extreme beliefs created by people. It is a beautiful thing to be

yoked to Jesus!

Spiritual Abuse in the Epistles

Paul addressed the people of the church in Galatia, who were

gloriously saved by Jesus through His grace alone. Throughout

the book of Galatians, Paul cataloged the damage that religious

leaders were introducing into the church in Galatia. Paul actually

called this spiritual abuse “persecution” (see Gal. 4:29).

After Paul left the churches that were established in Galatia,

many people followed Paul’s example, but also began to spread a

teaching about circumcision. In Galatians 6:13, Paul responds to

this: “Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you

50

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 50

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Is There Spiritual Abuse?

to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh.” In other words, if the church in Galatia agreed with this teaching, it would make

them look good externally, but they would have a false sense of

self-worth. Their sense of worth and value would be wrapped up

in religious performance. This is completely opposite to the true

kingdom of God.

Paul immediately wrote to the church in Galatia, addressing

this very issue.

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who

called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different

gospel, which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are

throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of

Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a

gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally

condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If any-

body is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let

him be eternally condemned (Galatians 1:6-9).

My friends, there is a severe movement of spiritual abuse in

the Church today—even in the American Church. I have had the

opportunity to travel throughout the earth to speak, train, and

teach, and I have seen that spiritual abuse is rampant in churches

wherever I go.

The very nature of abuse is designed to destroy and keep indi-

viduals from enjoying life. All abuse is about manipulation and

control, and sadly spiritual abuse is no different. This form of

abuse certainly keeps us from the life that God has given each one

of us. However, an understanding of the bridal paradigm message

destroys spiritual abuse and will catapult us deep into His heart

of love.

In the next chapter, we are going to depart from old religious

thoughts and false understandings and explore what the real pic-

ture of the bridal paradigm message is.

51

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 51

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

Summary Questions

1. What are some indicators that spiritual abuse is occurring?

List at least three (see pages 47-49).

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

2. True or False: Spiritual abuse is new to the twenty-first cen-

tury Church. ________________

3. Read Matthew 23:1-4 in the NIV. Who is Jesus talking about

in verse 4?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

4. Read Matthew 11:28-30 in the NIV. How does Christ bring

spiritual rest in the midst of spiritual abuse?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

52

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 52

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Is There Spiritual Abuse?

5. See page 50 and read Galatians 4:29. Why does Paul refer to

spiritual abuse as “persecution” in Galatians 4:29?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

6. According to Galatians 1:6-9, why would you say that spiri-

tual abuse is not the gospel of Jesus?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

7. What does the bridal paradigm message do to spiritual abuse?

(See page 51.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

53

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 53

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

8. What are we catapulted into by the bridal paradigm message?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

Endnotes

1. Thayer and Smith, The KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon,

s.v. “Zugos” (#2218); Biblestudytools.com; http://www.

biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/kjv/zugos.html

(accessed February 17, 2012).

2. Ibid. , s.v. “Chrestos” (#5543); BibleStudyTools.com,

http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/kjv/

chrestos.html (accessed February 17, 2012).

54

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 54

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Chapter 4

God’s Grace Is

Not Difficult

Moment to moment, we need the power that grace

offers us.

Sadly, many believers miss out on the power of God’s grace and

are not even aware of it because they have been taught, and

even encouraged to earn God’s grace, which was freely given to

us. They generally live normal Christian lives, but secretly they

wonder where the power of Jesus’ words are: “I have come that they

may have life, and have it to the full” ( John 10:10b) . They have a very difficult, if not impossible, time moving into abundant life. If they

were honest, they might admit that they are bored and frustrated

with their Christianity. They continue to exist—living a mun-

dane life—feeling like the power of grace is limited to those who

do not yet know Christ. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons

why Christians have a difficult time with God’s grace.

Backwards

While some biblical texts seem to be under constant scrutiny,

allowing new understandings of truth to emerge, I believe that

Galatians 5:16 has been overlooked. As a result, many of us have

taught this (and many other verses) based upon what we were

55

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 55

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

taught, without challenging ourselves to examine Scripture from

different angles and perspectives. I have concluded that many

have been taught the truth of Galatians 5:16 backwards.

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires

of the flesh (Galatians 5:16).

The truth in this verse is significant to our relationship with

sin and our sense of Christian identity. However, if we empha-

size the second half of the verse without initially applying the

first half, it can greatly affect the way we interpret and apply this

truth. Paul clearly states that we are to walk (or live) by the Spirit.

In other words, when we walk in the Spirit, we remember who

God is and who He says we are. As a result, we will not carry out

the desires of the flesh.

Many have been taught that if people do not carry out the

desires of the flesh, then they will be walking by the Spirit. This

produces a performance mentality that is rooted in the lie that

says the goal of the Christian life is to stop sinning—meaning,

once you stop sinning, you can then be filled with the Spirit. This

approach has left many believers wondering, If the goal is to quit

sinning, why do I keep sinning and am rarely filled with the Spirit? It is a travesty to interpret Galatians 5:16 backwards as it perpetuates a

cycle of works rather than of grace.

There is nothing to work up or stop. We need to know the

truth of what God has given us and done for us. When Christians

believe that they somehow need to stop carrying out the desires

of the flesh prior to being filled with the Spirit, they become frus-

trated and see no success. Look at these passages and see what

God has done!

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In

this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have over-

come the world ( John 16:33).

56

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 56

6/7/12 7:35 AM

God’s Grace Is Not Difficult

I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who

has been from the beginning I have written to you, young men,

because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you,

and you have overcome the evil one (1 John 2:14

NASB).

…every Spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.

This is the Spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is com-

ing and even now is already in the world. You, dear children, are

from God and have overcome them, because the one who is

in you is greater than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:3-4).

Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory

that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that

overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the

Son of God (1 John 5:4-5).

Note the present tense and indicative verbs: has overcome; are

strong; you have overcome. These are actions released by God’s favor and grace that have been given to us already. This is why we call it

the “good news” of the gospel.

When Christians believe that they need to earn what God

has already given them, they try to take care of their sin problem

so they can walk in the Spirit. In this mindset, walking in the

Spirit is the goal of the Christian life, not the way of the Christian life. Jesus freely gives us the ability to walk in the Spirit, which

empowers us to stop fulfilling the desires of our flesh. If the goal

of our Christian life is to walk in the Spirit, what will empower us

to stop sinning? Nothing. When we forget that Jesus has already

provided a way for us to walk in His Spirit, we unknowingly

agree with lies that tell us we must try to stop sinning in our own

strength. Stopping sin in our own strength is impossible—the Old

Testament is full of examples of people trying to avoid sin and

failing. Walking in the Spirit is possible through faith in Jesus,

which empowers us to supernaturally stop sinning.

57

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 57

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

A Heavenly Revolution

God is sending a heavenly revolution of truth to His beloved

Bride and awakening her to this truth and reality. As you begin

to walk out this reality, it will revolutionize your relationship

with Jesus!

We were created to remember who we are and to bring heaven

to the earth. Salvation, signs and wonders, miracles, joy, peace,

divine revelation into the knowledge of His Son, and many more

things are fully accessible in heaven, and God is asking us to part-

ner with Him to release these and more to the earth.

This is our one true destiny, to become God’s own sons and

daughters. Here is power and truth:

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be

has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears

we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2).

In Romans, the Apostle Paul writes with great joy,

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of

God…the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we

are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and

joint heirs with Christ…that we may also be glorified together

(Romans 8:14-17 NKJV).

God’s Grace to Carry Out His Commands

Commands are true things from God, but we cannot carry

them out without God’s grace. We need His grace and power to

carry them out.

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear

fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear

fruit unless you remain in me ( John 15:4).

I [ Jesus] will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all

58

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 58

6/7/12 7:35 AM

God’s Grace Is Not Difficult

your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new Spirit in

you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a

heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you

[that’s us] to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my

laws (Ezekiel 36:25-27).

So Take a Pause

What does the Bible say about our brand-new relationship

with an eternal Father? And conversely, what does it say about

who we are not? At this point there are three things that you need

to know about prior to this teaching:

1. You are going to have to use critical thinking.

2. I cannot teach this well enough for you to get it.

3. The Holy Spirit must invade your inner person (see Eph.

3:16); you must have revelation from the Holy Spirit as

to who you are to your heavenly Father.

For people who feel defective and unwanted at the root of

their souls, there is refreshing truth. So pause and ask the Holy

Spirit to reveal to you who you are to the eternal Father. Ask God

to show you how high, how deep, how wide, and how long His

love is for you (see Eph. 3:16-19). Ask Him what it means when He

says that your sins are forgiven as far as the east is from the west.

Summary Questions

1. Define biblical grace.

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

59

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 59

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

2. Since God’s grace is not difficult, why do we struggle with it?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

3. Galatians 5:16 says, “So I say, walk by the _______________

and you won’t fulfill the desires of the _______________.”

4. The true focus of Galatians 5:16 is walking by the

_________________.

5. According to Galatians 5:16, what will be the result of walk-

ing by the Spirit?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

6. This is the truth of what God has given us and has done (see

pages 56-57).

“I have told you these things so that in me you may

have _______________. In this world you will have

_______________. But take heart! I have _______________

the world” ( John 16:33).

“I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who

has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young

men, because you are _______________, and the word of

God abides in you, and you have _______________ the evil

one” (1 John 2:14 NASB).

60

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 60

6/7/12 7:35 AM

God’s Grace Is Not Difficult

“Everyone born of God _______________ the world. This

is the victory that __________ _______________ the world,

even our faith. Who is it that _______________ the world?

Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (1 John

5:4-5).

7. Re-read page 59. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you

who you are to the eternal Father. Write what He tells you.

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

8. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to show you how high, how deep,

how wide, and how long His love is for you. In your own

words, write out what this means to you (see Eph. 3:16-19).

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

9. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit what He means when He says

your sins are removed as far as the east is from the west. In

your own words, write out what this means to you (see Ps.

103:12).

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

61

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 61

6/7/12 7:35 AM

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 62

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Chapter 5

Humanity’s

Deepest Issue

Dead people don’t need help; they need life.

When I travel and speak at Youth With A Mission (YWAM)

bases, conferences, and churches, I always ask the ques-

tion, “What is humanity’s deepest issue?” The typical response is,

“Humanity’s deepest issue is sin, and sinners need to be forgiven.”

My response is, “Okay, that is a deep issue, but do you think

it is humankind’s deepest issue?”

Then another understandable response comes, “The deepest

issue people have is their need to be loved.”

“Okay I like that, but is that their deepest issue?”

“I believe that humankind’s deepest issue is selfishness.”

Yes, that is certainly an issue many people deal with, but none

of these issues are the deepest issue. Humanity’s deepest issue is

that they are dead and in need of life. Jesus Christ said that He

came to give life. The prevailing question is, “What kind of per-

son needs life?”

Paul states:

I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live; but

Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh, I live

63

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 63

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for

me (Galatians 2:20 NKJV).

Notice how frequently Paul uses the word live. Paul is commu-

nicating something profound, “I used to be spiritually dead, but

now I am alive and living with Christ.”

from god’s standpoint,

humankind’s proBlem is not Just

that they are sinners in need

of forgiveness; their greatest

proBlem is that they are dead and

in need of life.

Let me reiterate that sin is an issue and a severe issue at that. It

is so severe that God had His Son bear all of our sins. Sin was in

the way of us receiving God’s love and experiencing never-ending

life. So God removed sin from us so that we could have life with

Him. Sin always highlights humankind’s deepest issue—death,

which is separation from God!

How Did We Die?

Let’s take a look at Scripture and see if the Bible confirms that

death is the deepest issue people face. When we read Genesis, we

discover how humankind was created:

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he

created him; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27).

We were created in God’s image. Now, what was God’s com-

mand to Adam?

64

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 64

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Humanity’s Deepest Issue

But you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and

evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die (Genesis 2:17).

God told Adam not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of

good and evil, or he would die. So what happens to Adam?

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food

and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom,

she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who

was with her, and he ate it (Genesis 3:6).

Adam and Eve ate the fruit and spiritually died. Adam and

Eve experienced spiritual death and separation from God. They

did not experience immediate physical death because they were

still physically alive, but they were no longer in perfect commu-

nion with their heavenly Father. They were now separated from

God. They no longer were in complete and faultless relationship

with Him.

The first temptation Adam and Eve faced in the garden was

not whether to eat the forbidden fruit or not, but to question what

God had said. “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree of the garden’?” (Gen. 3:1). Once Satan got them to doubt the integrity

and identity of God, it was easy to lure them into foolish actions.

When the serpent deceived Adam and convinced him to follow

his advice rather than God’s, humanity submitted to the enemy

and gave authority over to him. Humankind lost their dominion,

favor, and power from God. Satan was never given authority in

the earth, but we give him authority when we agree with his lies

and deceit. His only tool is to lie, and he is an expert at lying. He

functions and moves in deceit. That’s right; Satan is called a liar!

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out

your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not

holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies,

he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the

father of lies ( John 8:44).

65

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 65

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

When Adam agreed with the serpent’s lies, he gave him con-

trol. The influence that God had given to Adam in the beginning

was no longer Adam’s.

Does Spiritual Death Spread?

According to the book of Genesis, Adam had a son in his own

image:

When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own like-

ness, in his own image; and he named him Seth (Genesis 5:3).

Seth was not born in the image of God as Adam had been.

Because Adam was no longer receiving spiritual life from God,

Adam’s son Seth was now born in the image of Adam. According

to Romans, sin entered the world through Adam’s sin and spiri-

tual death spread to all humanity.

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and

death through sin, and in this way death came to all people,

because all sinned (Romans 5:12).

How did Adam’s sin affect all of humanity? Death was spread!

So the only question remaining is how many people did death

spread to? To the entire human race! According to Ephesians, we

were born into this world in a sinful condition: “As for you, you were

dead in your transgressions and sins” (Eph. 2:1).

Notice that before Adam and Eve disobeyed God, “…they

were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed” (Gen.

2:25 NKJV). Now, after eating the forbidden fruit, they knew

they were naked, and they made aprons and hid themselves from

God’s presence. Something had definitely happened to them, but

it was not physical. While they were now mortal and their bodies

were dying, this was not an immediate physical death, but rather

a spiritual death (see Eph. 2:5; Col. 2:13). The change was on the

inside. Yes, they did die, just as God had promised.

66

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 66

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Humanity’s Deepest Issue

Not Ceasing to Exist

The biblical concept of death does not mean ceasing to exist,

but rather means separation. In the Bible, physical death is the

separation of the soul from the body. With the soul gone, the body

ceases to function and begins to decay. Spiritual death means that

a person’s spirit is separated from God. With the spirit cut off

from God, a person would still be able to function physically, but

could no longer directly experience or commune with God.

Adam forfeited his intimacy with God the day he ate the fruit.

The lack of intimacy with God is what we were born into. We

were born into this world in the image of Adam, spiritually dead.

And dead people don’t need help; they need life. The Bible tells

us that everything God made was very good (see Gen. 1:31). Sin,

therefore, was not a natural part of creation, but an invasion from

the outside. Meaning this, God has created the condition in the

world where the ability to rebel against Him was possible. Yet,

God is not responsible for that rebellion. Therefore, sin was not

God’s original plan. It originated with Lucifer, who was the first

to rebel, and Adam and Eve choose to agree with Satan. Genesis

3:4-5 says, “‘You will not certainly die,’ the serpent said to the woman.

‘For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and

you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’” Adam and Eve thought

they could achieve more than God had given them. Sadly, it had

a drastic effect on the entire human race.

People fear physical death, but there is one reality that peo-

ple fear or will fear more than anything else—spiritual death!

Although not all humanity is aware of their spiritual death, all

humans must eventually come to grips with their spiritual death.

Many do not even acknowledge there is a God, much less that

they are separated from Him. But God will be true to Himself

and will bring this revelation to all. Everyone has come short of

God’s glory. Every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess

that He is Lord (see Rom. 11:14).

67

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 67

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

A chief executive officer of a major corporation will have to

wrestle with the reality of spiritual death; the homeless will grap-

ple with spiritual death; the young and old, the strong and weak,

must all deal with spiritual death (separation from God). No

one can escape the spiritual death that has spread to the entire

human race.

Adam, Where Are You?

In Genesis 3:9, God calls to Adam, “Where are you?” Remem-

ber this: When God asks a question, He is not looking for the

answer. He is making a statement! Why would an omniscient (all-

knowing) and omnipresent (able to be everywhere at the same

time) God ask a question? He obviously knew where Adam was.

“Adam, where are you?” was God’s first statement of redemption toward the human race.

When God said “Adam, where are you?” God was revealing to

Adam, “Satan lied to you; he duped you, he tricked you, and you

agreed with him. You were taken from Me, and I am coming to

get you back. You are My creation; I love you, and you will be

Mine again!” God has been in the process of reconciling with

humanity ever since Adam fell.

Misunderstanding Scripture

Always remember that if you feel discredited or shamed when

you read a passage of Scripture, you have misinterpreted the

verse. God never discredits or shames us. By no means does God

use this form of motivation to get us to do what He wants. This

would be out of His character and nature. The Bible is not about

“should” and “ought too”—the Bible is about results. God comes

from the inside out, never from the outside in. This is what Jesus

meant when He spoke to the Pharisees in Matthew:

68

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 68

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Humanity’s Deepest Issue

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!

You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full

of greed and self-indulgence (Matthew 23:25).

Romans 12:1-2 is one of the most misunderstood passages in

Scripture.

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present

your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which

is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to

this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so

that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good

and acceptable and perfect (NASB).

Romans 12:1-2 was never written or intended to shame or

control us. But I misinterpreted these two verses and lived in

shame for decades. Let me tell you how I used to interpret the

first verse of this passage.

The words “I urge you” made me feel like I needed to be a

holy, living, acceptable sacrifice to God because I certainly was

not acting this way. Paul was very anxious for me to live this way

because I was not measuring up!

Every once in a while, I felt like I was a living sacrifice when

I was teaching the Bible, or if I was leading worship, or if I gave

money, but I never felt holy. Paul also stated that it was reasonable

for me to act as a living and holy sacrifice to God. This made me

feel like I could never measure up. Once again, I had blown it.

Once again, the fact that I was not holy or a living sacrifice had

been revealed.

So, I would try harder to be what Paul called me to be. Then,

when I got really tired of that process and seeing no change, I

began to give up trying to be holy and acceptable to God. I began

to accept the fact that I would not act like Romans 12:1 on this

earth. I decided that I would not be able to walk out this verse

until I got to heaven. Until then, I chose to avoid the passage so

69

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 69

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

that I would not feel guilty or ashamed. Many believers have or

have had a similar interpretation of this verse.

More Misunderstandings of Romans 12:2

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the

renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of

God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans

12:2 NASB).

I used to interpret this verse to mean that I was not to play

cards, to drink alcohol, to watch TV, or to see movies. In other

words, I didn’t do anything that non-believers did because I

thought that God wanted me to be separated from the world! I

felt like I was expected to have my mind changed into heavenly

thoughts, and I certainly did not experience this. I gave up trying

to be transformed. I assumed that these things would occur when

I got to heaven.

I thought I was to know what the perfect and acceptable will

of God was. I could never figure out His will. I was so frustrated.

At that time, I could relate to what Paul said.

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as

a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to

do I do not do, but what I hate I do (Romans 7:14-15).

Instead of feeling defeated and ashamed, my life became

about avoiding Romans 12:1-2. This was my previous interpreta-

tion of Romans 12:1-2.

Through a New Lens

Now let’s examine Romans 12:1-2 through the lens of the

bridal paradigm.

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present

your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which

is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to

70

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 70

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Humanity’s Deepest Issue

this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so

that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good

and acceptable and perfect (NASB).

we are already holy; we are

already a living sacrifice.

In verse 1, “Therefore I urge you” is Paul’s expression of inten-

sity. Based on what Jesus did for us, Paul prepares us to listen very

carefully. Because of the work of the cross, we now have God’s

grace and favor; this has enabled us to receive what we did not

deserve.

A Clearer Translation

While the translators of the New International Version use

the word spiritual in Romans 12:1 (NIV) “for this is your spiritual act of worship,” the King James Version Bible translates this word as

“reasonable.”

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye

present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,

which is your reasonable service (Romans 12:1 KJV).

I have noticed that many believers do not understand Romans

12:1 when the word spiritual is used. The word reasonable is far more comprehensive.

It is only reasonable and makes sense (because of the work of

Christ) that we should present ourselves to Him in this fashion

because this is what has become true about us! We are already

holy, we are already a living sacrifice, and we are already fully

acceptable to our Father. What a glorious and powerful reality.

How freeing! This is a work that has been done by Jesus, and we

are now brand-new creations!

71

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 71

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

Are We Holy?

I know you may have a hard time accepting that you are now

holy before God, a living sacrifice, and that your holy God is

always happy with you. When I teach about the bridal paradigm

in conferences, I ask this question:

“Is God holy?”

Of course everyone responds, “Yes, He is holy.”

I then ask, “What does holy mean?”

They respond typically with, “He is perfect. He hates sin. He

is righteous. He is lacking in nothing.”

“Okay, where does this holy God choose to reside? Where

does He choose to live?”

They all respond with vigor, “He lives in each believer!”

Ah…this is true! God is holy, and since He is holy, He had to

make the place He would live holy, too. The issue is not whether

God can be around sin or darkness, but rather it is that darkness

is dispelled the moment He shows up and is replaced with His

glorious and powerful light.

God chooses to dwell in you:

that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because

it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because

He abides with you and will be in you ( John 14:17

NASB).

Something supernatural happened to all believers the moment

they received Christ as their Savior. We were moved from dark-

ness to light; we became brand-new creations who are holy,

righteous, and lacking in nothing. Something came into existence

that never existed before.

You were dead in your trespasses, and God brought you from

death into life. You have become born again (see John 3:3). You

are now, and forevermore, holy.

Listen to Paul clearly state this reality: “Therefore, if anyone is

in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (2

72

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 72

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Humanity’s Deepest Issue

Cor. 5:17). Believers are a new kind of creature in Christ; they are

neither Jew nor Gentile. There are two Greek words that scholars

have translated as “new” in English, kaine and néos. The word néos

means “new in time” but kaine means a brand-new creation, as

opposed to one that is renewed or improved over time.1

In Second Corinthians 5:17, the word kaine is used, meaning

we are now brand-new creations. A true supernatural experience

has occurred in each believer. The Holy Spirit of God has taken

up residency in each believer. Thus, we have become brand-new

creations.

This and following illustrations will help you understand what

God has done for you and me.

Who We Were Before Christ

This Realm Was

Spiritually Dead &

Non-Existent

Mind, Will and

Emotions

SOUL

FLESH

These first three circles represent us before we met Christ.

We were created with a body and a soul. The soul realm is where

our mind, will, and emotions reside. We were born without the

Spirit of God resident within us. We were spiritually dead; thus,

the Spirit of God in us was non-existent. We were born as sinners,

separated from God, and we were prone to sin. We were enemies

of God (see 1 Cor. 2:16).

73

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 73

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

But, God always delivers on His promises! In the next chap-

ter, we will discover what God has done to bring us into life. We

will realize the tremendous sacrifice God accomplished to get us

back into dominion and righteousness with Himself.

Summary Questions

1. _______________ is humankind’s deepest issue (see page 63).

2. What brought about spiritual death? (See page 64.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

3. Since physical death is the separation of the _________ from

the __________, what does spiritual death mean? (See page

67.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

4. Since spiritual death is separation __________ __________,

what else did humankind forfeit from Satan’s lies? (See page

67.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

74

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 74

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Humanity’s Deepest Issue

5. Read Romans 5:12. How did spiritual death enter the world

and spread? (See page 66.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

6. Some have felt shame about not measuring up to Romans

12:1. How have you historically interpreted Romans 12:1?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

7. According to Romans 12:1, we are already a _____________

_____________, _____________, and _________________

to God!

8. Based on the statement from #7, how do you now interpret

Romans 12:1? (See pages 69-71.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

9. How does it make you feel to know that God has made you a

holy and new creation?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

75

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 75

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

10. What has been your understanding of Romans 12:2? You may

use additional paper if needed.

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

11. According to Romans 12:2, we are not to be “___________

to this world, but to be __________ by the renewing of your

__________ ….”

12. According to pages 70-71, what does it mean to not be con-

formed to this world?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

13. Why is it good to have your mind renewed?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

76

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 76

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Humanity’s Deepest Issue

14. According to Second Corinthians 5:17:

What came into existence that never existed before?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

What has now gone away forever?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

15. The three parts of the soul realm are the _______________,

_________________, and _________________________.

Endnote

1. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Volume 1, Ger-

hard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich, eds, translated by

Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans

Publishing Company, 1985), 388.

77

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 77

6/7/12 7:35 AM

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 78

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Chapter 6

God Makes a

Promise

I will put my Spirit in you and you will live…

(Ezekiel 37:14).

What could be more frustrating than being Christians who

think of themselves as self-centered sinners, yet whose pur-

pose is to produce a life of God-centered holiness? Could this be

God’s intention? Have you ever wondered if God is looking at us

as though we are holy, but we are really not holy? We will explore

the answer to these questions in this chapter.

Can You Touch a Leper?

Before diving into God’s promises, let’s discuss certain truths

that will reconcile any doubts we may have concerning His

promises.

In the Old Testament, God was primarily revealing sin and

the requirements of the Law that needed to be fulfilled. In the

New Testament, God is primarily revealing His love that covers

our sins and the fulfilled Law, through Jesus. In the Old Testa-

ment, if you touched a leper, you became unclean. In the New

Testament, if you touch a leper, the leper becomes clean.

79

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 79

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

your douBts are not as strong as

the Blood of Jesus.

The doubts you may have in your own mind will pin you

down every time. But, your doubts are not as strong as the blood

of Jesus and God’s promises. The demons that continue to plague

you with doubt have been vanquished to eternal hell. Even when

the forces of demonic activity come down on you, let the power

of God overwhelm you. It is now time to agree with God; it is a

victory moment, not a lie moment. Break ranks with the lies of the evil one and come into agreement with the blood of Christ. God,

through His Son, will deliver you. He promises and He never lies.

He only upholds His truth, and the proof that He upholds His

Word was validated when He raised His Son from the grave!

The blood of the Lamb has washed you. So let the word of

your testimony come into agreement with the truth of God. Tor-

ment and shame are not part of your inheritance. It is now time to

drive all demonic oppression away with God’s everlasting truth.

His truth was spoken from the foundations of time and lives today.

There are no more accusations against you. Satan has only one

tool: He lies. Everything that he delivers is a lie.

Healthy fear, such as seeing a car barreling at you and dodg-

ing out of its way because you fear being hit, is wise and normal.

God gave us this emotion to protect us. This would be a good

example of your emotions lining up with the truth of God.

But, when the enemy uses fear, it presents itself as a lie. Fear is

nothing more than False Expectations Appearing Real. Fear from

Satan is nothing more than a lie. A liar should not be believed, but

the One who always tells the truth can be believed and trusted.

What Has God Promised?

Let’s look at what God has promised and what He has done

for us through His only Son Jesus. Here is God’s phenomenal

80

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 80

6/7/12 7:35 AM

God Makes a Promise

promise in Ezekiel 37:14: “I will put My Spirit within you and you

will live….”

God has placed His Spirit in us who were dead and made us

alive. We are saints who have been redeemed by the blood of the

Lamb. The word redeemed means to set free, rescue, or ransom, to

save from a state of sinfulness and all of its consequences.1

Consequently, the death of Christ described in Second Cor-

inthians 5:14-15 produces a whole new order and a new mode of

spiritual perception. The new order created in Christ is the new

covenant (see 2 Cor. 3:6).

Remember Paul’s statement in Second Corinthians 5:17:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” Something has become brand-new. Something now exists that did not exist before. One can conclude from

the wording in this passage that being a new creation in Christ

is similar to Adam and Eve’s experience prior to their fall in the

paradise of Eden. It is perfect.

To the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven.

You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of

the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of

a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better

word than the blood of Abel (Hebrews 12:23-24).

The real you, the born-again you, no longer sins. John care-

fully poses this truth to us in First John 3:9, “No one who is born of

God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.” Everything that is true of Jesus is true of our born-again spirits (see 1 Cor. 6:17; Eph. 1:3,

15-23; Col. 2:9-10; 1 John. 4:17).

Many would back up from First John 3:9 and state that John

proclaims in First John 1:8, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive

ourselves and the truth is not in us.” Many would say, “Here is the

proof that we are still sinners.” But, let’s bring this into full con-

text. If we look at First John 1:1-10, we see that John, while not

81

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 81

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

speaking directly to non-believers, is addressing non-believers.

He is laying out what non-believers must acknowledge in order to

have true fellowship with believers.

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which

we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our

hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of

life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we

proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and

has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and

heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fel-

lowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We

write this to make our joy complete. This is the message we have

heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is

no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet

walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if

we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with

one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all

sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the

truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just

and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteous-

ness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a

liar and his word is not in us (1 John 1:1-10).

In First John 1:10, John is speaking about non-believers. He

is proclaiming that they must acknowledge that they have sinned

and run to the forgiveness that Jesus offers.

Friend, You Are Free and Forgiven

As a born-again believer, your spiritual salvation is com-

plete. At salvation, you receive the same spirit that you will have

throughout all eternity. It will not have to be changed again or

cleansed again.

82

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 82

6/7/12 7:35 AM

God Makes a Promise

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with

him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead,

he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The

death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he

lives to God (Romans 6:8-10).

It has been sealed with the Holy Spirit (see Eph. 1:13) and

is, therefore, sanctified and perfected forever (see Heb. 10:10,14;

12:23). Friend, you are forgiven! There is nothing anybody can do

to change that! When the enemy brings up a sin from the past, he

is bringing something up that is non-existent.

The rest of the Christian life is not about trying to obtain faith

or joy or love or anything else from God, it is rather a release into

our souls and bodies of what we already have in our spirits.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,

goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such

things there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23).

Failure to understand this has caused many people to despair

when they don’t see sufficient change in their lives. It must be

understood that at salvation we change internally, while the out-

ward change will take place as we renew our minds in Christ. I’ll

elaborate on this later.

Again the word redeemed means that you have been rescued

from the consequences of sin. This brand-new creation that you

are no longer sins. He has rescued you from death. God did not

rescue you from sin to leave you in oblivion. He has brought you

from death through redemption and has brought you into life by

making you a brand-new creation. The life that was robbed from

Adam has now been given to you. You are fully, now, and forever

a saint.

In this next illustration, there is a significant difference in

comparison to the previous diagram. Something has now come

into existence that was never there before. We were redeemed.

83

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 83

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

Who We Are Now in Christ

Is Being Redeemed

Has Been Redeemed

Rom 6:6

Eph 5:18

Rom 7:6

Rom 12:2

SOUL

Rom 12:1

Mind

Will

Emotions

SPIRIT

Something came into existence

New Creation

that was never there before!

Holy

Righteous

Complete

Will Be Redeemed

Phil 3:21

When we get to heaven

FLESH

The Spirit

Note that the spirit has been redeemed. This means that at one

point in the past, the “old man” was crucified with Christ. The

“old man” is who we were “in Adam.” In short, the “old man”

is the web of relationships we maintained in our former life “in

Adam.” But now, all things have become brand-new. There is no

more work for Christ to do in our spirits because all things have

become new.

Something has occurred—your spirit is now holy, righteous, a

new creation, complete, and lacking nothing. You are now a saint

and no longer a sinner. You are awesome, and it only makes sense

that you should act like a saint, one who has the power of God

within, because this is who you are.

Paul makes this clear in Romans 1:7: “To all in Rome who are

loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”

We Must Know

What must we remember in order to live lives filled with God?

Let’s search Romans 6 for truth. “In the same way, count [consider]

84

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 84

6/7/12 7:35 AM

God Makes a Promise

yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:11).

There are three key words in Romans 6:

1. Know (verses 3,6,9)

2. Consider or Count (verse 11)

3. Present or Yield (verse 13)

It is interesting that the first real command is not found until

verse 11. Paul uses the word consider. The emphasis in these verses

is not upon doing, but upon knowing (see Rom. 6:3,6,9,16; 7:1). To

have victory, we need to know certain things! It’s not that I need

to do something, but that I need to know something.

First, believers must know the truth! This truth is centered

upon what Christ has already accomplished by His death and

resurrection. The emphasis is not upon what I do, but upon what

Christ has already done!

Second, believers must have an account of the facts and con-

sider them to be true. Faith is the key! Faith is agreeing with

things that we cannot see in the physical and receiving them as

true. Faith fixes itself upon the facts of God’s Word and counts

them as true! Faith says, “Yes it is true. I am dead to sin, and I am

living with God! I rejoice in this fact!”

Third, believers in Christ are to present or yield their entire

beings to God as those who are alive from the dead (see Rom.

6:13). As new creatures in Christ, it makes complete sense that we

will act like who we really are. We are free from sin and death.

We are free to give ourselves freely to God. This is why it is imper-

ative that we renew our minds.

The Old Man

Paul speaks about our “old man.”

Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the

body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be

slaves of sin (Romans 6:6 NKJV).

85

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 85

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

What is our “old man” (see Rom. 6:6; Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:9),

and what is the “new man” (see Col. 3:10; Eph. 4:24)? The “old

man” refers to all that I am and all that I have because of Adam;

the “new man” refers to all that I am and all that I have because

of Christ. The “old man” is my old life in Adam; the “new man”

is my new life in Christ. The first refers to the self-life, while the

latter refers to the Christ-life. The first has to do with the fallen

self; the latter has to do with the redeemed or regenerated self.

The “old man” is the old self; the “new man” is the new self, the

new creature in Christ.

The “old man” is born of the flesh; the “new man” is born

of God. The “old man” came about by natural birth; the “new

man” came about by the supernatural new birth. The “new man”

is a new thing that did not previously exist, but was created (see

Eph. 4:24; 2 Cor. 5:17).

The “old man” will never reform. How then does God deal

with the “old man”? God does not change the “old man.” God

does not transform the “old man.” What did God do with your

old self? What did God do with all that you are and all that you

have in Adam? Romans 6:6 clearly states: “Our old man was cruci-

fied with Him.” God condemned the “old man,” judged him, and

poured out His wrath on him when Jesus died on the cross.

Paul tells us that our “old man” “was crucified,” which means

it is already done! It is finished! You do not need to re-crucify the

“old man”! It is not something that you do; it is something that

God has already done! It is not a command to obey; it is a fact

to believe!

As a Matter of Fact

Consider this verse:

Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with

its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed

in knowledge in the image of its Creator (Colossians 3:9-10).

86

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 86

6/7/12 7:35 AM

God Makes a Promise

Note carefully the language. It says, “you have put off” and “you have put on.” These are not commands; these are facts. Why has

the “old man” been put off? The “old man” has been put off

because God put him on the cross! The “new man” has been put

on the moment we were saved because we are new creatures in

Christ!

Christ’s history has become our history because we are in

Christ. Thus, His death is our death, His burial is our burial,

His resurrection is our resurrection, and His ascension is our

ascension.

The Soul

Now make note that our soul realm is being redeemed; thus our souls are in process. This simply means that the soul realm

is where the work of transformation is taking place. In Ephesians

5:18, Paul teaches us to keep being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Do you know why we must keep being filled with the Holy Spirit?

Because we leak! We forget who we are and who He is. The truth

and reality of who we are leaks out of our soul realm. This is why,

on a continuum, we must keep being filled with God’s presence.

Remember, your “soul realm” is in the process of redemption.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit is about agreement with

what God has done. When lies permeate our minds, they detract

us from the truth and reality that we are God’s possessions.

Remember, we must believe and agree with Jesus’ death, burial,

and resurrection. Agreement causes transformation. This is why

Romans 12:2 is so important.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed

by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the

will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect

(NASB).

The word transformed is translated from the word metamorphosis.

This is what happens to caterpillars as they turn into butterflies.

87

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 87

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

It is a built-in phenomenon. In every moment, allow yourself to

keep being transformed. When we are continually filled with the

Holy Spirit, it allows us to keep remembering who He is and who

we are (see Eph. 5:18). Our call is to cooperate with the Holy

Spirit because transformation is not something that we do, but

rather something that happens to us by the Holy Spirit. We will

discuss more about the soul in the next chapter.

The Flesh

The flesh will be redeemed.

…who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under

his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be

like his glorious body (Philippians 3:21).

Until then, let’s remember that our flesh carries no spiritual

life and is spiritually dead. Since our flesh does not have the mind

of Christ, it only has one job description: It is constantly crying

out for life! Your flesh is relentlessly crying out for life because it

is spiritually dead. Your flesh does not know where to get real life.

Your flesh thinks it can get life from physical gratification (por-

nography), material possessions (houses and cars), fame (church

leadership and people’s opinions about you), and the list goes on

and on. We should not ignore the flesh because it is spiritually

dead. On the contrary, we bring it into submission under the

brand-new spirit that resides in us.

In the next chapter, we will take a more detailed look at the

soul and the flesh.

Summary Questions

1. Read Ezekiel 37:14 in the NIV. What has God promised?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

88

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 88

6/7/12 7:35 AM

God Makes a Promise

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

2. Look up the dictionary definition of redeemed and write it here.

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

3. Second Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in

Christ, the _______ creation has come; the _______ has

gone, the _______ is here.”

4. Describe what it means to you to realize that the born-again

new you never sins (see page 81).

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

5. Read First John 1:1-10 in the NIV. Who is John addressing in

this passage?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

89

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 89

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

6. What is the point John is driving home in First John 1:1-10?

(See page 81-82.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

7. After salvation, what is continually being released into your

soul? (See page 83.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

8. Read Galatians 5:22-23 in the NIV. List the fruits of the Spirit:

a)__________; b)__________; c)__________; d)__________;

e)__________; f)__________; g)__________; h)__________;

i)__________.

9. What does the Scripture say about the Law in relation to the

fruits of the Spirit?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

10. Review the diagram on page 84 and fill in the blanks below.

The ______________ has been redeemed.

The ______________ is being redeemed.

90

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 90

6/7/12 7:35 AM

God Makes a Promise

The ______________ will be redeemed.

11. Read Romans 6. In light of Romans 6, what must we do to

live a life filled with God? (See pages 84-85.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

12. What three key words from Romans 6 are pointed out? (See

pages 84-85.)

______________

______________

______________

13. What are three of the things believers need to know in order

to have victory? (See page 85.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

14. What does the word metamorphosis mean? What part of you is

in the process of metamorphosis?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

91

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 91

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

15. If God is responsible for our transformation, what part do we

play in the process of transformation?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

Endnote

1. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, s.v. “Redeemed”; http://

w w w.merriamwebster.com/dictionar y/redeemed

(accessed February 17, 2012).

92

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 92

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Chapter 7

The Flesh and the

Soul

Your old self is dead and gone.

Let’s look at the biblical word flesh. The Greek word sarx has

been translated as “flesh” numerous times in the New Testa-

ment.1 Translated correctly, sarx means “flesh, fleshy, or of the

flesh.” It is important to remember that the flesh is weak, but not

automatically sinful. Jesus came to earth in the flesh.

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we

saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full

of grace and truth ( John 1:14 NASB).

But Jesus never did anything according to the flesh. He was

simply in bodily physical form. This simply means that Jesus did

not do anything in His own self-effort nor did He obtain His

sense of worth and value from what He did. In His Spirit, Jesus

was completely dependent upon His Father’s love and acceptance.

Sarx has three different usages in the New Testament, and it

always refers to something natural, never supernatural!

1. It could mean our own self-effort.

Paul confronted the church at Galatia because they were mov-

ing in the flesh. They were perfecting (or attempting to complete)

93

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 93

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

their faith through their own self-effort (sarx/flesh). The Galatians wanted to fulfill the requirements of the Law (performance) and

pursue a relationship with Jesus.

You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes

Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the

only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit

by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so

foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being

perfected by the flesh [self-effort] ? Did you suffer so many things in vain-if indeed it was in vain? So then, does He

who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you,

do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? (Gala-

tians 3:1-5 NASB).

2. Sarx can also mean “drawing on a natural source

for a sense of worth, value, and acceptance.”

The Corinthians had a supernatural source in Jesus, but they

were drawing on natural sources by identifying themselves with

a specific teacher (I am of Paul, I am of Apollos, I am of Cephas).

They were using natural sources (people) to draw a sense of value,

acceptance, or life. “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ” (1 Cor. 3:1 NASB).

3. Sarx also refers to the physical body.

We know that Jesus came in the flesh (sarx).

And the Word became 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 ( John 1:14 NASB).

Further Understanding of Flesh (Sarx)

Unfortunately, we have lost the true meaning of the word

sarx because some have taught incorrect theology through ser-

mons, books, songs, and even some Bible translations. In some

94

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 94

6/7/12 7:35 AM

The Flesh and the Soul

translations, the word flesh has been translated as “sinful man”

or “sin nature.” As much as I appreciate the New International

Version Bible, the translators historically have done the word sarx

an injustice by translating it as “sinful nature” instead of “flesh.”

For example, in the 1984 version of the NIV, it reads, “So I say, live

by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature”

(Gal. 5:16). Fortunately, in the 2010 NIV, sarx has been retrans-

lated as “flesh.”

However, because of this prevalent mistranslation of sarx,

many are taught to feel that they have a sin nature. This ill teach-

ing suggests that we have an evil nature that is against God’s

Spirit, as if we are at odds with God. By contrast, Paul says,

“Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1 NKJV).

The King Is Dead

When monarchs transferred power, those who had witnessed

the death of one king and the crowning of another, would cry,

“The King is dead! Long live the King!” When we initially hear

this statement, it can be confusing. How could a king be dead and

alive at the same time? They were talking about two different

people! Indeed, the former king had died and was no longer king.

He had ceased to exist. But the new king, who could never have

emerged as king had the old king not died, now lives. So long as

the old king remained alive, the new king could not be “born.”

But after the second man’s “birth” as the new king, the old

king could never again resurrect himself and reclaim the throne!

The very existence of the one precludes the existence of the other.

These two kings cannot jump in and out of the grave and womb,

and neither can we. The “old man” has indeed died (see Rom. 6:6).

The Holy Spirit has regenerated the “new man” (see Col. 3:10).

Unfortunately, the pervasive position taken by some Chris-

tian leaders is that the “old man” is still “alive and well” within

95

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 95

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

the believer and that sinful performance gives daily testimony to

this fact. The “old man” is seen to leap in and out of the tomb

many times during the typical day.

it is impossiBle for the “new

man” to exist until the “old

man” has died, and the “old man”

cannot resurrect himself.

However, one seldom hears a teacher claim that the “new

man” leaps in and out of the tomb. The two can’t coexist any

more than the two kings can! It was the death of the “old man”

that enabled the “new man” to be born! It is impossible for the

“new man” to exist until the “old man” has died, and the “old

man” cannot resurrect himself. Jesus carried resurrection power

when He arose from the dead, and His life has been given to you!

Satan must disguise himself if he is to have any hope of vic-

tory. He masquerades in the thought lives of Christians by posing

as the “old man” and deceiving Christians into thinking that

they have a sinful nature by suggesting that they sin. In fact, this

causes naïve Christians to direct their defensive efforts against the

wrong foe—a darker side of themselves! Christians fire all their

bullets at a shadow, instead of at the enemy! This is the expla-

nation for the frustration Paul depicts in Romans 7:15: “I do not

understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” We will discuss this at length later.

We know that our old, unrenewed self was nailed to the cross.

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the

body of sin might be done away with, [made powerless] that

we should no longer be slaves to sin (Romans 6:6).

96

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 96

6/7/12 7:35 AM

The Flesh and the Soul

So, now that you know that you do not have “two natures,”

you can no longer say, “I am only human.” God has done a super-

natural act by giving you a brand-new nature that is now the

source of your life.

His Righteousness Given to Us

If we are in Christ, then we have His righteousness, and it is

not given to us in degrees. No one receives more or less of it. It is

the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ, and by faith we receive

it in its fullness!

We are to measure ourselves by His righteousness alone and

not by anyone else’s righteousness. Listen to this passage.

We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who

commend themselves. When they measure themselves by them-

selves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.

We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will con-

fine our boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that

reaches even to you (2 Corinthians 10:12-13).

Paul is saying that there is a rule you can use to measure

yourself. Everyone who truly repents, believes in the perfect righ-

teousness of Christ, comes to Him in faith, and believes in His

work on the cross is made perfectly righteous in the sight of God.

We may not have everything worked out yet. Through the power

of the Holy Spirit, there is still a daily work of sanctification in our

soul realm (see Rom. 12:2). But the Beloved accepts us, and the

very righteousness of Christ has been imputed to us!

The Soul Realm and Our Minds

God is transforming our minds. Thus, it is vital to renew

the mind.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be

transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you

97

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 97

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good,

pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:2).

How can we renew our minds? Paul gave us the answer, “Let

this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5 NKJV).

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and ask Him to

renew our minds, He will gladly do it. In First Corinthians 2:16

we read, “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct

Him? But we have the mind of Christ.” This literally means we possess Christ’s mode of thinking and judging, and we are furnished with

His understanding. We are told in this passage that we “have” the

mind of Christ, which means that we possess His mind.

This truth becomes who we are; it becomes our worth and

character. Power is released when we grasp this truth and allow

it to permeate our very souls (our minds, wills, and emotions)

and become one with Christ. We have the potential to think

His thoughts, His feelings, His purposes, and His desires. This

isn’t about positive thinking. This is about transformation. This

is about allowing God’s Word to penetrate into our very spirits,

souls, and bodies so that it changes the very substance of who we

are. Paul mentions this in his second letter to the Corinthians:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has

gone, the new is here (2 Corinthians 5:17).

What is the new that Paul speaks of? The new that has come is

present in such things as the mind of Christ, the fruit of the Spirit,

anointing, favor, and power. We will have our minds renewed

(new pathways carved by the Holy Spirit), and we will continue

to experience the effects of being in Christ. Remember, our soul

realm is in the process of being sanctified as it catches up with the

part of us that is already made perfect, the newly created spirit

within us.

let us live as people who have

the mind of christ.

98

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 98

6/7/12 7:35 AM

The Flesh and the Soul

Many Christians find themselves living ordinary lives, expe-

riencing neither the presence nor the power of Christ. It is time

to receive fresh revelation of who we are in Christ. We need to

remember whose mind we truly possess in order to show forth

His praises and to powerfully live the abundant life in Christ. We

have the extraordinary privilege of boasting in Jesus Christ. Let

us live as people who have the mind of Christ. In doing so, we

honor His great sacrifice, His great victory, and His great love.

Today, if Jesus is Lord of your life, you have been given a

very special gift—His mind! His understanding! His thoughts!

His feelings! His purposes! His desires! Celebrate this truth and

bask in living an extraordinary life!

The Soul Realm and Our Wills

Our wills are also in the process of metamorphosis (transfor-

mation). Our wills are where we make decisions to obey God. We

are called to obey, to agree with God, and to act upon the truth.

As sons and daughters of God, it only makes sense that we will

obey God. When we do not obey God, it is because we are forget-

ting that we are God’s children. Obedience is the manifestation

or evidence of knowing God personally. Thus, to change our wills

and to bring them into alignment with our new spirits, we must

know God.

Meditating on His Word or on His thoughts is possibly the

best avenue to gain knowledge of God. I will share more about

meditating on God’s thoughts later. Paul explains how our wills

can agree with the truth or with lies in his letter to the Romans.

Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to

obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you

obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death,

or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to

God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly

obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You

99

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 99

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteous-

ness (Romans 6:16-18).

The Holy Spirit ignites repentance or confession, and He

moves us to respond with our wills. Repentance is so pure because

it is the goodness of God that draws us to repentance (see Rom.

2:4). There is a significant difference between asking God for

forgiveness and repenting. Since we already have complete for-

giveness, we need not continue asking God for forgiveness (see

Rom. 6:10). Believers should, although, agree with God with a

spirit of repentance. Repentance is turning to God (which turns

us away from sin) and thanking the One who loves us and has

already forgiven us! By doing this, we are agreeing with God that

we forgot who we are and that we sinned and mistakenly thought

we could get life out of dead things.

The Soul Realm and Our Emotions

Men in particular, especially in our Western culture, have

been told that it is wrong to have emotions. This is magnified with

statements like, “Real men don’t cry!” This communicates that a

man is weak if he cries or if he expresses a deep emotion. I would

suggest that both Adam and Eve had equal amounts of emotion

in the Garden of Eden. I also believe that men and women have

equal levels of emotion today, although they may express emotion

differently depending on the issue.

Let me explain this. I believe that men have the same amount

of emotion as women. Men, however, have been trained to hide

their emotions, but emotions have a way of finding their way out.

A boiling pot will eventually explode if it has a lid on it.

How do emotions find their way out or explode? Domestic

abuse is a definite outgrowth of stifled emotions. While women

can also become abusers, men are often the ones who abuse.

Abusers use fear, guilt, shame, and intimidation to wear people

down and keep them under their thumb. Abusers also use physical

100

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 100

6/7/12 7:35 AM

The Flesh and the Soul

abuse such as rape, physical pain, punching holes in walls, and so

on. Let me share a story with you about stifled emotions.

I met a friend of mine, Michael, in a coffee shop one day. He

shared with me that he had grown up being trained to stifle his

emotions.

I asked Michael, “How were you trained to stifle your

emotions?”

Michael said, “It was easy. My dad would immediately lift

his hand up with a threat to hit me any time that I cried as a

little boy. He would holler out, ‘Stop that crying, or I will give

you something to cry about.’ This triggered an ability to stifle my

emotions; thus, I began to shut down emotionally.”

Every time Michael was told to stop crying, it made him sup-

press his emotions. Over time, he learned to shut his emotions

down and to stop feeling altogether.

While other men might not have experienced the same sce-

nario that Michael did, the messages that men receive in our

culture have trained them to stifle their real emotions. Anyone

who has heard these messages has slowly trained himself or her-

self to stop feeling emotions. But again, emotions never get stifled;

they just find other ways to rise up.

Shame Is an Emotion

We stand in front of our mirrors each and every day and make

statements: “I’m too fat,” “My nose is too big,” “My hair is fading

away,” “My face is covered with acne,” or “No one could really

love me.” These are statements of indictment. They are emo-

tions based on lies. We often define how we feel about ourselves

through lies. This is called shame-based thinking. This thinking

is based on the fact that we believe we are defective, unlovable,

and inadequate. While this is not true, if we believe it is, it will

affect our ability to receive from God as His Bride.

101

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 101

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

The Skills of Shame

In order to survive in a shame-based life, people have to learn

certain skills, such as perfection, lying, or performance, which

enable them to exist and avoid hopelessness.

When shame controls your emotions, you definitely do not

want to make mistakes in front of people. People who struggle

with shame always need to supply a reason for their mistakes.

They avoid taking ownership for their own faults and shift

blame to others. When their children misbehave in front of fam-

ily or friends, they fear being judged as a bad parent. Failing to

maintain certain religious ideals makes them feel like a defec-

tive Christian. People who struggle with shame cannot observe

their friends and family receiving a new car, house, or furniture

without concluding that God must love them more. People who

walk in shame are afraid to express different opinions for fear of

appearing stupid or inadequate.

Church Leaders Mean Well?

Many years ago, my wife, kids, and I attended a small church

in Redding, California. We were new Christians at the time.

The pastor would offer an altar call every week, and my wife

would go forward in tears just about every week. On the outside,

I was appearing to be very supportive of her tearful approaches

to God, but on the inside I was screaming, “These people must

think I am the worst husband in the world!”

One week the leaders in the church called me up front and

gathered around me. Now remember, at this point I was a brand-

new Christian. As the leaders gathered, they said, “You know,

Ken, that your wife comes forward each week in tears.”

I responded, “Yes, I have been praying for her when she goes

forward.”

102

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 102

6/7/12 7:35 AM

The Flesh and the Soul

They continued, “Ken, as the spiritual leader in your home,

we want you to be aware that you carry the responsibility for your

wife’s spiritual well-being.”

I agreed with them. As a brand-new believer, this made sense

to me because my spiritual leaders had taught me that this was

the way Jesus intended it to be.

They counseled, “You need to be in the Word of God more,

you need to give more, and you need to be a better husband and

father.”

I agreed, and the very next morning I was off to the races. I

got up at 6:00 a.m. to read the Bible. I did this for the next two

weeks. At the time, I did not understand that weekly requests for

prayer and tears at the altar were a sign that God was working

deeply in Becky’s life. I misunderstood the situation and thought

that there was no change since she continued to cry freely. So I

decided to get up an additional hour earlier every day to read the

Scriptures. A couple of weeks later, there were still no changes.

So I continued to try to fix Becky through performance by giv-

ing more money to the church, and you guessed it, there was still

no change.

There Was a Problem

While I was being manipulated by spiritual leaders (who I

am sure meant well and who only treated me this way because

this was all they knew), that was not the original problem. The

original problem was that my emotions began to agree with those

lies. I believed the lie that said I was a lousy husband because

my wife was a mess, not to mention the lie that said my church

family would not accept me even if I was a lousy husband. I was

definitely trying to get spiritual life out of things that could not

produce life. I was attempting to produce change through works

103

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 103

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

rather than trusting God and inviting His liberating and healing

presence into the situation.

The next problem was that my spiritual leaders were lead-

ing me into performance-based Christianity that did not help my

wife’s transformation. I was more concerned with keeping people

happy with me than I was about my wife. I found myself being

catapulted into maximum performance.

Because I was a young believer who didn’t understand how

to submit my emotions to the Holy Spirit, the unhealthy spiritual

counsel I was receiving was amplified in my life, and I walked

deeply into performance-based Christianity. I know now that my

wife’s spiritual condition was not my fault; but instead of directing

my spiritual energy into prayer and encouragement to her, I spi-

raled into performance. Because I did not understand that I am

forgiven, loved, and accepted as Christ’s Bride, my energy was

focused on trying to earn these things from Him. I was in need of

a total identity makeover from God!

God Aligns Our Emotions

Our emotions are being changed by the power of God. The

word emotion has several definitions. According to the Merriam-

Webster’s Dictionary, the Latin root of the word emotion means, “to

displace.”2 I find that definition very interesting because that is

what carnal, uncrucified emotions try to do. They displace us

and move us away from God. This is exactly what Adam and

Eve did the moment they forgot who they were: they hid. In fact,

Satan’s plan is to get us to live by our carnal feelings so we never

walk in the Spirit. God created us to experience His emotions

and our emotions. He is an emotional God. This does not make

Him weak; it simply means that He has healthy and truth-based

feelings about us.

Remember that feelings are neither right nor wrong, and they

are perfectly okay to have. While it is okay to experience feelings,

104

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 104

6/7/12 7:35 AM

The Flesh and the Soul

they do not always line up with the truth of God. Many of us have

been, or know individuals who have been, controlled by their

emotions. These people make most of their decisions based on

how they feel at any given moment. Unfortunately, since our emo-

tions do not always line up with the truth of God, we are often

under their control, which can lead us into more lies. We can,

however, submit our emotions to the control of the Holy Spirit so

that they will agree with the truth of God.

How Far Is the East from the West?

So how much are you forgiven? Let me use an analogy to

explain. If you traveled north in an airplane with the intent of

traveling around the earth, what direction would you be travel-

ing after you crossed over the North Pole? You would be traveling

south, even if initially you started traveling north. If you travel

south around the earth, you will eventually start traveling north

when you move beyond the South Pole.

What is amazing is that when you travel eastward, you will

always be traveling east; you will never be traveling west. Con-

versely, if you take off in the same plane and travel west, you will

continue traveling west.

Aren’t you glad that your sins are not forgiven as far as the

north is from the south! But your sins are eternally forgiven as far

as the east is from the west. Hallelujah!

God’s Promises Are True

Listen to the prophet Ezekiel express the Father’s heart.

Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean;

I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.

Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new Spirit

within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh

and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you

105

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 105

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to

observe My ordinances (Ezekiel 36:25-27 NASB).

Did you notice the additional promise that God makes toward

us? He promises to give us a brand-new heart and to place a

brand-new spirit in us. He will make us clean and we will obey

Him. While we are responsible to cooperate with God’s leader-

ship, God Himself will be in charge of our new and consistent

behavior. Always remember that God is not going to force Him-

self upon anyone. He is looking for voluntary lovers who will

invite Him to change their behaviors to align and be consistent

with who we are to Him.

My favorite verse concerning the revelation of our identity as

the Bride is “Let us keep living by the same standard to which we

have attained” (Phil. 3:16 NASB) . I note a couple of things in this verse. First, we are to keep living. It doesn’t say that we are to keep dying (to the flesh or to the sinful nature within us). Second, we have already attained the standard of Jesus because we

have died to our old selves (once and for all) and we now live for

Christ! We are to soar consistently on the outside because of who

we already are on the inside.

The Greek word for “sin” is harmatia, which means “miss-

ing the mark.”3 While this is biblically sound, I have a practical

definition that I have adopted and can truly relate to. I define

sin as “trying to get spiritual life out of things or actions that are incapable of producing life because of being unaware or having

forgotten one’s identity as a child of the life-giving God.” In short,

sin is the result of forgetting who we are or trying to get life out

of dead things!

One of my original mentors, Jeff VanVonderon, wrote a pow-

erful book entitled Tired of Trying to Measure Up. In his book, Jeff

has a brilliant statement defining sin. “Anyone or anything from

which you and I try to acquire life, value and meaning, outside of

the true God, is a false god.”4

106

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 106

6/7/12 7:35 AM

The Flesh and the Soul

Why Not Put the “Flesh to Death”?

If you have to put the flesh to death (die to self), then it’s you

doing it, and that is self-effort. Why would you have to put the

flesh to death when the flesh is already dead? The goal of the

Christian life is not to stop sinning. The goal of the believer’s life

is to keep remembering who you are, that you are permanently

stationed at the banqueting table. The “old self” (see Rom. 6:6)

can no more be re-crucified than Christ can be, and even if it

could be, you couldn’t do it!

The fact that Jesus came in the flesh does not make Him auto-

matically sinful. It does not mean that He had a sinful nature.

Jesus always looked to His Father as His source for life, strength,

purpose, and desire. Even when Satan came and tempted Jesus to

look to natural things to meet His needs, He never turned to those

natural things to meet His needs. He lived in the flesh, but never

did things according to the flesh. He walked according to His Father, who was always His source for everything.

Before we were Christians, we were in the flesh, and we also

did things according to the flesh (the flesh was our source for life).

We tried quite unsuccessfully to get life out of dead things such as

money, status, inappropriate sex, and people’s opinions. And even

though the flesh never delivered, we kept trying because we did

things according to the flesh.

People actually become Christians when they begin to get

their life from God. His Spirit is the only source that can give us

life. When we get life from the Spirit at the time of salvation, the

natural flesh is no longer our source. Galatians 5:24 clearly states

this fact, “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (NASB). Paul clearly emphasizes

this truth again in his letter to the Galatians.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but

Christ lives in me. The life I live in the flesh, I live by faith in the

107

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 107

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians

2:20).

The Last Samurai

In the magnificent movie The Last Samurai, Tom Cruise plays

a character by the name of Algren, an ex-United States Army

Captain. In the movie, the westernized Japanese Imperial Army

recruits Algren, because he is a decorated warrior, to help train

their soldiers to defeat the ancient samurai warriors.

Within days of his arrival in Japan, Algren is informed that he

must quickly train the Japanese army for immediate battle with

the samurai. Algren obstinately tells the head of the Japanese

army that the troops are not ready for any battle, much less against

the ancient samurai warriors who rely solely on their swords and

armor. He had been training the Japanese soldiers on the use of

American guns and ammunition and recognized they were not

proficient yet. It was obvious that the samurai were superior war-

riors and that the Imperial army would be easily defeated.

Algren is reluctantly forced into battle with his unprepared

army. They battle against each other until the samurai warriors

defeat the Imperial army and take Algren captive.

During the battle, Chief Samurai Katsumoto notices Algren’s

valiant skills and great passion to survive. As a result, the chief

samurai befriends Algren while he is confined at the samurai

camp. Over the next year, Algren is captivated with the samurai

lifestyle and becomes very skilled in samurai warfare.

During the brutal, final battle scene of the movie, most of the

samurai die, including Katsumoto, who becomes known as the

last samurai. Algren is also wounded and in deep emotional pain

because his good friend, Katsumoto, has died at the hands of the

Japanese army.

A few days later, Algren presents Katsumoto’s sword to

the young Japanese emperor. As Algren walks up to the young

Emperor, he respectfully bows and lowers his head. As Algren is

108

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 108

6/7/12 7:35 AM

The Flesh and the Soul

frozen in his submitted pose, he offers up the last samurai’s sword

to the young emperor.

The young emperor says, “Tell me, how did he die?”

Algren looks into his eyes and—with great pain and agony—

says, “I will not tell you how he died. I will tell you how he lived.”

It Is Time for the Truth

My friends, it is time for the Bride of Christ to stop telling

everyone how he or she has died to the flesh or the sinful nature.

We need to start telling everyone how we live for God. We are

alive because Jesus rose from the dead. So let us start remember-

ing that the flesh is dead and start focusing our lives in Christ.

Romans 6:11-14 says:

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but

alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin

reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not

offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness,

but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who

have been brought from death to life; and offer

the parts of your body to him as instruments of

righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you

are not under law, but under grace.

Yes and Amen!

Summary Questions

1. What is the correct translation of the Greek word sarx? (See

page 93)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

109

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 109

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

2. Is the following statement true or false? “Flesh is automati-

cally sinful.” True / False (See page 93.)

3. Sarx always refers to something _______________, never

________________. (See page 93.)

4. List the three different usages of sarx in the New Testament

(see pages 93-94).

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

5. Romans 6:6-7: “For we know that our _______ self was cru-

cified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done

away with, that we should no longer be slaves to _______—

because anyone who has ___ has been set _______ _______

_______” (NIV).

6. Write out what you believe Romans 6:6-7 means (see pages

95-97).

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

110

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 110

6/7/12 7:35 AM

The Flesh and the Soul

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

7. What had to “die” for the “new man” to have life? (See pages

95-97.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

8. Do you have two natures or one new nature? Why? (See page

97.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

Endnotes

1. Thayer and Smith, The KJV New Testament Greek Lexi-

con, s.v. “Sarx” (#4561); BibleStudyTools.com; http://

www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/kjv/sarx.html

(accessed February 17, 2012).

2. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, s.v. “Emotion”; http://

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emotion

(accessed February 17, 2012).

3. Thayer and Smith, The KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon,

s.v. “Hamartia” (#266); BibleStudyTools.com; http://

111

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 111

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/kjv/hamartia.

html (accessed February 17, 2012).

4. Jeff VanVonderon, Tired of Trying to Measure Up (Minne-

apolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 1990), 101.

112

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 112

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Chapter 8

What Shall We

Say, Then?

We have been brought from an old country into a

brand-new country

The kingdom of God is about agreement. We either agree

with the truth of God or the lies of the enemy. There really

is no in between.

Paul tells us something very important in his letter to the

Roman church. When he penned this letter, he didn’t break it

into verses—it was one continuous thought. Verses have been

added to make biblical addresses more coherent. Therefore, we

can read Romans 5:18–6:18 as one thought. Let’s take a look at

part of that passage.

For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many

were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man

the many will be made righteous. The law was added so that the

trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased

all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace

might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through

Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say, then? Shall we go on

113

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 113

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin;

how can we live in it any longer? (Romans 5:19–6:2)

Paul says “God has brought eternal life through the righteousness of

Jesus.” Because of what Jesus has done (see Rom. 5:19), should

we continue to sin so that grace might abound (see Rom. 6:1)?

No way. How can we who have been saved from sin still live like

sinners? We have been brought from an old country into a brand-

new country. How can we go back to the old country? We are

now and forevermore saints. We are no longer sinners!

how can we go Back to the old

country?

I heard Kris Vallotton from Bethel Church in Redding, Cali-

fornia, once say, “If we believe we are sinners, then we will sin by

faith!” We function and move based upon what we believe. We

have to remember who we are. Proverbs 23:7a lets us know that

“as he [a person] thinks within himself, so he is” (NASB). If we choose to agree with the lie that says we are nothing but sinners saved

by grace, then we will continue to live in sin. We will not experi-

ence the freedom from sin that being a slave to righteousness has

brought us. Try arguing with the truth of First John 3:9:

No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because

God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sin-

ning, because he has been born of God.

It is no longer our nature to sin because our old selves are dead

and gone. We do not have a sin nature. We need to remember that

our old selves are dead. Our very nature has been changed. The

truth of the matter is that we are good because God is good, and

He has given us new spirits and new minds (see Ezek. 36:26; 1 Cor.

2:16). We actually think like Jesus because we have His mind!

114

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 114

6/7/12 7:35 AM

What Shall We Say, Then?

we no longer need to keep dying

to flesh, But to keep living in

christ.

We have been baptized into the same death that Christ

endured. And we have been raised from the dead just like Christ.

Our old selves were co-crucified with Christ so that sin would

become powerless. Sin has no more clout with us. We live with

Christ.

We no longer need to keep dying to flesh, but we do need to

keep living in Christ. Death is no longer master over Jesus because

He died once and for all; therefore, we count ourselves dead to

sin and alive to Christ. We no longer allow the travesty of sin to

reign in our bodies. Sin is no longer master over us. We are holy,

righteous, and new creations full of the Spirit of God. We are

not under the Law any more, for we are now under His powerful

grace. We do not choose to sin because we are under His grace.

On the contrary, we choose righteousness because we have God’s

grace that empowers us to live lives full of power.

Let’s break down these verses in the book of Romans to see

the truth they communicate:

Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ

Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with

him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was

raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may

live a new life (Romans 6:3-4).

In these verses, Paul reflects on the fact that Christians have

a different understanding of the Law because of their faith in

Christ. The Law binds the living, not the dead. This concept is

exemplified in marriage, which binds two people together in life,

but is dissolved through death. Similarly, Christians who have

died with Christ to sin through baptism are freed from the Law

115

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 115

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

that produced sin, which in turn brought about death. Now that

Christians are joined to Christ, the power of Christ’s resurrec-

tion makes it possible for them to bear the fruit of newness of life

in God.

If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will

certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know

that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin

might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to

sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin

(Romans 6:5-7).

The word united means we have become just like Him in His

death, burial, and resurrection. I do not often use the King James

translation, but it is helpful to look at these verses in that version.

It is a must read!

For if we have been planted together in the likeness of

his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection

(Romans 6:5-7 KJV).

This “planted together” would represent one plant being rooted

in another plant so that the first plant derives its strength and life

from the second plant. A good example of this reality is the Span-

ish Moss that grows on trees in the southern part of the United

States. The moss is a distinct species, but it only grows as part of

another tree; it cannot exist alone. It derives its life from the life

of another.

We are planted in Christ’s death and resurrection. Since we

have death through Jesus, our life is also found in Him alone. I

have a life, but I would cease to exist spiritually if I was cut off

from His life. Jesus reminds us of this great truth and promise in

John’s gospel:

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever

you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory,

that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples

( John 15:7-8).

116

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 116

6/7/12 7:35 AM

What Shall We Say, Then?

Let’s go back to the book of Romans:

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the

body of sin might be done away with… (Romans 6:6).

The words “done away with” remind us that our old selves

have died and have been made permanently impotent. They are

utterly powerless. Spiritual fruit can only be produced with and

through resurrection power, not self-power. I cannot decide to

bear fruit; I must bear it through Him, because we are walking

in resurrection life. This is the same power and the same life that

Christ had when He was raised from the dead. Being born again

is no less miraculous!

Since you have been raised with Christ, set your heart on

things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

In other words, set your mind on things above, not on earthly

things. Since your old self has died, your life is now hidden in

Christ (see Col. 3:1-4). Since you walk in resurrection power, you

can also set your mind on resurrection things. Since you have

also partaken in Christ’s ascension, your home is now nothing

less than heaven itself.

Let’s continue:

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with

him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead,

he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The

death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he

lives to God (Romans 6:8-10).

These verses tell us that we have been freed from sin. The

power of sin is broken in my life and in yours. But again, you may

ask, “Why do I still sin?” The reason you choose to sin is simple.

You forgot who you are. Remember, your “soul realm” is still in

the process of redemption. Your mind, will, and emotions thought

you could get life out of dead things. You thought you could get

life out of something or someone other than God.

117

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 117

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

Remember, the brand-new you (the place where God now

dwells) no longer sins. Christ made you holy, righteous, and a

brand-new creation. Because of what Christ did for you, you are

now free to not sin. You now have the amazing privilege to choose

life, which is something you did not previously have.

Remember the illustration of “Who We Are Now in Christ.”

Is Being Redeemed

Has Been Redeemed

Rom 6:6

Eph 5:18

Rom 7:6

Rom 12:2

SOUL

Rom 12:1

Mind

Will

Emotions

SPIRIT

Something came into existence

New Creation

that was never there before!

Holy

Righteous

Complete

Will Be Redeemed

Phil 3:21

When we get to heaven

FLESH

The Spirit of God dwells in the brand-new you, and because

you are brand-new, you no longer sin. This is simply because

God’s light is constantly shining on the new you, and there is no

sin where the light of God is shining. But the “soul realm” (mind,

will, and emotions) is still in the process of being transformed.

This is the realm where we forget who we are and sin. God is in

the process of renewing our minds into the reality of the kingdom

of God. This is the realm where God is making us more like His

Son Jesus.

you are now living for god and

sin is a foreign land for you.

Once again, we can see why Paul drives home to us in Romans

12:2 that we are to renew our minds and to be transformed. This

118

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 118

6/7/12 7:35 AM

What Shall We Say, Then?

is why we do not have to keep dying, but only to keep remember-

ing who we are.

Since Christ cannot die again, and He died to sin once and

for all, you do not have to keep dying. You are now living!

Now let’s take a look at the next couple of verses:

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in

Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body

so that you obey its evil desires (Romans 6:11-12).

Christ died once and for all; He will never die again. The

same is true for you. Continuing to die does not make sense

because you are forever alive to Christ.

I Die Daily

Most of us have been taught the doctrine of dying daily to our

flesh. This teaching is often based upon Paul’s words to the Corin-

thians: “I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily” (1 Cor. 15:31 NKJV) . Teachers assert that if Paul died daily then we should as well. Let’s take a closer look at the

context in which Paul spoke these words. The phrase “die daily”

means, “every day I am in the danger of death.” The Greek word

for “die daily” is apothnesko. 1 These words are speaking of natural

death, not spiritual death or dying to self or the flesh.

Paul was proclaiming that his physical life was on the line

each and every day for the sake of the resurrection of Christ and

all believers. Listen to Paul’s words just a few verses earlier:

But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead,

how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has

been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is

useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to

be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that

he raised Christ from the dead… (1 Corinthians 15:12-15).

119

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 119

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

Paul continues:

Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are bap-

tized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people

baptized for them? And as for us, why do we endanger

ourselves every hour? I face death every day—

yes, just as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human

hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, “Let us

eat and drink, for tomorrow we die (1 Corinthians 15:29-32).

If you want to agree with Paul that your physical life is on the

line for the resurrection, go for it. Some people put their lives on

the line for the gospel frequently, those in countries like China

and in cities like Cairo, Egypt. And there may come a time when

Americans will put their physical lives on the line as well. We can-

not, however, use First Corinthians 15:31 to theologically support

why we are to die to self or to the flesh.

We Must Consider

The reason we Christians sin is due to the nature of our unre-

newed minds, not because we have a sin nature. We must “count”

or consider ourselves dead to sin. But again you say, “But I still

sin!” You are focusing on the wrong issue. You must not focus on

sin or be self-conscious. You must be God-conscious! If you sin

and forget who you are, repent to God and don’t dwell on it.

The fact that you know you have sinned means that the power

of sin is broken in your life. You simply forgot who you are. I have

heard people say, “If I don’t focus on stopping my sin, I am ignor-

ing the truth that I still sin, and I will continue to sin.” When the

concentration is on trying to stop sinning, we have missed the

mark. We are going to have to take God at His Word and refocus

our minds on Him, not on sin. After all, God reminds us: “So I

say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh”

(Gal. 5:16).

120

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 120

6/7/12 7:35 AM

What Shall We Say, Then?

You are now living for God, and sin is a foreign land for you.

You may visit there, but you are an alien, a foreigner. You know

where you live, and that land is resurrection land.

Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wick-

edness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been

brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him

as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your mas-

ter, because you are not under law, but under grace (Romans

6:13-14).

Verse 13 is a command. “Do not offer the parts of your body to

sin, as instruments of wickedness….” Since this is a command, God

has also released His power to empower us to stop sinning. God

would never give us a command that is not possible to carry out.

Yet, without the Spirit’s presence in our lives, we would not be

able to even consider doing this. God has given each of us the

choice to not sin. Since we are His children, we will choose life

versus death and sin. Paul continues in verse 14 when he states

that there is no law that can conquer sin, but God’s grace gives us

the power to live victoriously.

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under

grace? By no means! Don’t you know that when you offer your-

selves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one

whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to

death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks

be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you whole-

heartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted.

You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righ-

teousness (Romans 6:15-18).

Verse 15 clearly tells us that we do not sin so that grace can

come into our lives. That would be like becoming sick so you can

take more medication. If you are not sick, you do not need medication. Don’t you remember that you are living in a brand-new

country called Grace?

121

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 121

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

Based upon verse 16, it seems to me that it is your choice as

to who you will serve. But then, the one whom you serve will

produce power and influence over your life. If you choose sin, it

will dominate you, and you will be its slave. If you choose obedi-

ence, then the power of the Spirit will dominate you, and you

will serve Him. The choice is yours. As a child of God, have you

chosen to obey?

It would seem that you are destined to be a “slave.” It is just

a matter of who will be your master. If you choose not to be a

slave of Christ, then you are not free; you are simply a slave to the

power of sin. But, since Christ raised you from the dead, you are

free indeed, and you can choose to obey Him. It only makes sense

that you would! Listen to Paul’s comments:

But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to

sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching

that has now claimed your allegiance (Romans 6:17).

Because of who you are, give thanks to the one who has given

you a brand-new name. The Hebrew word Hephzibah, in Isaiah

62:4, means “my delight is in her.”

No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Des-

olate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land

Beulah; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land

will be married.

God is always delighted with you. You are a perfect Bride for

His Son. Listen to Paul carefully articulate this truth that they

should be focused on God and God alone.

I am using an example from everyday life because of your human

limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impu-

rity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as

slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves

to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What ben-

efit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed

of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set

free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap

122

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 122

6/7/12 7:35 AM

What Shall We Say, Then?

leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of

sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our

Lord (Romans 6:19-23).

In these verses, Paul is simply communicating that you can-

not get life out of dead stuff! Notice that Paul is referring to the

past as he writes to the Roman Christians, “Just as you used to…

When you were slaves to sin…What benefit did you reap at that

time from the things that you are now ashamed of?” All of those things brought about death because they are things of the flesh. And the

flesh can only deliver death!

Then Paul speaks about the present and the future: “But now

that you have been set free from sin….” Paul indicates that sin is no longer in control of our lives. We are now slaves to God. God has

delivered us into life with Him. We have eternal life. The word

eternal speaks not only of the future, but it also refers to the now; it is now and forevermore.

When we remember this truth, it will set us free. We are free

to move in the power of miracles and signs and wonders. Evi-

dence of this kind of power will provoke us to preach, proclaim,

prophesy, and speak of His redeeming love to lost, hurting, and

pain-filled people. As we unite with God and agree with Him, we

are filled with the Holy Spirit, and we move out under His grace

and power. We then begin to notice that God designed us to expe-

rience life full of His Spirit and to walk in abundance.

Joint Heirs with Christ

It only makes sense that, as brand-new creations, we should

give ourselves to Him. We are His sons and daughters. We are

joint heirs with Christ. As joint heirs with Christ, we get every-

thing that Christ has. The beauty of the bridal paradigm message

is that we have our inheritance, now! The difference between

earthly and heavenly inheritances is that we do not have to wait

for God’s inheritance.

123

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 123

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

the Beauty of the Bridal

paradigm message is that we have

our inheritance, now!

To receive an earthly inheritance, someone has to die. Christ

has already died; therefore, we get our inheritance now. Christ

has already placed the inheritance in our account. Our inheri-

tance is waiting for us to make a withdrawal. But we will not make

a withdrawal until we understand that we now have the privilege to activate such a withdrawal as sons and daughters of God!

God desires that we occupy every spiritual territory. He

desires that we be occupied with His power, authority, and love.

God desires us to constantly be expanding. This is what Jesus

meant when He taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be

done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10) . A spiritual inheritance makes us more effective and efficient in representing the King

and His kingdom. A spiritual inheritance pulls back the curtain

and reveals what we already have permission to use and to take

possession of the earth. We will discuss this in more detail later.

Do You Agree?

Do you agree that it is possible to go 24 hours without sin-

ning? Jesus did, and He is our perfect illustration of a life full of

the presence of God. Remember that as a man Jesus showed us a

life entirely dependent on His Father. He depended on His Father

for everything and did not do anything that His Father did not

lead Him to do. Jesus was in utter dependence on His Father.

Jesus did not demand Himself equal to God, but chose to become

a man unto death. Jesus was fully secure in His Father’s love,

acceptance, and purposes. Take a careful look at what Paul said

to the Philippians.

124

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 124

6/7/12 7:35 AM

What Shall We Say, Then?

…Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very

nature God, did not consider equality with God something to

be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing,

by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human

likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled

himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the

name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every

knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and

every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory

of God the Father (Philippians 2:5-11).

Notice that we are to have the same mindset (earlier versions

of the NIV say “attitude”) as Christ, which means that we should

depend on our Father just as Christ depended on His Father—not

because we ought to, but because it makes sense that we should.

This is simply who we are! Believers in Christ lean into the arms

of a loving God, looking at Him and to Him for everything they

need. Jesus, while He was God, chose to completely lay down His

heavenly nature. He actually took on the very nature of a servant,

even to the point of dying on a cross. Because Jesus was a man,

He leaned into His Father for all things, and because of this, His

Father has exalted Him to the highest of places and given Him

the name that is above all other names!

A Dog and His Bone

Once a boy tried to take a bone from a dog. Unwilling to let

go of his bone, the dog bit him. His father said, “Here, let me

take the bone away from the dog.” Soon the father came back to

where the boy was standing and held out the bone to him. His son

asked, “How did you do that, Dad?” His father smiled and said,

“I gave him something he wanted more than the bone; I gave him

a steak.”

It’s easy to give up sin when you have something better!

125

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 125

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

God has either made it possible for us to go for 24 hours with-

out sinning, or this Christianity and all that God has purposed

to do through the blood and sacrifice of His Son is a big waste of

time. Not only that, but God would have to be a liar.

We are active pursuers of Christ; therefore, we will not grab

hold of death, but life. Since God never lies, I am willing to tell

you that you can walk deeper and deeper into Him and experi-

ence 24 hours without sinning and have an abundant life full of

the Spirit.

Now that you know that you are a joint heir with Christ and

that you are no longer a sinner, but a saint, let’s take a look at why

God gave Israel the Mosaic Law and what its purpose was and is.

Summary Questions

1. The kingdom of God is about ________________. We either

agree with the ____________ of God or the __________ of

the enemy (see page 113).

2. What activities assist in the renewing of our minds? (See page

117.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

3. “As he [a person] _______________ within himself, so he

_______” (Prov. 23:7a NASB).

4. What does it mean to have the mind of Christ?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

126

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 126

6/7/12 7:35 AM

What Shall We Say, Then?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

5. How do you know the power of sin is broken in your life? (See

page 120-121.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

6. Write what the following statement means to you: You are liv-

ing in a brand-new country called Grace (see pages 120-121).

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

7. Do you agree that it’s possible to go 24 hours without sinning?

Write out your thoughts on this. (See page 126.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

127

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 127

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

8. Read Philippians 2:5-11. What does this passage mean to

you? Whose attitude should yours be like and why? (See pages

124-125.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

Endnote

1. Thayer and Smith, The NAS New Testament Greek Lexicon,

s.v. “Apothnesko” (#599); BibleStudyTools.com, http://

www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/apoth-

nesko.html (accessed February 17, 2012).

128

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 128

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Chapter 9

Do You Think the

Law Is Good?

Each time the Pharisees would tout that they had

not sinned, Jesus would give them more Law.

On the cross, Jesus received all of the Law’s condemnation

and judgment. We died with Him to the Law, and it can,

therefore, no longer condemn us. We now serve God in an alto-

gether different way, not through laws, but through the heart.

Since we are no longer under the Law, does the Law actually

accomplish anything?

Indeed, if the Law brings us into bondage, could not it be said

that the Law and sin are equally evil? One promotes the other.

The Apostle Paul anticipates this question and asks the Romans,

“Is the Law sin?” (See Romans 7:7.) Paul graciously answers the

question with a profound explanation of the purpose of the Law.

The Law Reveals Sin

The Law makes us conscious of sin (see Rom. 3:20). The Law

was also given to reveal the holiness of God. We live in a culture

where a clear conscience is very rare and almost anything goes.

Unmarried couples live together and sleep together; we adjust our

129

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 129

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

tax returns; we murder unborn children in the womb; and lying,

drunkenness, and drugs are all commonplace. These are accept-

able practices in American culture and throughout the earth.

each time the pharisees would

tout they had not sinned, Jesus

would give them more law.

God’s Law presents humanity with a definite statement of

right and wrong. The Pharisees thought they were acting holy

and avoiding sin because their perception of sin was that it could

be measured by outward expressions of deeds. So they tried to

argue with Jesus by saying they had not committed adultery. But

Jesus reminded them:

You have heard that it was said, “Do not commit adultery,” but

I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already

committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:27-28).

Jesus kept giving more Law. Each time the Pharisees would

tout that they had not sinned, Jesus would give them more Law.

The Law was truly given to reveal sin in the heart of humanity

and to reveal the holiness of God.

The Law Provokes Sin

There is a beautiful wooded area right next to The Prayer

House in Chico, California. Many people go on walks and spend

time next to the creek eating lunch and enjoying each other’s

company. Many people also bring their dogs to let them walk,

run, play, and exercise. I have noticed that there is no sign any-

where on the property telling the owners of these dogs to have

them on a leash. Suppose that the city of Chico suddenly decided

130

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 130

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Do You Think the Law Is Good?

to make the park a “dogs must be on a leash” park. Imagine dog

owners arriving at the park and immediately letting their dogs

run and exercise as they part from their vehicles. Then shortly,

as they walk through the park, they notice a sign staked in the

ground that says: “Dogs Must Be On A Leash!” The immediate

reaction from the dog owner is to rebel. “My dog is well-behaved;

he will stay next to me. I do not need to have him on a leash. And

by the way, this sign was not here the other day.” A little farther

down the path, there is another signed staked in the ground stat-

ing; you guessed it, “Dogs Must Be On A Leash.” There it is, the

Law revealed one more time.

All of a sudden the rules were revealed, and the dog owner

wanted to disobey. Paul describes it this way:

But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment [the

Law], produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the

Law sin is dead (Romans 7:8 NASB).

The Law was actually given by God to provoke sin in us.

Paul states that, as a Pharisee of all Pharisees, he would not have

known about coveting except through the Law. The Law actu-

ally produced in him coveting because, apart from the Law, sin is

dead. The Law helps us to know that we are helpless to erase our

failures. The Law was not given to us so that we could find peace

with God, but to show us that we could never live up to the Law.

This brings us to the next reason why God gave us His Law.

The Law Leads Us to the Cross of Jesus

The Jews of Jesus’ day thought that God gave them the Law

so they could save themselves through the Law. They failed with

the Law! Why?

Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by

works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone (Romans 9:32

NASB).

131

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 131

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

Let’s consider the following reasons as to why.

1. Their hope was set on Moses, who represented

the Law.

For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote

about Me ( John 5:46 NKJV).

2. The Law was never given to be a way to salvation;

salvation was given through Jesus.

So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous

and good (Romans 7:12).

3. We were made to die once and for all to the Law

through Jesus’ sacrifice.

Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law

through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another,

to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might

bear fruit for God (Romans 7:4 NASB).

4. Now that we have died to the Law, we are

completely free from the Law.

But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that

by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit

and not in oldness of the letter (Romans 7:6 NASB).

5. We have an assurance from our Father, and His

promises are forever true.

For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer

depends on the promise; but God in His grace gave it to Abraham

through a promise (Galatians 3:18).

132

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 132

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Do You Think the Law Is Good?

The Law Was Given to Drive Us to Jesus

Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so

that we may be justified by faith (Galatians 3:24 NASB).

The Law hasn’t gone and disappeared simply because we now

have Christ. The Law is still a tool God uses to draw unbelievers

to Christ.

So, what was the purpose of this holy and good Law of God?

Ultimately, God delivered the Law to show His creation their

need for grace. They knew of His mercy (because they weren’t

getting what they deserved), but God wanted to reveal the power

of His grace. God wanted to show them that the Law’s holiness

must be fulfilled and that the Lamb of God is the only one who

could fulfill it.

ultimately god delivered the

law to show his creation their

need for grace.

I believe this is what Jesus meant when He spoke His last words

while dying on the cross, “It is finished” ( John 19:30). Jesus fulfilled the Law for His Father, because the Law had to be completed,

and none of us had the ability, or even the hope of, fulfilling the

perfect and righteous Law of God.

God’s task is not to fulfill the Law within believers. He has

already fulfilled the Law through Christ. The Holy Spirit is not

attempting to draw us into submission to the Law. The Law has

been accredited to us as fulfilled!

Trying to Stop Sinning?

As I mentioned earlier, many believers have been taught

and, therefore, believe that the goal of the Christian life is to quit

133

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 133

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

sinning. We are obsessed with trying to stop sinning. “If I could

just stop sinning, I could move in the Spirit, and then I would

experience more of God.”

Once again, we have misunderstood Galatians 5:16. Here is

the way Galatians 5:16 is promoted far too many times. “If we

will quit carrying out the desires of the flesh, then we will be

walking in the Spirit.”

Wrong! Notice how spiritual it sounds to tell people that if

they will quit the sins that plague their lives, then and only then,

will they walk in the Spirit. Here is another “miss the mark” statement: “The reason I am not experiencing God more in my life is

because I have sin in my life.” Or, “Because of sin, God is angry

with me and has turned His back on me. If I could just stop this

sin, I would be closer to God, and He would be happy with me.”

The closer we look at this approach, the more we begin to see

the need for performance. Remember, one of the reasons God

gave the Law was to provoke sin in us. Paul boldly states:

But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment [the

Law], produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the

Law sin is dead (Romans 7:8 NASB).

Every time we attempt to stop sinning, we end up doing the

same sin over and over again, leading to frustration and shame.

If we attempt to stop sinning via the Law, we will lose and never

fulfill the Law, much less stop sinning. This is called “garbage can

living.” Let me explain garbage can living with a story.

Early one morning, the owner of a restaurant took the garbage

out to the dumpster behind his restaurant. As he approached the

dumpster, there was a homeless beggar digging through the gar-

bage hoping to find morsels of food.

The owner of the restaurant said, “Hey, what are you doing

in my garbage cans?”

134

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 134

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Do You Think the Law Is Good?

The startled homeless beggar responded, “I am hungry. I was

just looking for some food. I am out here looking for food most

every day.”

The restaurateur stated, “I don’t want you eating out of my

restaurant garbage.”

The beggar became afraid as he thought the owner was angry

at him for eating out of his garbage cans.

“I’m sorry, sir! I’m so hungry that I can’t help myself,” the

beggar exclaimed.

The restaurateur said, “Hold on! I am not mad at you. I don’t

want you to eat from the garbage cans because I want you to eat

inside my restaurant. I own this place, and I want you to eat here

all the time.”

“Oh, I couldn’t do that,” replied the beggar.

“No, I insist,” said the restaurateur. “Come inside with me,

and I will have my best waiter come and serve you. All of your

meals will be on the house every day and any time you are

hungry.”

The beggar quickly stated, “But sir, I couldn’t eat here all the

time and certainly not for free. I might be able to eat here this

time, but I am used to eating out of the garbage cans.”

“Because I am the owner, I can invite you to eat here all the

time,” said the owner.

So the two of them went inside the restaurant. The owner

seated the man at the best seat in the house. He poured the home-

less man a cool glass of water and said, “Now you wait here while

I go get my waiter for you.”

The homeless man sat at the table thinking, I don’t deserve to be

here; this is much too fancy for me. He gazed at the beautiful cutlery, the elaborate dishes, and the fragrant flowers that adorned the

table. He was amazed at the splendor of the entire restaurant.

135

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 135

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

The beggar proclaimed, “This is much too nice for me. I don’t

deserve this. I am not comfortable here. I think I will go back to

where I am comfortable and where I am supposed to be.”

So he quickly left the restaurant and returned to the garbage

cans to scavenge for food.

A few minutes later, the owner checked in with his new patron

only to find him gone. He walked back to the garbage area and,

just as he thought, found the homeless man rummaging through

the garbage.

The restaurateur passionately exclaimed, “What are you

doing? I told you that you could eat for free in my restaurant all of

the time. Now please, leave the garbage cans and come with me.

This is where I want you to always eat. This is where you deserve

to eat. Now come on, let’s go. I know you are not used to eating

for free, and certainly not in this kind of a beautiful restaurant,

but this is all for you.”

So, once again the two of them walked into the restaurant,

and the owner sat the man down and left to go get the waiter.

Once again the man picked up the beautiful dishes with his

dirty hands and stared at them. He looked out the back window

at the garbage cans, then to the beautiful glassware and silver-

ware, and then back to the garbage cans. Finally he said, “The

owner said I was destined to eat here all the time, that I deserve it.

I am so used to eating out of the garbage cans that I did not think

that I deserved to eat here. I was wrong. I think I will stay right

here and get used to eating in his restaurant all the time.”

We are seated at the banqueting table of God. This is where

we are, and we are called to remember this truth.

Many Christians experience salvation, but only momentarily

believe they deserve to sit at God’s banqueting table. They quickly

return to the sinful lifestyle and habits that God rescued them

from because they don’t truly believe that they deserve anything

more. Like this homeless man, many believers look at their past

136

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 136

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Do You Think the Law Is Good?

misdeeds and failures and compare them with God’s grace and

feel they are not worthy.

we were created to gaze on his

Beautiful face.

But the truth is that we are not those people any more. We do

not belong, metaphorically, digging through garbage cans in the

alley. We belong at our King’s table, not because of anything we

have done, but because He has chosen us. We find our identity in

His love, not in our perfect deeds. We are sons and daughters of

the King, and we are seated at an abundant table. Spiritually, this

is where we are, and we are called to remember this truth.

The Impossible Seems Possible

The bridal paradigm message tells us that we were created to

sit at His table and to gaze on His beautiful face. We are called to

renew our minds regarding who God is and who He says we are

to Him. We know that our minds have been renewed when the

impossible seems possible and consistent with who we really are.

God wants our minds renewed so that His will can be accom-

plished on earth just like it is in heaven.

When we promote the idea that we should attempt to stop sin-

ning on our own, we are set up to fail.

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey

its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body

to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present your-

selves to God as those alive from the dead, and

your members as instruments of righteousness

to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not

under law but under grace (Romans 6:12-14 NASB).

137

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 137

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

All of us have had nagging sins and strongholds attempting to

control us. None of us want to continue sinning; we love Jesus way

too much to continue on that path. But we will be haunted by sin

if we attempt to stop sinning by following the requirements of the

Law. When we focus on the Law, we are actually focusing on the

sin we are trying to avoid, rather than on the One who took away

our sins and has promoted us to life. So place all of your fascina-

tion on Jesus and watch Him move you from sin and death into

life and victory.

A Defining Story

Years ago, I heard a tragic story about a boating accident

resulting in the loss of two lives. A family was enjoying a day at

the lake when the father made a quick turn with the boat, and

the daughter fell overboard. The father quickly turned the boat

around and jumped into the water to save his daughter. The

father could swim but, for some unexplained reason, he quickly

drowned, leaving the little girl still thrashing about in the water.

No one on board knew how to operate the boat, and it continued

to drift away as the father and daughter were perishing.

Nearby, a man was fishing from a small rowboat. Seeing the

accident, he began to row to the scene to help in any way he

could. Paralyzed from the waist down, the man’s ability to help

was limited. As he approached the struggling girl, he held out an

oar for her to grasp, but he could do no more because of his con-

dition. Unable to hold on to the oar, the girl slipped beneath the

surface of the water while the man watched helplessly, unable to

do anything more to help her.

All of humankind is very much like the drowning girl. We are

overcome by sin and unable to save ourselves. The Law of Moses,

and any other system of rules, is very much like the paralyzed

man attempting to rescue the girl. His intention was sincere and

commendable, but he lacked the power to save the drowning girl.

The Law is good, but it cannot save the sinner. Neither can the

138

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 138

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Do You Think the Law Is Good?

Law release the Christian from his bondage to sin. As a matter of

fact, it is the Law that somehow sustains humanity’s bondage to

sin. Therefore, the solution to the problem of sin is to be released

from the Law and from sin.

Speaking About a Lawful Marriage

Do you not know, brothers and sisters—for I am speaking to

those who know the law—that the law has authority over some-

one only as long as that person lives? For example, by law a

married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive,

but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds

her to him. So then, if she has sexual relations with another man

while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But

if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an

adulteress if she marries another man.

So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the

body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was

raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.

For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions

aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for

death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been

released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the

Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code (Romans

7:1-6).

Death Liberates You from the Law

Romans 7:1-6 is a brilliant truth. Let’s examine exactly what

Paul is telling us.

Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who

know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long

as he lives? (Romans 7:1 NASB).

139

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 139

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

Paul uses the phrase, “Or do you not know” to point out spe-

cific truths. He used this style of rhetoric in the previous chapter,

as well (see Rom. 6:3,16). By using it again here, Paul is further

emphasizing the truth found in Romans 7:1. Paul is simply build-

ing upon his teaching in chapter 6.

By using the term brethren, Paul is speaking particularly to his

fellow Jewish brothers and sisters. These brethren are those who

“know the law.” If the Gentiles (non-Jews) are those most likely to

abuse grace as an excuse for license to sin, the Jews are those who

are likely to be the advocates of legalism. Jewish Christians, even

the apostles, were inclined toward legalism (see Acts 10:9-18).

Paul had already made the statement, “You are not under the

law, but under grace” (Rom. 6:14). Paul now advances this truth.

How is it that Christians are no longer under the Law? They are

freed from the Law by death. The Law of Moses, or other laws

created by people, only apply to people while they are alive. Dead

people are released from the Law.

A Hearse

When Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated President John F.

Kennedy, Oswald himself was immediately assassinated outside

the courtroom. Oswald was never tried because the Law only has

jurisdiction over living people.

Imagine seeing a hearse speeding on its way to the cemetery

and speeding through a radar trap. In pursuit, a motorcycle offi-

cer races after the hearse. When the hearse finally pulls over, the

police officer does not go to the driver, but he goes to the back

door of the hearse where he opens the casket and sticks the traffic

ticket inside. Silly though it may be, no one can expect the Law to

have authority over a dead person.

Life does look different from the vantage point of death. Paul

views sanctification “from the hearse.” He takes us back to the

cross of Calvary—to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

140

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 140

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Do You Think the Law Is Good?

Since every Christian is joined by the baptism of the Holy Spirit

to Christ in His death and resurrection, Paul draws our attention

to our own death in Christ. In Christ, we died to the penalty of

sin. In Christ, we died to the practice of sin. In Christ, we have

also died to the Law and its power over us. Our union with Christ

in His death frees us from the Law.

For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband

as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from

the law that binds her to him. So then, if she has sexual relations

with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an

adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law

and is not an adulteress if she marries another man (Romans

7:2-3).

Paul used the analogy of marriage in these verses, but he

most likely never intended to communicate a full-blown theology

on marriage. Those who attempt to use Paul’s analogy in this

passage and expand it into a definitive statement on marriage,

divorce, and remarriage are not on safe interpretative grounds.

Paul’s point was simply to say that the Law of marriage applies

only as long as both partners are alive. When one dies, that law

is no longer applicable to the surviving partner. So let’s consider

what Paul intended these verses to be limited to.

Paul illustrates the principle of death making the Law null

and void by comparing it to the Law’s jurisdiction in marriage.

Death changes all things. The death of a spouse invalidates the

Law, and now a woman may remarry without violating the Law.

Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law

through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another,

to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might

bear fruit for God. For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the

members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have

been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were

141

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 141

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness

of the letter (Romans 7:4-6 NASB).

Paul communicates that we do not do anything; we don’t die

to the Law ourselves or kill ourselves. We were made dead to the

Law through Christ’s divine act. God not only delivers salvation,

but also completes it. When we die to the Law, it no longer has

authority over us. As believers, we are no longer married to the

Law, but we are now married to Jesus Christ. This is a beautiful

picture of our relationship to Christ as His Bride.

Paul is emphasizing Christ’s present union with all believers.

Christians identify not only with Christ’s death in the past, but

also with Christ in the present. In Romans 6:9, Paul declares that

Christ’s death was sufficient and that He will never have to die

again. Those who place their faith in Jesus Christ will never lose

their Bridegroom (husband) Jesus. Your marriage commitment

with Christ will last forever!

A Lesson from Marriage

Let me tell you about John and Marge, a lovely married cou-

ple who lived on a sprawling estate in Atlanta, Georgia. They had

been married for forty-five amazing years. While they were truly

enjoying their latter days together, one spring day, John became

ill and passed away shortly thereafter.

John left Marge financially well-off, and she did not have to

worry about finances for the balance of her life. With the loss of

John, many of her friends and family gathered around Marge,

bringing her great comfort and strength.

A number of months had gone by when one of Marge’s

friends, Mary, came to visit. While Mary and Marge enjoyed

some tea together, Mary mentioned, “You know, John left you

quite wealthy. I think it would be good for you to travel to Europe.

Get away, enjoy life, move on from John’s death, and get a fresh

start. I believe this will help you start living again.”

142

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 142

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Do You Think the Law Is Good?

After quite a lengthy discussion, Marge finally gave in and

agreed that traveling to Europe would be nice and good for her.

She thought, “Maybe a trip will help me get a fresh start.”

So a few days later, she packed, hopped on a plane, and flew

to Rome, Italy. She was looking forward to traveling throughout

Europe to see the magnificent sights and to relax and enjoy her

life again.

One sunny, beautiful day in Rome, Marge was sitting outside

a quaint restaurant sipping on a cappuccino. She noticed a hand-

some man with tinted grey hair sitting at the table next to her. It

wasn’t long before he noticed Marge and was quite taken by her

loveliness.

After Frank introduced himself to Marge, they discovered

they were both from America. Friendly exchanges led to hours of

flowing conversation. As the days went by, they continued having

cappuccinos together at what was quickly becoming their favorite

restaurant.

Several weeks passed, and they began to fall in love. Because

of their love and desire for one another, they were married and

began to travel together throughout Europe as a newly married

couple. They were deeply in love.

A number of weeks passed, and they decided to return to the

United States. Because Marge was a wealthy woman and Frank,

as a retiree, did not have a lot of money, they decided to live in

Atlanta at Marge’s house.

They arrived at the Atlanta airport and took a taxi to Marge’s

house. As they drove up to Marge’s extensive driveway, Frank

was taken back by the enormous size of the historic Atlanta

home. Frank commented on the beautiful pillars that framed the

entrance of her lavish home. As they pulled up to the front steps,

Frank paid the cab driver and whispered in Marge’s ear:

“I love you. I know this is a little old-fashioned, but I would

love to carry you across the threshold of our new home.”

143

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 143

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

Marge loved that her new husband was so caring and excit-

edly agreed as Frank lifted her up. It was as if they were both in

their twenties, full of excitement and anticipation of their new life

together. Frank carried her into the house and set her down in the

massive foyer. As he set his new bride down, he turned to close the

door. As he reached for the knob, he let out a scream.

Frank frantically asked, “Marge, what is this? I mean, who is

this?”

Frank was gazing at a huge glass case next to the front door.

Inside was Marge’s husband.

Frank’s voice was getting louder, “Marge who is this, and

what is he doing here?”

Marge calmly replied, “This is my old husband.”

“What do you mean this is your old husband?” asked Frank

nervously.

Marge explained, “I placed him in this glass case so I would

always remember him. I could not continue living without him.

Keeping him in this glass case enables me to see him daily and

always remember him.”

Frank yelled, “But he is dead!”

“I know,” explained Marge, “but I just could not continue life

without him. I had to remember him, so I had him placed in this

glass case.”

Frank went to the garage and found a shovel. He returned to

the foyer and opened up the glass case. He removed Marge’s old,

dead husband and took him out to the back yard. He dug a hole

and, once and for all, buried her old husband. After completing

the burial he came back to Marge.

Frank explained “You need to remember that he is dead, gone,

and buried and that I am your new husband, and I love you!” The

significance of her husband’s death finally made sense to Marge,

and she lived out the rest of her life with her new husband.

144

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 144

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Do You Think the Law Is Good?

As ridiculous as it sounds to keep your dead husband in a glass

case in your hallway, Christians everywhere have memorialized

their past in a similar way. Instead of resting in the assurance that

their past life has been dead and buried with Christ, believers

often remind themselves of their old, carnal life and continue to

beat themselves up for their past sins.

life does look different from

the vantage point of death.

Many Christians are distracted from their true calling because

they are so busy trying to ask God for forgiveness to prove to God

that they are sorry. If God thought it necessary for us to remem-

ber our sins, he would have told us so. Instead, He told us to forget

them as He has done and to leave our old-self dead and buried.

Believer, it is time for us to remember that our “old selves” are

dead and gone. We need to remember that we have brand-new

life in Christ.

The Purpose of the Believer’s Life

The purpose of any believer’s life is to glorify God by bearing

fruit. This is not simply a command, but a statement of fact.

So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the

body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was

raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit

for God (Romans 7:4).

Paul’s words could literally read, “We do give fruit to God.”

There is no such thing as a Christian who does not bear fruit. Sal-

vation has a product, and that product is a transformed life that

bears fruit for God. Romans 6 declares that if you know Christ,

145

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 145

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

you will be holy. Romans 7 states that since you are truly married

to Jesus Christ, you will bring forth fruit to God.

You were once held captive by the flesh, which generated sin

and led to death. But sin no longer reigns supreme in your life.

Sin is no longer the master because its tyranny has been broken

by Christ’s death on the cross.

the trouBle Begins when he tries

to fulfill the law.

Is grace going to make Christians sin? No. Grace transforms

believers and produces security, holiness, liberty, fruitfulness, and

faith. The faith that we experience in God will not be “in the oldness

of the letter,” but “in newness of Spirit” (Rom. 7:6 NASB). Our faith is not in submission to an external code or simply in a mechanical

obedience to religious ritual. It cannot be an external obedience

to the Law of God while the heart itself is unresponsive.

When people question God’s grace by saying it leads to sin,

they simply do not understand the love of God. True salvation

means that God plants an entirely new nature within us. And the

desire of that new nature is to know and be with God. That is

why Paul said believers serve “in newness of Spirit.” You now serve

the Law better than ever because you have been redeemed. You

are no longer a slave to a legal set of rules and regulations in an

attempt to gain favor with God, but now you serve God out of

love because He has given you salvation by His grace.

Try This Experiment

Take a tall drinking glass and place about two inches of coffee

grounds in the bottom of the glass. The glass represents your soul

realm, which is in the process of transformation.

146

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 146

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Do You Think the Law Is Good?

Take the glass and place it under a faucet. Turn the water

on slowly, barely trickling out. Allow the water to flow into the

glass for a few moments. Notice that even when the water begins

to flow over the top of the glass, the coffee grounds are barely

leaving the glass. The slow access of water represents Sunday to

Sunday living with God. Accordingly, when an individual gathers

for great worship and great teaching one day per week, the pres-

ence of God’s transforming power is limited.

Now, turn the water on a little stronger and allow the water

to flow into the glass for a few moments. Observe that the coffee

grounds are beginning to leave the glass of water, little by little.

Next, turn the water on stronger and stronger and watch the flow

of the water (the Holy Spirit) removing the coffee grounds.

You will begin to notice that the flowing water will move the

coffee grounds out of the glass. Over time, the amount of coffee

grounds in the glass will decrease. Eventually, the coffee grounds

will be completely removed leaving only flowing, refreshing water

in the glass.

Sometimes when believers begin to follow Christ, they focus

on the coffee grounds in their lives and mistakenly see themselves

as sinners. Followers of Christ need to remember that the soul

realm is being redeemed, as represented by the water filling the

glass (see Eph. 5:18). God does the work of transformation. We

simply remember who He is and who we are to Him.

Perplexed Believers

Many believers have been perplexed by this passage from the

book of Romans:

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as

a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want

to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not

want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer

I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that

147

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 147

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For

I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For

I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to

do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do,

it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So

I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right

there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I

see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my

mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within

me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this

body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me

through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am

a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of

sin (Romans 7:14-25).

Paul speaks of inner turmoil. This conflict is not caused by

a selfish attitude in his heart. He is not battling against God’s

Law, but he actually respects and wants to fulfill God’s Law. He

states that the Law is spiritual, that the Law is good, and that

he joyfully concurs with God’s Law. There is absolutely no dis-

agreement by this man with God’s Law. This is something that

he agrees with and completely desires to fulfill in his spirit, mind,

will, and emotions.

the trouBle Begins when he tries

to fulfill the law or live it out.

The trouble begins when he tries to fulfill the Law or live it

out. Then he notices that everything in him rebels against his

desire to live out God’s Law. This man experiences terrible inner

conflict. He desperately wants to do well (uphold the Law), but

when he tries, he utterly fails. The battle is between the members

148

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 148

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Do You Think the Law Is Good?

of his body and his mind, and it makes him a prisoner of the Law

of sin (see Rom. 7:23).

A question naturally arises: Is Paul speaking about a battle

that is a normal Christian experience? It would be easy to believe

that Paul is stating that this is a normal conflict for Christians.

Many believers have stated that they feel much better knowing

Brother Paul dealt with normal Christian conflict as well.

The problem is that the individual that states that he is impris-

oned by his sin is the same one who also wrote, “We are those who

have died to sin, how can we live in it any longer” (Rom. 6:2) and “Anyone who has died has been freed from sin” (Rom. 6:7) and “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires” (Rom.

6:12).

If Paul was writing about his own experience then he would

have to have spiritual schizophrenia. How can Paul be wretched

and incapable of doing well one moment and the next declare

freedom from condemnation and victory that can be applied to

each believer?

How can Paul exhort the Philippians to rejoice (see Phil. 4:4)

if he is in such turmoil? How can Paul state, “Follow my example, as

I follow the example of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1)? Which example are we

to follow, no-way-out captivity or divine deliverance?

It is amazing that nowhere else in the New Testament do we

see evidence of Paul’s statements of inner conflict in Romans 7.

The Apostle John, who was very close to Jesus, does not refer to

any struggles that he (or we) would have with holiness. As a matter

of fact, John declares just the opposite.

No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues

to sin has either seen him or known him (1 John 3:6).

No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s

seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they

have been born of God (1 John 3:9).

…for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the vic-

tory that has overcome the world, even our faith (1 John 5:4).

149

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 149

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

The reality for the Apostle John is not that the normal Chris-

tian experience is wrapped around an increasing sense of shame

and sin consciousness. In fact, John tells us that we have God’s

nature in us and sin is no longer our way of life. Sin occurs in our

souls on occasion, but it is not the regular way of life. If we sin, we

do not have to battle; we simply repent to God through agreement

with Him and thank Him for our eternal forgiveness.

What’s the Conclusion?

The person in Romans 7:14-25 is under intense conviction of

sin. Since the Holy Spirit has revealed the Law to him, he begins

to recognize his weakness and frailty to uphold the Law. Rather

than receiving grace from God, he believes that he must struggle

to keep the Law in his own strength. This battle and struggle

leads him to despair, frustration, bondage, condemnation, and

all-out failure.

And that, my friend, is what life will look like for you when

you attempt to please God by keeping the Law. Remember that

one of the reasons why God gave us the Law was to provoke sin

in us. In other words, every time you attempt to stop sinning via

the Law, you will inevitably commit the same sin again and again

with no victory, and you will experience nothing but shame and

condemnation.

aren’t you glad that Jesus

fulfilled the law’s requirements

for you?

Romans 7:14-25 are not verses to make you feel better about

your own struggles knowing that Paul suffered likewise. They

were written by Paul to show that the Law does not complete your

150

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 150

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Do You Think the Law Is Good?

salvation. Aren’t you glad that Jesus fulfilled the Law’s require-

ments for you? So stay married to your brand-new husband, Jesus.

Interestingly enough, Paul backs this up with his continued

writings when he states in Romans 8:1 “Therefore there is now no

condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

You may be wondering, But I still experience a battle for truth and

lies. Is there a real battle? What does it look like? In the next chapter we will look at the reality that there really is a battle for your soul.

But, we have to remember where the battle is fought and what is

being fought.

Summary Questions

1. Read Romans 3:20. What does the Law make us conscious

of? What does the Law also reveal to us about God? (See page

129)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

2. What does the Law provoke? (See pages 130-131.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

3. Where does the Law lead us? (See pages 131-132.)

_____________________________________________

151

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 151

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

4. Ultimately, God delivered the Law to show us our need for

_______________ (see page 133).

5. Fill in the blanks. “But __________, taking opportunity

through the __________ [the Law], produced in me cov-

eting of every kind; for apart from the __________ sin is

__________” (Rom. 7:8 NASB). (See page 134.)

6. Describe what the phrase garbage can living means to you (see

pages 134-137).

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

7. The bridal paradigm message tells us we were

_______________ to sit at His table and to gaze on His beau-

tiful face (see page 137).

8. Read Romans 7:1-6. Explain what this statement means to

you: Death liberates you from the Law (see pages 139-142).

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

152

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 152

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Do You Think the Law Is Good?

9. Do the experiment on pages 146-147. Describe what you

understand about sanctification after doing the experiment.

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

10. Reminder: What is the main purpose for which God gave us

the Law? (See pages 150-151.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

153

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 153

6/7/12 7:35 AM

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 154

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Chapter 10

Is There a Battle?

Your mind can be the gateway to hell, or it can be

the gateway to heaven.

Remember, the kingdom of God is about agreement. We either

are in agreement with lies or we are in agreement with truth,

and truth does set us free!

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the

desire of the flesh (Galatians 5:16 NASB).

According to Paul’s letter to the Galatians, we are called to

walk by the Spirit (to remember who we are and who He is), and

that will empower us to not carry out the desires of the flesh. I

appreciate Paul reminding us to walk by the Spirit, because he

reminds us of an additional reality in the next two verses: We are

in a battle.

For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that

you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the

Spirit, you are not under the Law (Galatians 5:17-18 NASB).

The flesh is in direct opposition to the things of the Spirit,

the things of God. Remember, the flesh is simply looking for life,

but does not know where to find it. Since we are led by the Spirit

(remembering who we are to Him), we will find life in that truth,

155

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 155

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

and there is no law that can help find life. The Law was never

given by God to help us to find life, but to reveal and convict us of

sin. Paul then describes the way those living according the flesh

conduct themselves:

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality,

impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jeal-

ousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying,

drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I fore-

warn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice

such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians

5:19-21 NASB).

Paul then tells us “…those who practice such things will not inherit

the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:21 NASB) . Wow! Is Paul serious? Does this mean that when I forget who I am and I function in the

things of the flesh, such as idolatry, strife, jealousy, and outbursts

of anger, I will not inherit the kingdom of God? Can I lose my sal-

vation each time I sin and conduct myself according to the flesh?

…this makes you a saint who

walks By the spirit.

Paul is communicating an eternal reality. Each time you

attempt to get life out of dead things, such as disputes, envying,

drunkenness, and things like these, you are currently not walking

in the Spirit. You are currently forgetting who you are, and you

are not enjoying the freedom that Christ has given you. You are

choosing to get your worth, value, and acceptance from things

and people instead of from God. You have not suddenly lost your

salvation, but you are not presently walking in the fruit of the Spirit; thus, you are not presently inheriting the kingdom of God.

Paul then goes on to remind us of the fruit of the Spirit.

156

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 156

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Is There a Battle?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,

goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things

there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have cruci-

fied the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:22-24

NASB).

Paul tells us, “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified

the flesh with its passions and desires” (Gal. 5:24 NASB) . Since you have crucified the flesh, and since at one moment in time you

were co-crucified with Christ (see Rom. 6:6), this makes you a

saint who walks by the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is what you

were destined for. It makes sense that someone as awesome as you

are (because of Jesus) would experience the fruit of the Spirit such

as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and all of the fruit of the

kingdom.

The efforts of the flesh, simply speaking, can never give you

life, because they are dead. Conversely, the fruit of the Spirit is an

outgrowth of God reminding you that you are His.

Carefully consider Romans 8:14: “For all who are being led by the

Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (NASB) . Paul is telling us that we are sons of God because we have been completely redeemed by

God. Those who have been redeemed by God flow in the fruit of

the Spirit. So keep remembering that you are His kid!

What the Battle Looks Like

Where the battle

takes place!

Rom 12:2

SOUL

Mind

Will

Emotions

SPIRIT

New Creation

Strongholds

Holy

Strongholds

Righteous

Complete

FLESH

157

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 157

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

The Battle for Your Mind

According to this illustration, where is the Gettysburg? Where

is the battlefield? The battlefield is in the soul realm. The mind is

the battlefield: the place where our fight is won or lost. The mind

is the gateway to heaven and truth; or it can also be the gateway

to hell and lies.

Strongholds

Strongholds park themselves in the soul realm. Spiritually

speaking, Paul defines strongholds as “arguments and every high thing

that exalts itself against the knowledge of God” (2 Cor. 10:5 NKJV). In the previous illustration, strongholds are not destroyed by outward changes. In other words, simply changing your actions or

mustering a self-generated change of actions is nothing more than

self-effort or your own works. This will have no eternal effect, and

transformation will not occur. God always works from the inside

out. The tearing down of strongholds occurs when our spirits, the

brand-new creation that God has established in us, releases vic-

tory into our souls.

strongholds are estaBlished

through lies, and they operate

from lies.

A stronghold is a point of operation from where Satan can

keep a believer or unbeliever captive or incapacitated. A strong-

hold is a habitual sin or area of your life that seems to be caught

in a cycle of ungodliness. Strongholds introduce shame, especially

in someone who does not experience God’s power to overcome

the stronghold. Whether physical, emotional, psychological,

or spiritual in origin, strongholds are real, and they dominate

158

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 158

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Is There a Battle?

individuals. Strongholds are formed in the soul realm, are estab-

lished on lies, and are strengthened solely by deception.

Signs of Strongholds

Compulsions, obsessions, fears, lusts, jealousies, violent tem-

pers, and uncontrolled appetites of all kinds are often signs of a

stronghold that is either being built or is firmly established in the

soul. In most cases, the individual will recognize that something

is out of control, but he or she will almost always say, “I’ve tried to

control or stop that, but I can’t seem to get on top of it.”

Striking Down Strongholds

Your greatest weapons against the strongholds in your soul

are intercessory worship, fasting, and exposing them to the truth!

Let’s take a look at an episode in the life of King Jehoshaphat,

King of Israel.

After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the

Meunites came to wage war against Jehoshaphat. Some people

came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you

from Edom, from the other side of the Dead Sea. It is already in

Hazezon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi) (2 Chronicles 20:1-2).

What did Jehoshaphat do? Like any of us, “Jehoshaphat

feared…” (2 Chron. 20:3 NKJV). But his fear motivated him to seek the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So

Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord, and from all

the cities of Judah the people came to fast, worship, intercede, and

proclaim the truth.

When we read Jehoshaphat’s prayer, it ends with these words,

“We have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You” (2 Chron. 20:12

NKJV). Their eyes were solely on God, and they knew there was

nothing that they could do to defeat their enemies. I am con-

vinced that God heard their cry as they interceded, worshiped,

159

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 159

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

and proclaimed the theme and truth “…Give thanks to the LORD,

for his love endures forever” (2 Chron. 20:21).

God sent Jahaziel, a prophet to King Jehoshaphat, to assure

him of the Lord’s help.

Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and

you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you, “Do not be

afraid nor dismayed because of this vast armies, for the battle is

not yours, but God’s (2 Chronicles 20:15 NKJV).

And then Jahaziel said:

You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand

still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah

and Jerusalem! Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out

against them, for the Lord is with you (2 Chronicles 20:17

NKJV).

The King and the people were singing and praising before

they won the victory! They knew that their God was greater

than their enemy! They accepted the reality that their God was

mighty, and they stood on the truth Jahaziel proclaimed to them:

the battle was not theirs, it was God’s.

Then we read how the enemies turned on each other and

destroyed each other. King Jehoshaphat and his army did not

have to lift a physical sword! The result?

The fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when

they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel

(2 Chronicles 20:29 NKJV).

Note what happened next, “Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was

quiet, for his God gave him rest all around” (2 Chron. 20:30 NKJV) .

God can deliver us from strongholds and give us peace and spiri-

tual rest.

It’s Time to Ask God for Help!

Certain strongholds may have haunted you for many years.

It is now time to ask your God for help and agree with Him and

160

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 160

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Is There a Battle?

His truth. It is okay if you are afraid (just like Jehoshaphat). As

you begin to pray and ask Him for help, as you worship Him and

pronounce His truth, as you meditate on His attributes, and as

you fast, He will deliver you. Deliverance is His very nature.

Remember, this battle is not yours, but God’s. He is simply

asking you to cooperate with Him by remembering that you have

the breastplate of righteousness (see Eph. 6:14) and that you are

guarded on all sides with truth! You will begin to experience your

faith. You will see God work in you and on your behalf. God will

destroy the strongholds in your soul. It is time to stop being tor-

mented by the flaming arrows of the enemy. Paul reminds us in

Ephesians 6:14-16 to “Stand firm,” which means remembering to

stand on the truth of God and what He has promised. Next it says,

“having girded…having put on…having shod” (NKJV). The truths you

stand on are already true about you. Paul is simply exhorting you

to remember that you already have the victory. Paul tells you to

“take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm (Eph. 6:13 NASB).

This is God’s promise. God will be able to deliver you from the

strongholds in your soul realm! This means you are victorious!

Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and

having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod

your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace in addition

to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able

to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one (Ephesians

6:14-16 NASB).

Rising Above the Clouds

My good friends, Eddie and Chara Boasso, live in Kansas

City, Missouri. Eddie is part of the senior leadership at the Inter-

national House of Prayer in Kansas City. He agrees that the battle

is between truth and lies and shared a powerful story about the

battle we are in at a conference we hosted at The Prayer House in

Chico, California.

161

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 161

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

Eddie told us of a time when he and Chara were leaving Kan-

sas City International Airport. It was extremely rainy, the sky

was full of dark clouds, and it looked very gloomy everywhere.

As they boarded the plane, Eddie was beginning to feel the strain

and oppression of the shadowy skies. As the plane began to take

off, Eddie was discerning that the dark skies were a reflection of a

heavy spiritual darkness over the city. He began to pray and ask

for God’s help.

Just as Eddie began to pray for help and proclaim God’s good-

ness over Kansas City, the plane broke through the dark clouds.

Instantly, there were clear blue skies as far as the eye could see.

The sun was shining with crystal clarity and the turbulence that

the plane was experiencing because of the storm clouds was gone.

Eddie shared that God gave him great revelation at that moment.

“It dawned on me that the sun was always shining bright and

sending forth its warmth.”

He added, “I had simply forgotten that the sun was always

shining. I was consumed with the misrepresentation the clouds

were bringing. I was only looking at the natural and not gazing

on the supernatural truth that the sun was always shining.”

When we are focused on what we can see in the natural realm,

we will succumb to lies and experience the depression and ravage

of them. But when our gaze is fixed on the always-shining light of

heaven, we will walk in the truth and experience the boldness and

the strength of the light. So remember, the Son of God is always

shining. And, therefore, so are you!

How Do You Remain in Me?

One of my spiritual daughters, Kari Adams, shared some-

thing with me once that has stuck with me. It may help you to

remember who you are while in the process of God destroying

strongholds and renewing your mind.

How do you remain in Me? By making yourself

constantly aware of who I am and who you are in Me.

162

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 162

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Is There a Battle?

I am God. You are My kid. I am grace. You are full

of My grace. I am your provider. You are My heir. I

am sovereign. You are made righteous in My sight. I

am Holy. You are blameless. I am love. You are loved.

Stay in the truth. Never limit your perspective to your-

self, but find yourself in Me!

As we continue on our journey to discover the bridal para-

digm message and all of its ramifications, it is valuable to discuss

real-life issues that detain us from an abundant life with God. In

the next chapter, we will tackle some of these real-life issues and

explore God’s remedies.

Summary Questions

1. In Galatians 5:16, how does Paul exhort us to walk? Why?

(See page 155.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

2. What is the reality Paul is reminding us about in Galatians

5:17-18? (See pages 155-156.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

163

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 163

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

3. How are strongholds established? (See pages 158-159.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

4. List some of the common signs of a stronghold (see page 159).

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

5. What are your greatest weapons against strongholds? (See

pages 159-160.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

6. How did Jehoshaphat and the armies of Israel battle their

stronghold of fear? (See pages 159-160.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

164

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 164

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Is There a Battle?

7. What is God’s promise to you in Ephesians 6:14-16? (See page

161.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

165

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 165

6/7/12 7:35 AM

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 166

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Chapter 11

The Cycles

There is a significant place of rest, and it is not

where you might think it is.

The battle to recover from shame and manipulation while

experiencing a life full of grace and freedom is waged in two

primary areas: the renewing of your mind and the fight to believe

the truth while you are exercising your faith. This is God’s pro-

cess of bringing recovery from shame.

Shame is mentioned specifically in the Scriptures. When

reading the account of Adam and Eve in the book of Genesis, it

is easy to identify that they experienced shame as a result of their

sin. After they ate the fruit, they hid, tried to shift blame, and

were aware of their nakedness (see Gen. 2:25-3:10). When Adam

and Eve sinned, they introduced spiritual death and shame into

the world.

Because shame was introduced at the beginning of creation,

Paul’s words to the Romans make sense and are so needed today.

“As Scripture says, ‘Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame’”

(Rom. 10:11).

Shame is a powerful force in the lives of many believers. It has

the power to hinder us from growing into our full potential as the

Bride of Christ. Contrary to what some may believe, shame does

not just “happen,” but rather is the result of systematic events that

167

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 167

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

occur outside of us, within us, and through us. To help you bet-

ter understand these cycles of shame, I am going to break them

down, step-by-step, so that you can identify how they might be

operating in your life and how to get out of them and walk into

the life that God has intended for you.

I will be referencing some material from Jeff VanVonderon’s

book Tired of Trying to Measure Up. As I mentioned previously, Jeff

has been a great resource in my life concerning the subject of

bridal paradigm, and his information is extremely valuable to the

process of transformation. I also gleaned information from my

wife, Becky, who is a clinical psychologist.

Here is an illustration that we will look at and work from.

Give-Up Cycle

Let’s start with the Give-Up Cycle by

breaking down the characters in it. First

Outside

we have outside sources, which include

Source

our parents, friends, pastors, teachers, and

extended family.

168

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 168

6/7/12 7:35 AM

The Cycles

Anyone outside of yourself who speaks criticism or shame into

your life can be part of this group of outside sources. These peo-

ple are often simply repeating the cycle that they have been part

of themselves. They have experienced criticism and shame from

others, and they, in turn, are now delivering these toxic things

to other people. You have simply become the recipient of their

shame.

A shaming message is designed to manipulate or control the

recipient. Shame messages are sometimes packaged as coded mes-

sages, comparisons, favoritism, perfectionism, rules, or rejection.

Here are some examples. As a kid, my dad would announce

from the living room this coded message: “I sure wish someone

would take out the garbage.” Other than my parents, I was the

only one in the house. From my bedroom, I had to interpret the

coded message and take out the trash. I became quite good at

interpreting these messages that are actually forms of shame.

Shame uses manipulation to achieve its desired results. Humil-

iation is a form of shame and produces utter and profound defeat.

Coded messages are simply crooked speech that is designed to

humiliate someone into doing something for someone else. In my

case, I was humiliated into taking out the trash. In other words,

the person delivering the coded message is not speaking the truth.

They are simply manipulating the recipient into doing what they

want. Here are more examples of shame messages:

Comparison:

“How come your sister gets A’s on her report card and you

can’t?”

Perfectionism:

“Can’t you do anything right?”

Manipulation:

“Children are to be seen and not heard.”

169

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 169

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

Many individuals come from family systems where their

parent(s) are addicted to drugs, alcohol, work, sex, or even reli-

gion. Many have received shaming messages from people outside

their immediate families—like pastors, teachers, friends, coaches,

and others. I remember receiving shame messages from my little

league coach when I was a young boy. I usually struck out when I

came up to bat. One time, I struck out three times in a row, and

the coach yelled at me in front of the entire team—not to mention

all of the people in the stands—“Winton, you are an idiot! You

couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn!”

Many are abused with shame from incest, spousal abuse, and

child abuse. Some have received shaming messages from mug-

gers or rapists. In nearly 60 percent of all rape cases, the victim

knows their attacker. Yet, an extremely low number of victims

ever report their rape. The reason is shame!

Bosses at work are outside sources and carry clout in our lives.

Being passed over at work for a promotion can introduce shame

and the feeling of not measuring up, as does being laid-off or

fired.

Religious communities can produce shame in people when

they are struggling with sin, doubting God, not complying with

the leadership, not faithfully attending, not serving, or not giving

financially.

Messages That Shame

Perhaps this is the easiest part of the

Outside

Give-Up Cycle to understand. Because

Source

of our ongoing experiences with outside

sources, we decide who we are based upon

what others say about us. When these sham-

Messages that

ing messages are delivered over and over

Shame

again, they produce wounds. We translate

these wounds and interpret them as: “Some-

thing is wrong with me”; “I am defective”; “I am inadequate”; “I

170

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 170

6/7/12 7:35 AM

The Cycles

am worthless”; “I am stupid or lazy”; or what I consider to be the

worst interpretation, “I am a mistake”!

The Shame Grid: The Gateway to the Mind

The next character to enter the Give-Up Cycle is the mind.

The mind is the place where we make decisions. We also activate

our emotions and our wills from our minds, which can greatly

influence the decisions we make about who we think we are. At

the front door of our minds is the shame grid. This shame grid

has been established and fortified in us, beginning in our mothers’

wombs. The shame grid continues to be formed in us as babies,

and it grows with us through childhood, adolescence, and even

into adulthood. The shame grid creates a belief system. In other

words, what we believe about ourselves is often created through

shaming messages delivered by outside sources, and it has been

reinforced through the years. This belief system is forged over

time, and the shame grid perpetuates a continuous cycle of shame.

The Shaming Process

Let’s see this shame-driven Give-Up Cycle in action. First,

you must accept that one of your outside sources is reliable and

trustworthy. Often, we trust our parents, teachers, relatives, and

friends as reliable sources for information about ourselves. In

other words, in order for me to have the power to shame you, you

171

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 171

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

have to believe that I have the power to determine the value of

you as a person.

Next, you have to believe what the outside sources are saying

about you, which is often the case as you have given them power

in your life. Over time, as you continue to hear the same sham-

ing messages over and over, your shame grid is formed, and you

begin to agree with their assessment of you.

Finally, because of the shame grid, you become the judge and

jury for who you are. You conclude that what the outside sources

have said about you is true, and you condemn yourself in the

courtroom of your mind. After years and years of practice, this

pattern becomes normal. You never question the outside sources;

you simply accept their assessment of you as factual.

Next, your will gets involved and places you at a crossroad.

You either choose to “give up” or you choose to “try harder.” If

you conclude that your performance has failed, and you decide

that you are shameful, defective, and hopeless, then you will give

up. You will then choose to act in a way that agrees with your

assessment of yourself.

Your Behavior

When your behavior is consistent with your shame, the cycle

is nearly complete. You will typically do the exact thing that you

172

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 172

6/7/12 7:35 AM

The Cycles

hate to do. You do the very negative behavior that you believe

lines up with the outside sources’ assessment of who you are.

Unfortunately, you have fulfilled the expectations of your outsides

sources, because you acted just like they thought you would.

The irony is that the cycle is not complete yet. It starts over.

You will continue to stay in relationships that enable you to feel as

badly as you need to feel about yourself. The shame is so deeply

integrated in you that you actually become the perpetrator and

inflict shame on others.

For example, Martha, who lives in a marriage where her

husband beats her up from time to time, encounters friends and

family members who confront her.

Her friends and family members tell her:

“Are you stupid? How can you stay with that man? Don’t you

know that he is going to continue to do this to you? You need to

leave him! Can’t you see that?”

While these friends and family members truly care about

Martha’s physical and emotional well-being, these are shaming

messages that are coming to her from outside sources that she

considers reliable. She has been hearing these same messages

about her husband for years, which stack on top of shaming mes-

sages she has heard about herself all of her life.

Here is the sad part of the Give-Up Cycle. Martha finally

decides to call the police. Her husband is hauled away, and when

he calls her from the station he says, “You know, if you had not

called the police, I would not be locked up.”

In other words, he is communicating to her that she is the

problem and the reason that he is in jail. So she then steps back

into the negative behavior and says, “I am so sorry. You’re right. I

will drop the charges, and we can get back together.”

The reason she continues to step back into this abusive rela-

tionship with her husband is because her belief system (shame

grid) has determined that someone as defective and shameful as

173

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 173

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

her does not deserve to have a good relationship that is free from

abuse. In other words, she deserves to be abused because she is

flawed and a bad wife. She is simply acting out the behavior that

agrees with her assessment of herself.

Note from the illustration that the outside sources are able to

observe the negative behaviors, and this can produce more sham-

ing messages.

They comment: “I cannot believe you are back with him”;

“Have you lost your mind”; “He is such a jerk, and you’re crazy

to go back with him!”

Sadly, she agrees with each evaluation of her actions. This

perpetuates even more sad and negative behaviors that simply

agree with her assessment of herself.

Another vivid example is Beth. Beth has always had a prob-

lem with overeating. Beth grew up enjoying family BBQs. As was

the custom, there was a long table covered with food including all

the side dishes and desserts.

As Beth would move through the array of food, she would fill

her plate. As Beth would begin to reach for the tasty deserts, Aunt

Mary would say, “Beth, do you really think you need that dessert?”

Do you see the coded message? Aunt Mary was not saying

what she really meant, so little Beth had to pull out her imaginary

code book and decipher Aunt Mary’s comment. Beth deciphered

that she was fat and she should know better than to eat a piece of

dessert, especially since she was fat and defective.

So the negative behavior of the Give-Up Cycle is initiated. Lit-

tle Beth makes a willful decision to eat the dessert. Why? Doesn’t

she know that if she eats the dessert she will put on more and

more weight? Yes. She is aware that she will gain more weight,

but the reason Beth eats the desert is because this negative behav-

ior agrees with her own assessment of herself. “I am defective; I

am fat; no one could love me; and I am not worth anything.”

Her assessment of herself is completed when she makes a final

statement about herself: “I should feel badly for being such a weak

174

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 174

6/7/12 7:35 AM

The Cycles

person; I am such a pig.” So she continues to live in the vicious

cycle of overeating, and so goes the Give-Up Cycle.

The Outside Sources Re-enter

In the midst of this cycle re-enters the outside sources. The

outside sources observe your behavior and shame you for it. The

outside sources comment, “What’s wrong with you?”; “How can

you act that way?”; “You should be ashamed.”; “Don’t you care

about yourself?”; “I am disappointed in you.”

The outside sources compare you to others, or they quote

Bible verses to you, almost demanding that you change. These

additional shaming messages are lodged in the shame grid of your

mind, further contributing to your negative belief system.

The Next Cycle: The Try-Hard Cycle

Now let’s take a look at the Try-Hard Cycle. This next cycle

is where many try-hard people have learned to function. They

look so good on the outside because they have learned how to try

really hard through self-effort.

Take John, for example, the youth pastor at a local church.

On the outside, he appeared to be the ultimate youth leader to

parents and teens alike. He “loved the Lord,” he did daily devo-

tions with his wife, he was available to the youth at a moment’s

notice, he was a musician and a worshiper, he loved to have fun,

and he was a desired speaker at youth events. He looked really

good! He was trying really hard.

Unfortunately, he was motivated by his own insecurity to be

accepted by others. He struggled with pornography, and at times,

he would drink to drunkenness. Sadly, John looked real good on

the outside and received positive comments from church leaders

and parents, but all the accolades could not help him. All the pos-

itive comments went into his mind, where he would tell himself, If

they really knew me, they would never say such positive comments about me.

They would fire me as the youth pastor!

175

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 175

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

Unfortunately, self-effort fails as an adequate source of inner

peace and value and is no better than negative self-effort at remov-

ing shame. The goal is not to move from the Give-Up Cycle to the

Try-Hard Cycle. Trying harder is not the way to break out of the

Give-Up Cycle. We will discuss how to break out of both the

Give-Up Cycle and the Try-Hard Cycle in our next illustration.

Notice what flows out of their mind and has the immediate

appearance of good. When a person responds differently to the

shaming messages that have barraged the shame grid and the

mind, positive behaviors can now burst on the scene. Hurray!

Finally, good and positive behaviors are happening! But, remem-

ber, it is possible to do all the right things for all the wrong reasons.

Let’s break this down. You appear to have rejected the sham-

ing messages that have penetrated your mind. You quickly leave

the prosecutor position to become the defense attorney, deter-

mined to prove your innocence. But rejecting these messages and

defending yourself against them shows that the shame messages

have had their effect. Your response may be different, but the

shaming wound has penetrated your thoughts and is simply pro-

ducing positive behaviors for all the wrong reasons.

Serious Decisions

You make a serious decision. You are really tired of feeling

badly, so you come to a different conclusion. You decide that your

performance can prove that you are okay. The situation is now

hopeful, and you are going to establish, once and for all, that

176

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 176

6/7/12 7:35 AM

The Cycles

you are a capable, determined, and powerful person. So you try

harder, believing that this will work!

The Positive Behavior

Once you begin to produce positive behaviors, the Try-

Hard Cycle has begun, and it will wreak havoc. You might have

decided to try harder because, after an enjoyable weekend with

friends, you want to try even harder to avoid the Give-Up Cycle.

Or you might have just returned home from a weekend at the

“National Try-Hard Conference,” which was full of anecdotes

and this year’s flavors of really trying hard to succeed. You might

be frustrated with the consequences you have experienced in the

Give-Up Cycle. Or maybe you are simply fully rested up from

being in the Give-Up Cycle for so long and now are really ready

to try harder.

Your behavior now shifts from overeating to under-eating. If

you used to neglect reading your Bible, you are now up bright and

early to read your Bible. If you previously did not give money to

your church, you are now proud to give money. If you deal with

chemical abuse or alcohol, you grit your teeth and you abstain.

And the list goes on and on.

Messages That Affirm You

You are really doing great now that you have decided to try

harder, and this has now begun to attract “messages that affirm”

from the cheerleaders. They exhort you with: “You are great! See

177

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 177

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

how capable you are! I knew you could do it!” Now you should

feel accepted, right? But sadly you don’t because these affirming

messages deflect off of your shame grid as illustrated.

Here is where we clearly see the irony of trying to perform

your way out of shame. Even as the cheerleaders encourage your

performance, messages that are supposed to affirm you collide

with your shame grid, and the shaming messages take over again.

Deep inside, you think to yourself: If they really knew me, they

wouldn’t say those things about me. I have to keep performing so that they will continue to affirm me. I am really not as good as they say.

In Philippians 3:1-10, Paul states that he has a habit for the

things of the flesh. Paul literally says that he has a mind to place

his confidence in his flesh, and he lists all the reasons why this is

so natural for him. Paul, however, urges us to place no confidence

in the things of the flesh because the flesh is dead. Rather, we

should place our confidence and glory in Jesus Christ.

Allow me to illustrate. Bill was quite a successful businessman.

He owned a growing stock brokerage firm and a mortgage com-

pany, and both companies produced quite large sums of monies.

Because of his business acumen, Bill was asked to be on multiple

boards within his community. Bill was a young believer and full

of passion for God. Bill had been married to a wonderful woman

for a number of years, and they both enjoyed their three kids. Bill

was also on the board of his local church; this was quite amazing

considering that he had only known Jesus for about three years.

178

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 178

6/7/12 7:35 AM

The Cycles

His local church would recommend other families to him for

financial counseling. He had every appearance of being the pillar

of the community. Suffice it to say, Bill shined!

Multiple cheerleaders would gather around Bill with predict-

able comments. “Bill, you are so full of the Spirit”; “You have

such wisdom”; “He is such a godly man”; “God has gifted Bill

with such wisdom and the ability to make money.”

However, Bill began to reject the comments coming from the

cheerleaders. They actually became shame to Bill. He knew the

truth about himself. Bill would make comments to himself: If they

really knew me, they wouldn’t say those things about me. I have to keep

performing so that they will continue to affirm me. I am really not as good as they say.

You see, Bill had grown up in a strongly performance-driven

household. Both of his parents worked, and Bill stayed home alone

quite often. His father was very distant, and Bill felt he could

never measure up to his dad’s aspiration. Bill never remembers

his dad ever saying, “I love you, son.” Bill concluded that his dad

loved him because he always had food on the table, and they went

on family vacations every year. But what he wanted to hear the

most were the words, “I love you, son. I am so proud of you.”

Bill tells a story of when he was a gymnast in the eighth grade.

Bill had been fairly successful as a gymnast and knew that he was

going to win the outstanding athlete award at the father and son

sports banquet. Bill was so excited because maybe now his dad

would be proud of him.

So the big night arrived and, with a tuna casserole in hand, Bill

and his dad went to the awards banquet. As Bill had expected, he

won the outstanding athlete award. He thought for sure his dad

would say something like, “That’s great son, I am proud of you,”

but there was nothing! When he and his dad returned home, Bill

got out of the car with the empty tuna casserole bowl. The bowl

slipped out of his hands and onto the driveway, breaking into

many pieces and splattering leftover tuna casserole everywhere.

179

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 179

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

His dad turned around with a look of disgust and said, “Can’t you

do anything right?”

Bill grew into an adult and, sad to say, he continued to per-

form for everyone. He was convinced that if he just tried hard

enough, everyone would eventually be happy with him. So Bill

carried this sad reality into his business endeavors. When busi-

ness was going great, all was well; but when business would drop

off, Bill would do whatever it took to increase the business, includ-

ing deceiving his clientele. Performing well in front of family and

friends was everything to Bill, and he would do just about any-

thing necessary to keep it up.

At 40 years of age, Bill crashed emotionally and spiritually.

Bill was exhausted from performing for the affections of all of his

family and friends. Bill could not and would not stay living in the

Try-Hard Cycle. After he crashed, Bill entered into counseling,

and after two painful years, God gave Bill divine revelation into

what God thinks of him. Bill was now experiencing healing.

Where Do We Go from Here?

If you choose to fight a behavior battle, you have two alter-

natives: either a negative or positive behavior. Either one of the

resulting messages will produce self-effort. If you fail and give

up, you are shamed, and if you try hard and succeed, you are

self-righteous.

In Philippians 3:1 Paul states, “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the

Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.” Paul tells the church in Philippi to “rejoice in the Lord” one more time. Paul explains that this reminder is a

“safeguard” for them. He was telling them this because they were

forgetting who they were.

Paul continues to exhort them with this reality:

Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators

of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who wor-

ship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put

180

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 180

6/7/12 7:35 AM

The Cycles

no confidence in the flesh—though I myself have reasons for such

confidence… (Philippians 3:2-4).

Paul reminded them that those who were promoting an

unnecessary circumcision were essentially teaching that what

Jesus did was not quite enough. They were promoting self-effort,

performance, and the Law.

Paul exhorted the Philippians to rejoice in the Lord because

He knew that the religious leaders were urging them to rejoice in

becoming great religious performers. But Paul said, “No. Boast

in Jesus.” In other words, Paul was urging them to rejoice in the

right thing!

Some have placed their sense of value and worth in their fam-

ily members or friends. While these people make great friends,

sadly they will often fail us and let us down. Some boast in their

cars, but your car will stop running and rust away. Some boast in

their houses, others in personal possessions. Some have their lives

in their bank accounts. The musical group Caedmon’s Call once

wrote a song that included the following words: “This world has

everything / All that I could want / And nothing that I need.”1

The things of this world are all corruptible.

Ephesians 6:10 says, “Finally be strong in the Lord, and in the

strength of His might” (NASB). The Greek word for “be strong”

actually means “allow yourself to be strengthened.”2 We were cre-

ated to find our strength in Jesus. It is perfectly okay with Jesus

if we are weak. We find strength in Him alone, meaning we will

never find strength in anything or anyone else. We were called to

place all of our desires, confidence, and boasting in the unshake-

able and uncreated God. He always offers eternal things worth

boasting in!

You are now at a turning point in your life. Since your value

and worth are no longer up for grabs, you need to learn a new

cycle and depart from the old Give-Up Cycle or Try-Hard

Cycle way of living. You can now place your confidence in your

new source.

181

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 181

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

I hope that you can find rest and life in the midst of being His

son or daughter. It’s okay if you disagree with me; you can always

go back to your old answers and solutions. But, I hope you won’t.

Father, would You pour out wisdom and revelation into

those who are reading this book. Father, may they see You

and hear Your message toward them. In Jesus’ name!

Introducing the Rest Cycle

In the Rest Cycle, the outside sources are still involved in

our lives. And the same shaming messages are on the rampage.

Unfortunately, as you begin to move into the Rest Cycle the out-

side sources keep delivering shaming messages that do not go

away. These shaming messages still travel with sharp aim, and

they first attempt to lodge and bevel their way into the shame grid

of your mind.

But here is the difference. You will notice in the following

illustration that the Rest Cycle begins in the middle of the old

cycles, where there is no performance on your part. It begins after

your last behavior and before your next behavior. It begins in the

mind, the place where you believe and agree with things.

182

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 182

6/7/12 7:35 AM

The Cycles

Let’s Meet the Characters

God’s character and the gift of His salvation absolutely con-

tradict and obliterate everything in the shame message that says

you are defective, unworthy, unloved, or unaccepted. Instead of

the normal outside sources, you now have a brand-new source.

God has now become the irrefutable source of all truth messages

about you. God stands declaring His thoughts and emotions about

you to you—a wounded and hurting person. His posture is one

of compassion, grace, and complete forgiveness. Even though you

are faced with outside sources that continue to shame you, you

have a new source who brags about you. He is the great healer of

all emotions in your soul. You are His, and no one can steal you

away from Him.

God sent His Son for you because He loves you. And because

He sent His Son for you, His Holy Spirit is now dwelling in you.

He will dwell with you always and forevermore! His presence in

you is the one constant in a turbulent and noisy world. The Holy

Spirit is called the Comforter and Helper because we are all in

need of comfort and help.

All of your guilt is gone through Jesus’ sacrifice. The penalty

that you would have to pay has been paid in full. You have been

rescued from death, and life is now yours. It is all about Jesus’

ultimate death and resurrection. What a new source you have!

The new source has released a new message about you that is

eternal! You are completely and utterly loved and accepted. You

are fully loveable and fully acceptable! God actually enjoys you!

Any laws you tried to keep would not have achieved this. You are

a brand-new creation—clean, fresh, whole, lacking in nothing.

You are now His heir. It is now time to agree and remember the

truth of who you are. Peter clearly reminds us to keep remember-

ing who we are.

183

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 183

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

So I will always remind you of these things, even though you

know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.

I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the

tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as

our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make

every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able

to remember these things (2 Peter 1:12-15).

Therefore, your fight is no longer based on the need to pro-

duce good enough behaviors, but is characterized by believing

what is true about you according to what God says and has done.

When you agree with the truth that God declares over your life,

you will begin to see consistent behaviors.

Consistent Behaviors

Your behavior is now consistently aligning with the message

of what God has said about you. Now your behaviors are experi-

encing the process of transformation.

Look at the following illustration. Where do the arrows go

from consistent behavior? They go into the mind, causing deeper

transformation.

184

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 184

6/7/12 7:35 AM

The Cycles

This process is the renewing of your mind. Paul emphasizes

this in Romans 12:2:

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but

be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—

his good, pleasing and perfect will.

You have a new way of thinking, processing, and choosing

life. Paul speaks in Galatians 5:25, “If we live by the Spirit, let us

also walk by the Spirit” (NASB). In other words, if God’s Spirit is

now your source from which you get life, then continue to walk

this way.

The Rest Cycle at Work

The following are some scenarios that show the Rest Cycle in

action.

Scenario 1: John

John has been a diligent and hard worker. He

is anticipating a promotion and a raise at work. But

John discovers that someone else in the company has

received the promotion and raise.

Reaction Guided by Performance-Based Thinking

The Problem: This really hurt me, and I closed

myself off to my boss and everyone I work with.

The Emotion: I felt like a child sent to his room

because I made a serious mistake.

The Shaming Message: If I were a better worker, I

would have been promoted.

The Shaming Conclusion: I must be incapable. I am

not a good worker. I give up.

185

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 185

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

Response Guided by God-Based Thinking

God as the Source: God is my source for all things,

including my job.

God’s New Message: God says I am good enough,

and even though I was passed up for the job, I know

my value and worth are not derived from what I do,

but rather who I am and whose I am.

The Consistent Behavior: I can walk out of my office

and interact with my fellow employees and my boss.

God loves me, and I am fully accepted by Him, no

matter the position I hold at work.

Scenario 2: Nathaniel

Nathaniel grew up in a strongly shame-based fam-

ily. His mother was constantly berating him by making

statements such as, “Can’t you do anything right?”

“You have such a big nose.” “You need to apologize

to Uncle Frank because you were judgmental to him.”

“Children need to respect their elders.” Years later,

Nathaniel’s parents came to visit him and his wife, and

his mother continued to call him judgmental. Accord-

ing to his mother, everything Nathaniel did or said

was judgmental.

Reaction Guided by Performance-Based Thinking

The Problem: This has been going on all my life;

maybe my mother is right. I must be judgmental. God

must view me as a judgmental person.

The Emotion: I feel like a judgmental and negative

person, and I need to change my attitude. God does

not accept me because I am judgmental.

186

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 186

6/7/12 7:35 AM

The Cycles

The Shaming Message: If I were a nonjudgmental

person, my mother would respect me, and we would

get along. The Lord would be proud of me and receive

me because I would be acting graciously.

The Shaming Conclusion: I am not a good person,

and I need to shape up and try harder.

Response Guided by God-Based Thinking

God as the Source: God is my source for all things,

including my relationship with my mother.

God’s New Message: God says I am His. I am

approved and accepted by God. I am safe with Him.

I am His son who is fully capable of loving all people.

The truth is that I am not judgmental, but that I see

things through His eyes, which are full of grace and

mercy.

Consistent Behavior: I can interact with my family,

knowing that I am loved and accepted and fully able

to love others.

Scenario 3: Mary

Mary struggles with relationships. She often finds

herself dating men who put her down and treat her

like a tramp. Her children and friends do not like the

men she dates nor do they want them to attend any

family events. Mary struggles to end her relationship

with a man for fear of being alone.

Reaction Guided by Performance-Based Thinking

The Problem: Someone is always mad at me. My

friends and family complain I do not have enough

time with them. My boyfriend also complains I do not

spend enough time with him.

187

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 187

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

The Emotion: I fear I will have to choose between

my family, my friends, and my boyfriend.

The Shaming Message: It is my job to make everyone

in my life happy, no matter what it takes.

The Shaming Conclusion: I am so tired, but I must

become better at making everyone around me happy

and content with me.

Response Guided by God-Based Thinking

God as the Source: God is my source in the midst of

all my relationships.

God’s New Message: God is my ultimate relationship,

and with Him there are no strings attached. I am safe

with Him even if I don’t have a boyfriend. God says I

am full of His Spirit and capable of good and healthy

relationships.

The Consistent Behavior: I can enjoy positive male

relationships. I do not have to settle for men who

treat me poorly. I can also enjoy relationships with

my friends and family. I do not have to keep trying to

make everyone happy.

Scenario 4: Susan

When Susan was a young woman, her friend’s

father abused her for four years. As an adult, she strug-

gles to be emotionally and sexually intimate with her

husband.

Reaction Guided by Performance-Based Thinking

The Problem: I struggle to be intimate with my hus-

band and often try to avoid any overtures of intimacy.

188

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 188

6/7/12 7:35 AM

The Cycles

The Emotion: I become frightened as my husband

has sex with me, and I often feel as if my abuser is rap-

ing me again.

The Shaming Message: If I were a better wife, I would

not have this reaction. I should get over this and enjoy

my husband.

The Shaming Conclusion: I am defective. Something

is wrong with me. Our relationship will never get

better.

Response Guided by God-Based Thinking

God as the Source: I am loved and created by God.

He is my source. God takes good care of me and my

emotions.

God’s New Message: God says I am His. I am loved

and fully accepted into His heart. I am safe with Him.

He will help me feel safe with my husband.

The Consistent Behavior: I can enjoy intimacy with

my husband. God has redeemed my past and will sup-

port my desire to have an intimate relationship with

my husband. I no longer have to “give up”; God’s love

for me is enough.

God has Provided a Way

God loves for us to step into Him. As we do, He will provide

a way of escape from the arduous lies of the enemy. I have seen

the results from the Rest Cycle in my own life and in the lives of

countless others. I believe God has given this tool as a means of

escape from the demanding lies of the Give-Up Cycle and the

Try-Hard Cycle. Paul articulates this kingdom reality in First

Corinthians 10:13:

189

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 189

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to man-

kind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond

what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also

provide a way out so that you can endure it.

The way out of the Give-Up Cycle and the Try-Hard Cycle

is the Rest Cycle. Through the Rest Cycle, you will discover the

bridal paradigm reality and His eternal message that you are

His and that God is your source. Ask Him to help you process

through this cycle, and watch Him move your emotions, will, and

mind into behaviors that are consistent with who you really are!

I remind you that God has not abandoned you to figure out

how to heal yourself. In the next chapter, we will take a look

at an additional and timeless tool God has given to each of us

to overcome both the Give-Up Cycle and the Try-Hard Cycle.

This enduring tool has been forgotten, and very few individuals

exercise this tool. If you will embrace this tool, you will hear the

Father’s heart pounding toward you!

Summary Questions

1. What are the two primary areas of the battle to recover from

shame and manipulation? (See page 167)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

2. “As Scripture says, ‘Anyone who trusts in _______________ will never be put to ______________ ’” (Rom. 10:11). (See page 167.) 3. A shaming message is designed to _______________ or

_______________ the recipient (see page 169).

190

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 190

6/7/12 7:35 AM

The Cycles

4. According to the Give-Up Cycle, list some examples of out-

side sources in your life (see page 168).

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

5. What shaming messages did you receive from outside sources?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

6. The shame grid is the establishment of a belief system that

determines what you believe about yourself. How does the

shame grid perpetuate shame? (See page 171.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

7. Describe the shaming process in the Give-Up Cycle (see pages

171-172).

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

191

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 191

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

8. What are negative behaviors? Why do negative behaviors

occur? (See pages 172-175.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

9. Who are cheerleaders, and what is their role in the Try-Hard

Cycle? (See pages 177-178.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

10. Are there outside sources and shaming messages in the Try-

Hard Cycle? (Circle one)Yes No

11. True or False: Do the messages from the outside sources in the

Try-Hard Cycle go through the shame grid?

12. Are positive or negative behaviors generated in the Try-Hard

Cycle?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

13. Where are positive behaviors generated? (See pages 177-178.)

_____________________________________________

192

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 192

6/7/12 7:35 AM

The Cycles

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

14. Why are positive behaviors not necessarily good? (See pages

177-178.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

15. Where do the cheerleader comments in the Try-Hard Cycle

go? (See pages 178-182.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

16. The outside sources and shaming messages don’t go away

simply because you have entered the Rest Cycle. So, where

does the Rest Cycle begin? (See page 182.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

193

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 193

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

17. Who is our source in the Rest Cycle? (See page 182-184.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

18. What message does our new source give us? (See page 182-184.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

19. Your behavior is now consistently aligning with the

____________ of what God has said about you. Now your

behaviors are experiencing the process of ______________

(see page 184).

20. Write out Romans 12:2.

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

21. In light of the Rest Cycle, what is your interpretation of First

Corinthians 10:13?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

194

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 194

6/7/12 7:35 AM

The Cycles

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

Endnotes

1. Caedmon’s Call, “This World,” Chronicles 1992-2004

(Essential Records, 2004), track 5; lyrics available at

http://www.metrolyrics.com/this-world-lyrics-caed-

mons-call.html (accessed February 17, 2012).

2. Thayer and Smith, The KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon,

s.v. “Edunamoo” (#1743); BibleStudyTools.com; http://

www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/kjv/endu-

namoo.html (accessed February 17, 2012).

195

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 195

6/7/12 7:35 AM

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 196

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Chapter 12

God Gives Tools

When we become consumed with God, there is

nothing more rewarding than meditating on Him.

God does not give the Church things; He gives the Church His

Son Jesus. God not only “gave’ His Son to each of us, but

He has also given tools to each of us so that we can discover fresh

wisdom and revelation of His Son.

Do you know why the Word of God is true? Because it is true!

God cannot and does not lie! Titus speaks this truth:

…knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness—in the hope of

eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before

the beginning of time (Titus 1:1-2).

God makes eternal promises, and there is nothing more pro-

found than the promises of a God who never lies. You can trust

every word that He has spoken. Meditation is by far one of the

most important life principles we can ever learn. God’s Word is

His true and eternal thoughts written on paper for our study and

consideration. His Word is how He thinks about every situation

and subject.

we Become like the thing we

focus on.

197

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 197

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

Do not be afraid of meditation because it sounds like it is

part of the New Age movement. Satan is the great imposter. He

has never created anything. He will introduce his own thoughts

(which are all lies) and twist them from God’s original intent.

Satan will not only twist what God is doing by perverting it (New

Age meditation), but he will keep well-meaning believers from

experiencing these powerful tools out of fear. Some believers are

convinced that meditation is only an apparatus of the New Age

movement.

God says to meditate on His Word day and night so we will

obey it (see Josh. 1:8) . The psalmist says, his delight is in the Law of the Lord, and in His Law he meditates day and night (see Ps. 1:2).

Actually, the Bible mentions meditate or meditation twenty times.

My encouragement and my exhortation to you is to meditate on

the Word of God— not with the goal of finishing, but with the goal of being with Him! In other words, don’t feel like you have to

finish a particular passage of Scripture during your meditation.

If you find yourself completely absorbed in meditating on the first

verse of a passage, and that is all you meditate on, then you have

accomplished your longing of meeting with Him.

The Beauty of Meditation

Meditating on God’s Word is an extremely valuable tool in

your identity. We take on the attributes of the things we focus on.

When we become consumed with God, there is nothing more

rewarding than meditating on Him. I am intrigued with David’s

thoughts as he meditated on God and penned this psalm:

The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The

Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread? When evil-

doers came upon me to devour my flesh, my adversaries and my

enemies, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamps against

me, my heart will not fear; though wars arise against me, In spite

of this I shall be confident (Psalm 27:1-3 NASB).

198

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 198

6/7/12 7:35 AM

God Gives Tools

In verse 1, David professes and agrees that God is his light

and salvation. When he understands and agrees with this truth,

he fears no one and nothing. When David does not remember who

God is (his light and salvation), he then agrees with fear.

This really drives home the truth that God’s perfect love casts

out all fear (see 1 John 4:18). When you are experiencing fear,

you are not experiencing His light. When you are not drawing

your life from God, you are walking in the darkness. Darkness is

simply the absence of light. When God is welcomed in and steps

into the darkness, the darkness leaves, because the light of God is

present and all fear is gone.

Next, David believes that God is the great defender of his life,

and because of this reality, he dreads no one. This means that

Jesus defends David (and you) in the courtroom of all eternity.

Lies from the enemy are toothless.

In verse 2, David comments that when we remember who

God is, and who we are, our enemies will stumble and fall. In

other words, darkness has no power when we remember who

God is and who He says we are. In reality, darkness is a lie. Even

when my enemies attempt to come back again and again, they are

revealed by God’s light and they vanish. And with this reality, my

heart will not fear; I will be secure in God!

One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that

I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to

behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple

(Psalm 27:4 NASB).

In Psalm 27:4, I am struck by what David did not say: “Lord

there are ten really important items in my life, but you are the

most important item in my life.” He actually stated that nothing

else in his life mattered. Jesus, and Jesus alone, is my passion and

my desire. He is my fascination. His transcendent beauty is all

that I will gaze on. In other words, nothing else matters when I

have Him, because in Him I have all things.

199

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 199

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

Supernatural revelation is released from God’s realm when

we meditate on His very thoughts and intentions. An incredible

obsession for the kingdom of heaven occurs when we meditate on

the Beautiful One. This verse will be familiar to many, “But seek

first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:33 NASB) . As we meditate on Him, His presence will increase in our hearts. To behold God is to know God.

The Song of All Songs

I would like to encourage you to meditate on passages such

as this:

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—for your love is

more delightful than wine. Pleasing is the fragrance of your per-

fumes; your name is like perfume poured out. No wonder the

maidens love you! Take me away with you—let us hurry! Let

the king bring me into his chambers (Song of Solomon 1:2-4).

Song of Solomon illustrates the Bride’s spiritual journey as she

draws near to Jesus in intimacy and then runs in deep partner-

ship with Him in ministry. She matures in these two realities as

she experiences the intimacy of God’s Word touching her heart.

The paradox of our faith is that we are dark in our souls, yet we

are lovely to God. God has the divine perspective of the finished

Bride, complete and holy. Both truths must be held in tension to

understand who we are before God.

we are lovely to god.

Some emphasize how sinful we are, and others emphasize

how beautiful we are. While we need to understand that we sin

and forget who we are, the deeper revelation is that we are beauti-

ful, powerful, and lovely to God. There is nothing we can do to

200

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 200

6/7/12 7:35 AM

God Gives Tools

make God love us more, and there is nothing we can do to lose

His love for us.

The Bride has a desperate cry to have more of Jesus. She

wants Him to personally feed her spirit.

Tell me, O You whom I love, where You feed your flock…For

why should I be as one who veils herself by the flocks of Your

companions? (Song of Solomon 1:7 NKJV)

Mike Bickle, director of the International House of Prayer in

Kansas City, teaches that there are four reasons why God is pas-

sionate toward us, even in our weakness.

1. God’s personality is filled with tender and loving emo-

tions for His people.

2. With the gift of righteousness, we also freely receive

the beauty of Jesus’ righteousness.

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we

might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians

5:21 NKJV).

3. The Spirit imparts a sincere and willing spirit of

obedience that cries for God; it is not a fully mature

obedience, but it is a very willing spirit of obedience.

…You received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba,

Father” (Romans 8:15 NKJV).

4. We have an eternal destiny as Jesus’ Bride. God sees

the end from the beginning. He sees us as the finished

Bride.1

Let Me Illustrate

Kirk Bennett, also from the International House of Prayer,

tells a beautiful story that affirms the power of meditating on

God’s Word.

201

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 201

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

Once, after he taught about meditating on the Word of God,

a young woman (we will call her Mary) came up to Kirk. She was

so excited about beginning her journey of meditating on God.

Mary said that God had really ignited her heart toward medita-

tion, and she was looking forward to the process.

About three weeks later, Kirk was walking in the halls, and he

noticed Mary was walking briskly toward him. As she got closer

and closer to him, she was beginning to bounce and dance. Mary

was so filled with the Spirit. Mary’s smile was so contagious, and

her eyes were beaming with joy.

Kirk said, “Wow! What is going on with you?”

Mary began to tell Kirk that she had spent the past three

weeks meditating on the Word of God.

Kirk responded, “That’s awesome! What verses have you

been meditating on?”

Mary said, “John 3:16!”

Kirk said, “That’s so cool. What part of John 3:16 have you

been meditating on?”

Mary said with much exhilaration—“For God!”

Mary had spent three weeks on only two words from John

3:16, and she had found such deep revelation from God. The

point is not to be in a rush. The goal of meditation is not to finish,

but to be with the One who loves you. God has such divine rev-

elation that He wants to give us, and this revelation can even be

found in only two words from Scripture. The truth is that we can

be intimate with a beautiful and completely unfathomable God.

…whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right,

whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute,

if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell

[meditate] on these things (Philippians 4:8 NASB).

Let the word of Christ richly dwell [live] within you, with all

wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and

202

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 202

6/7/12 7:35 AM

God Gives Tools

hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your

hearts to God (Colossians 3:16 NASB).

Here are some Scriptures you can meditate on. And remem-

ber, God does not lie (see Titus 1:2).

Who Am I According to God?

Matt. 5:13: I am the salt of the earth.

Matt. 5:14: I am the light of the world.

John 1:12: I am a child of God.

John 15:1,5: I am part of the true vine, a channel (branch) of

His (Christ’s) life.

John 15:15: I am Christ’s friend.

John 15:16: I am chosen and appointed by Christ to bear His

fruit.

Rom. 6:18: I am a slave of righteousness.

Rom. 6:22: I am enslaved to God.

Rom. 8:14-15: I am a child of God.

Rom. 8:17: I am a joint heir with Christ, sharing His inheri-

tance with Him.

1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19: I am a temple of God. His Spirit dwells in

me.

1 Cor. 6:17: I am joined to the Lord and am one spirit with

Him.

1 Cor. 12:27: I am a member of Christ’s body.

2 Cor. 5:17: I am a new creation.

Gal. 3:26,28: I am a child of God and one in Christ.

Gal. 4:6-7: I am an heir of God since I am a child of God.

Eph. 1:1: I am a saint.

Eph. 3:1; 4:1: I am a prisoner of Christ.

Eph. 4:24: I am righteous and holy.

203

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 203

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

Col. 3:3: I am hidden with Christ in God.

Col. 3:4: I am an expression of the life of Christ because He

is my life.

Col. 3:12: I am chosen of God, holy, and dearly loved.

1 Thess. 1:4: I am chosen and dearly loved by God.

1 Thess. 5:5: I am a child of light and not of darkness.

Heb. 3:1: I am a holy brother, partaker of a heavenly calling.

Heb. 3:14: I am a partaker of Christ; I share His life.

1 Pet. 2:5: I am one of God’s living stones and am being built

up as a spiritual house.

1 Pet. 2:9-10: I am a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy

nation, a people for God’s own possession to proclaim the excel-

lencies of Him.

1 Pet. 2:11: I am an alien and stranger to this world I tempo-

rarily live in.

1 Pet. 5:8: I am an enemy of the devil.

1 John 3:1-2: I am now a child of God. I will resemble Christ

when He returns.

By the Grace of God I…

Rom. 5:1: Have been justified.

Rom. 6:1-6: Died with Christ and died to the power of sin’s

rule over my life.

Rom. 8:1: Am free forever from condemnation.

1 Cor. 1:30: Have been placed into Christ by God’s doing.

1 Cor. 2:12: Have received the Spirit of God into my life that

I might know the things freely given to me by God.

1 Cor. 2:16: Have been given the mind of Christ.

1 Cor. 6:19-20: Have been bought with a price. I am not my

own. I belong to God.

204

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 204

6/7/12 7:35 AM

God Gives Tools

2 Cor. 1:21: Have been established, anointed, and sealed by

God in Christ.

Eph. 1:13-14: Have received the Holy Spirit, who was given to

me as a pledge guaranteeing my inheritance to come.

Eph. 1:4: Have been chosen in Christ before the foundation of

the world to be holy and without blame before Him.

Eph. 1:5: Was predestined to be adopted as a child.

Eph. 1:7-8: Have been redeemed and forgiven and am a recip-

ient of His lavish grace.

Eph. 2:5: Have been made alive together with Christ.

Eph. 2:6: Have been raised up and seated with Christ in the

heavenlies.

Eph. 2:18: Have direct access to God through the Spirit.

Eph. 3:12: May approach God with boldness, freedom, and

confidence.

Col. 1:12-13: Have been delivered from the domain of dark-

ness and transferred to the kingdom of Christ.

Col. 1:14: Have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins.

Col. 1:27: Have Christ Himself within me.

Col. 2:7: Have been firmly rooted in Christ and am now being

built up in Him.

Col. 2:11: Have been spiritually circumcised (the old me is

dead and gone).

Col. 2:10: Have been made complete in Christ.

Col. 2:12-13: Have been buried, raised, and made alive in

Christ.

Col. 3:1-4: Have been raised up with Christ. I died with

Christ. My life is now hidden with Christ in God. Christ is now

my life.

2 Tim. 1:7: Have been given a Spirit of power, love, and a

sound mind.

205

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 205

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

2 Tim. 1:9: Have been saved and called (set apart) according

to God’s doing.

Heb. 2:11: Am sanctified and am one with the sanctifier;

therefore, He is not ashamed to call me His sibling.

Heb. 4:16: Have a right to come bodily before the throne of

God to find mercy and grace in times of need.

Summary Questions

1. What is released when we meditate on Scripture and learn

God’s thoughts and intentions? (See pages 197-198.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

2. God says to _______________ on His Word day and night so

we will _______________ it (see Josh. 1:8; Ps. 1:2). (See page

198.)

3. The goal and passion of every believer is not to finish a pas-

sage of Scripture while meditating, but to ___ _____ ____

(see page 198).

4. _______________ _______________ is released from God’s

realm when we meditate on His thoughts and intentions (see

page 200).

5. What are some reasons why God is passionate toward us, even

in our weakness? (See pages 200-201.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

206

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 206

6/7/12 7:35 AM

God Gives Tools

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

Endnote

1. Mike Bickle, “Studies in the Song of Solomon: Progres-

sion of Holy Passion,” notes (Kansas City, MI: Forerunner

School of Ministry, 2007), 49.

207

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 207

6/7/12 7:35 AM

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 208

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Chapter 13

God Believes in

You

He gave Himself to you because He loves you and

He desires for you to partner with Him in recap-

turing the earth for His namesake!

God has plenty to say about you. One of the greatest messages

in all of Scripture, speaking of us as the Bride to Jesus, is the

bridal paradigm message from Song of Solomon 1:15. “How beau-

tiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! Your eyes are doves.”

Jesus declares that we have “dove eyes.” A fascinating aspect

of doves is that they are single-minded; a dove has no peripheral

vision. It only sees straight ahead. It is not distracted by what is

happening at its right or left. An additional aspect of doves is that

they are very loyal. A dove will mate once in its life. If its mate

dies, it never mates again. This speaks symbolically of loyalty.

God claims this about you! To Him you are focused on Him and

Him alone, and you are loyal. Your commitment to Him as a vol-

untary lover is sealed. The revelation of being loved and beautiful

to God is to see with dove’s eyes. God’s eternal message to each of

us is that we are glorious and full of power to Him.

The Old Man and His Son

An old man and his beloved son lived together in a beauti-

ful home. Their home was adorned with priceless paintings that

209

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 209

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

would fetch millions of dollars. They hosted paintings from some

of the most famous painters in history—Pablo Picasso, Vincent

Van Gogh, Georgia O’Keefe, and many others. The man and his

son had a great love for these paintings, and they would sit around

the house admiring these priceless works of art on a daily basis.

One spring day, the son was drafted by their nation’s military.

While the father would miss his son, he was very proud of him.

Early in December, the father received word from the military

that his son had died serving his country. Additional word came

that the enemy had killed his son as he rescued men from the

front line. His life was given for the lives of his comrades.

One day shortly before Christmas, as the father was sitting

in the living room flanked by his priceless array of paintings, he

began to weep. The father knew he would never again be with his

son, and they would never celebrate Christmas together again.

Later, there was a knock at the door. When the father opened

the door, a tall, slender young man stood at the doorway. The

young man introduced himself as one of his son’s military friends.

The father invited the young man in and noticed the young man

carrying a rather large, wrapped package. As the father and the

young man were enjoying a cup of tea, the visitor told the father

that he was one of the survivors his son had given his life for.

The young man added, “As a matter of fact, your son saved

multiple lives; his life was not given in vain. I brought this gift for

you in remembrance of your son. I am a painter and a great lover

of art, and your son shared that you both loved art.”

As the father opened the package, it revealed a stunning

painting of his son’s face. The likeness was striking. The young

man told the father that he was not the best painter, but that his

son had meant everything to him.

The father commented, “This painting is glorious, and I

thank you from the bottom of my heart. This means everything

to me, and I will display it with love and honor.”

210

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 210

6/7/12 7:35 AM

God Believes in You

As the father and the young man finished their time together,

and after an emotional goodbye, the father placed the painting

of his son in the most prominent place in the house. He removed

the most valuable and famous of the paintings from above the

fireplace and hung the painting of his son there instead. This was

now his most prized painting.

Shortly after the first of the year, the father took ill and passed

away. Art collectors from all over the world were eager because the

man had no other heirs, and these priceless works of art would now

be auctioned off. Art dealers from around the world were ecstatic.

The day of the auction finally arrived, and the auction room

was full of buzz. Finally these art collectors would have opportu-

nity to bid on these fine works of art.

As the auction began, the auctioneer lifted up the first piece of

art to be bid on. All of the art collectors realized that this was not

one of the famous pieces.

Someone in the crowd shouted out, “What is this painting?

What is this? This is not what we have come to bid on!”

The auctioneer moved out onto the auction floor and replied:

“Who will bid on this piece of art?”

There was no response.

The auctioneer repeated, “Who will bid on this piece of art?”

The auctioneer continued, “Who will give $100.00 for this

piece of art?”

Still there was no response.

The auctioneer stated, “Who will give me $75.00?”

Still, there was no response.

The auctioneer was stunned, but said, “Who will give me

$50.00?”

The crowd was stirring with wonderment.

Then a shout from the crowd came, “Why this painting first?”

211

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 211

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

Finally someone in the crowd shouted out, “I know who the

subject of that painting is. That is the owner’s son who died in the

war.”

All of the art collectors were stunned and remained silent for

a few moments.

The man who recognized the painting shouted out, “I only

have $10.00 for the painting, will you take that?”

The auctioneer shouted, “Will anyone go higher?” The auc-

tioneer waited a moment before he said, “Going once. Going

twice. Sold to this man for $10.00.”

Then the auctioneer calmly stated: “The auction is now over.”

Bellows could be heard throughout the auction hall.

“Hey! We did not come here to purchase some cheap painting!”

Others clamored: “There are millions of dollars of paintings

yet to be auctioned! What do you mean the auction is now over?”

The auctioneer replied: “It’s simple. According to the father’s

will, whoever takes the portrait of the son gets it all!”

My friend, if you have received Jesus’ eternal love for you and

have been redeemed, then you get it all.

We Get It All

God believes in you so much that you get the entire king-

dom because you are His beloved child. You have received Jesus’

eternal sacrifice. He gave Himself to you because He loves you,

and He desires you to partner with Him in recapturing the earth

for His namesake! Our Father has placed you at His banqueting

table. All of the gifts are resident at the banqueting table: all the

anointing, power, and strength of heaven. There is hope, purpose

for life, water that will never let you be thirsty again, and eternal

food that will sustain you; in fact, the entire kingdom of God is

resident at the table of God.

212

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 212

6/7/12 7:35 AM

God Believes in You

all of the gifts are resident at

the Banqueting taBle.

After hearing the bridal paradigm teaching multiple times,

Kari, a leader at the Chico YWAM Discipleship Training School,

said:

“Ken, each time I hear you teach bridal paradigm I am re-

energized and reminded one more time that I am His beloved.

But every time you begin to teach the banqueting table part of the

bridal paradigm, I get a little confused.”

I replied, “What is it that is confusing?”

Kari said, “Well, all of your teaching is right from Scripture,

and it tells me that I am already holy and that I am already and

always will be at the banqueting table. Yet, you teach that we

need to remember who we are, and if we forget who we are, we

need to come back to the banqueting table.”

I responded, “Well, yes, that is true.”

Kari said, “No. That is not true.”

This of course provided me with a great moment to remember

who I am. Kari was challenging the teacher!

I carefully said, “Kari, tell me how my teaching is not true

concerning the banqueting table?”

Kari gently stated, “Well, if I am already holy, righteous,

redeemed, a saint, and a new creation, then I am always at the

banqueting table. The new me—my new spirit, who you and the

Scriptures say that I am—is always at the banqueting table. You

need to remind people that they are already, and always will be,

there! We just need to remember this truth!”

I said, “Wow! You are right. We are always there; we simply

forget that we are there. It’s like when we sin; we simply forgot

who we are, and we need to remember that we are always His

saints and that we are always at His table.”

213

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 213

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

So God gave the both of us fresh revelation on who we are

and where we reside!

Scripture backs up the banqueting table reality:

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait

for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:20 NKJV).

We are citizens of heaven; our home is now and forever in

heaven. As a matter of fact, Scripture tells us that we are cur-

rently seated in heavenly places.

…and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the

heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6 NASB).

As citizens of heaven, we are not battling to get back into a

place that we already are. We simply forgot that we were already

there.

God Really Does Believe in You

Did you know that God believes in you? Do you know why

God uses flawed and weak people? Because we are all He has!

Let’s see if God believes in you according to Scripture.

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues,

preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease

and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over

Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various

diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those

having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. Large

crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the

region across the Jordan followed him (Matthew 4:23-25).

After observing His miracles and power, people from all over

Israel began to gather around Jesus, and they were quite inter-

ested in what He had to teach (see Matt. 5:1-2).

During the Sermon on the Mount, there would have been

thousands of people there to hear the message from Jesus’ heart.

214

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 214

6/7/12 7:35 AM

God Believes in You

All those who were there, while they were quite interested in

Jesus, did not agree with Him.

As Jesus began to deliver His heart about followers of the

kingdom of God, I can hear Him saying: “I have good news, and

I have bad news. The good news is that the kingdom of God that

you have observed is true. The miracles, healings, and deliver-

ances are real and true. The bad news is that the kingdom of God

is not going to come to and flow through who you think.”

When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and

after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. He opened His

mouth and began to teach them, saying, “Blessed are the poor in

spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who

mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the gentle, for they

shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst

for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merci-

ful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for

they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be

called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted

for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”

(Matthew 5:1-10 NASB).

Jesus began to bring definition to what followers of the king-

dom of God look like and how they respond to the kingdom of

God.

You Are Salt

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness,

how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything,

except to be thrown out and trampled by men (Matthew 5:13).

The beatitudes are over, but the Sermon on the Mount con-

tinues. As we enter into verse 13, we need to see ourselves still

sitting at the feet of Jesus on a hill in Galilee, but something has

changed. In the first twelve verses, Jesus is describing the kind of

people to whom the kingdom of God comes, the kind of people

the power of the kingdom flows through. This is the power that

215

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 215

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

was demonstrated in chapter 4. In verse 13, Jesus is no longer

describing kingdom people; He is now talking to them. He is

looking them in the eye. Jesus is saying things that are true about

them. Today, you need to know that God believes in you!

today, you need to know that

god Believes in you!

The “you” are those who are broken, mourning, hungry, and

thirsty for righteousness; they are kingdom people. Jesus is mak-

ing a statement. He is not calling you to act like salt; He is telling

you, “You are salt.”

Salt and light carried a great connotation in Jesus’ day. You

need to understand that when Jesus said, “You are the salt of the

earth” and “You are the light of the world,” He was speaking to

the people of that day, but His meaning has not changed. Jesus

was, and is, saying to you, “You are the most valuable commodity

on the face of the earth.”

Jesus’ metaphor of salt is significant. We have often spiritual-

ized this text. We salt our food, and it makes us thirsty; therefore,

our presence in the world should make people thirsty for God.

Salt in a wound stings; therefore, the Church of Jesus Christ needs

to confront sin in our culture. We do need to confront sin, and we

may make people thirsty for God’s presence, but this is not the

imagery Jesus is invoking when He tells us that we are the salt of

the earth.

There is something more we need to understand about this

verse. Salt meant more to people in Jesus’ day than it does today.

In that culture, salt was something you could not live without.

Ancient Greeks used to say, Except for the sun, there is nothing more

important than salt to the existence of mankind. 1

216

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 216

6/7/12 7:35 AM

God Believes in You

Salt was a valuable preservative. They had no refrigeration in

Jesus’ day, and food was housed in the middle of a stack of salt.

It was so important that Roman soldiers would be paid with salt.

The actual word for salt is where we get our word for salary. The

expression, “This guy is not worth his salt,” came from this time

in history.2 Salt was often given as a gift to show appreciation or

to acknowledge the depth of intimacy.

In the original context, Jesus was telling people that they

were of immeasurable worth and value to the earth. The people

listening to Jesus would have understood the metaphor of being

compared to salt. They understood that Jesus was calling them a

great commodity that had great value on the earth.

God is saying to each of us: “Broken, mourning, hungry, and

thirsty people need to know something. You are a valuable com-

modity. You are more valuable than any other commodity on the

earth. Gold and silver are not as valuable as you.” God knew of

you before the heavens and the earth were created. He anointed

you to become the valuable commodity of salt while you were

being knit in your mother’s womb.

You Are the Light

In Matthew 5:14, Jesus says you are the light of the world.

Jesus said, “…I am the light of the world” ( John 9:5); the light is Christ Himself. In John 8:12, Jesus spoke again to the people and

said , “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” And Paul said,

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His

light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the

glory of God in the face of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Jesus was the light of the world, and He made us to be light

to the world when He returned to heaven. We will draw people

with our light, but more importantly, we are literally Christ to the

world; we are Jesus with skin on.

217

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 217

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

Jesus is saying you are christ in

the world; you are Jesus with

skin on.

Light doesn’t mean too much to us; we have it everywhere

and at anytime. We simply turn on the light switch, and we have

instant light. We tend to take light for granted. Unlike the people

of Jesus’ day, we don’t appreciate light and its presence.

The people of Jesus’ day did not have to deal with power and

electric companies. Thus, the people of that day understood the

importance of light to their society. As Jesus was telling them

that they were the light of the world, something clicked within

them because they understood that light was such a valuable

commodity.

The Stars in the Sky

Always remember this reality. When you consider the stars in

the sky, the closest stars are countless light years away, millions

of miles from the earth. The stars receive their light from the

sun, and the stars are always shining. But when do they shine the

most? The stars, while they are constantly shining, shine most

powerfully in the darkness! Since you are the light of the world,

you shine most powerfully in a dark world. Your very presence in

this world is bringing the light of God everywhere you go! Next

time you step into your local grocery store, understand that the

light of the world just stepped in; God’s presence just entered into

the room.

The Story of Light, Evil, and Heat

A university professor challenged his students with this

question:

218

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 218

6/7/12 7:35 AM

God Believes in You

“Did God create everything that exists?”

A student bravely replied, “Yes, He did!”

“God created everything?” the professor asked, “So God cre-

ated all things?”

“Yes sir,” the student replied.

The professor responded, “If God created everything, then

God created evil since evil exists. According to the principle that

our works define who we are, God is evil.”

The student became quiet before such an answer.

The professor was quite pleased with himself and boasted to

the students that he had proven, once more, that the Christian

faith was a myth.

Another student raised his hand and said, “Can I ask you a

question, professor?”

“Of course,” replied the professor.

The student stood up and asked, “Professor, does cold exist?”

“What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you

never been cold?”

The students snickered at the young man’s question.

The young man replied, “In fact, sir, cold does not exist.”

“According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is,

in reality, the absence of heat. Every body or object is suscep-

tible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what

makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero

(-460 degrees F) is the total absence of heat; all matter becomes

inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does

not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we

have no heat.”

The student continued, “Professor, does darkness exist?”

The professor responded, “Of course it does.”

The student replied, “Once again you are wrong, sir; dark-

ness does not exist either. Darkness is, in reality, the absence of

219

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 219

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact, we can use

Newton’s prism to break white light into many colors and study

the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure dark-

ness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and

illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You

measure the amount of light present. Isn’t this correct? Darkness

is a term used by people to describe what happens when there is

no light present.”

evil is simply the aBsence of god.

Finally the young man asked the professor, “Sir, does evil

exist?”

Now uncertain, the professor responded, “Of course, as I

have already said. We see it every day. It is in the daily example

of people’s inhumanity to people! It is in the multitude of crime

and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are

nothing else but evil.”

To this the student replied, “Evil does not exist, sir, or at least

it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It

is just like darkness and cold, a word that people have created to

describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is not

like faith or love that exist just as do light and heat. Evil is the

result of what happens when people do not have God’s love pres-

ent in their hearts. It’s like the cold that comes when there is no

heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light.”

God Is Speaking Clearly

You are salt, and you are light. You may have lost your eter-

nal vision, your belief in yourself, and—worst of all—the reality

that God believes in you. You have lost the significance of your

220

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 220

6/7/12 7:35 AM

God Believes in You

existence. God has a high opinion of you, and He has decided to

move through you to bring heaven to the earth.

Paul tells us that we were created in His image, “For we are

God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God

prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:10) . The Greek word for

handiwork is poiema, from which we get our word poem. 3 We are

God’s poem to the world, the art that displays His grace, His

handiwork of love.

Many would say that God’s greatest masterpiece is the sunset

that paints the evening sky or the millions of stars that twinkle so

beautifully each night. Others might point to the majestic moun-

tain ranges or the mighty, rushing rivers. And some might say the

flowers that bloom in the spring or the many amazing creatures

that populate our planet.

yes, you are the greatest of

god’s masterpieces.

All of those masterpieces are impressive, but none of them are

the greatest that God has created. You are the greatest of God’s

masterpieces. We are His “handiwork, created in Christ Jesus” (Eph.

2:10). God declares from the hallways of heaven, “This is My

beloved child, in whom I am well pleased and who I am excited

to call My own.”

The Masterpiece Is a Process

The creation of a masterpiece is usually not the result of some

brief, haphazard effort. The Mona Lisa required four years for

Da Vinci to complete. In fact, X-rays have shown that there are

three previous versions of the painting under the one that we are

familiar with. Michelangelo took four years to paint the scenes on

the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Rodin made his first plaster cast

221

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 221

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

of The Thinker in 1880, but it wasn’t until 1902 that he completed

the large-scale bronze cast.

God is creating you into a masterpiece in your soul realm.

Like many of the great works of art, you don’t become a finished

work of art all at once. Paul writes that we were created (past

tense), but we are (present tense) God’s masterpiece.

The present tense in Greek indicates a continuing action. So

literally we are and will continue to become God’s masterpiece.

As all of us are painfully aware, we don’t immediately become

everything that God intends for us to be the very moment that He

enters into our lives and makes us a new creation. God allows us

to go through a process, one that is often painful, so that He can

mold us and make us into what He wants us to be. Like a skillful

artist, God sometimes completes us with a stroke of His brush,

and at other times He chisels away at our lives to get rid of those

things that would detract from our beauty. He will chisel away

anything that hinders His love getting to us. Paul writes about

that process in one of his letters: “…he who began a good work in you

will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6).

God loves to stretch His followers so that we can contain more of

Him.

You are a masterpiece of art; you were anointed from your

conception. When God first thought of you, He looked at you

with pleasure and anticipation, and He believes in you now.

I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that

no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have

kept my word and have not denied my name (Revelation 3:8).

God’s heart for you is well-spoken in these verses. God tells

us that He has put an open door before us because we have little

power; I would add that we haven’t seen anything yet!

I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim

to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them

222

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 222

6/7/12 7:35 AM

God Believes in You

come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have

loved you (Revelation 3:9).

Your heavenly Father, through the Scriptures, says this to

you: “Behold, I am going to give you victory. I believe in you,

and I love you simply because you are My creation. You who

are kingdom people—who are broken and dependent upon Me,

who mourn, who are willing to be real, who hunger and thirst for

My righteousness—you need to know that you are the salt of the

earth, and you are the light of the world.” We all need to know

that God, our Creator, who does all things perfect, believes in us!

i Believe in you, and i love

you simply Because you are my

creation.

You, my friend, are the light of the world. Wherever and

whenever you show up, the light of God is there, and evil is dis-

pelled because the power, salt, and light of God is now there! God

really does believe in you.

Summary Questions

1. Describe what is unique about the dove’s eyes (see page 209).

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

223

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 223

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

2. What does it mean to you when Jesus declares in Song of Solo-

mon 1:15 that you have dove’s eyes? (See page 209.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

3. What is God’s eternal message to each of us? (See page 209.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

4. Read Philippians 3:20 in the NKJV, and see page 214. Where

is your citizenship now?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

5. Read Ephesians 2:6 in the NASB. Spiritually, where are you

seated now? How does this reality make you want to operate

in this life?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

224

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 224

6/7/12 7:35 AM

God Believes in You

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

6. Write about what it feels like to know God believes in you.

(See pages 214-215.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

7. Read Matthew 5:13 in the NIV. Write about the value ascribed

to salt in the time when Jesus made His statement in Matthew

5:13 and what this means for you. (See pages 215-217.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

8. Read Matthew 5:14; John 8:12; John 9:5; and Second Corin-

thians 4:6 in the NIV. Jesus says you are the light of the world

and declares He is the light of the world. Reckoning the value

of light as a commodity in Jesus’ day, describe what it means

to you to be the light of the world (see pages 217-218).

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

225

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 225

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

9. Evil is simply the absence of __________. Darkness is the

absence of __________ (see page 220).

10. You are a masterpiece in progress! (See pages 221-222.) Fill in

the blank: “He who began a good work in you will carry it on

to _______________ until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6).

Endnotes

1. “Worth One’s Salt,” The Phrase Finder, http://www.

phrases.org.uk/meanings/worth-ones-salt.html (accessed

February 17, 2012).

2. Ibid.

3. Thayer and Smith, The KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon,

s.v. “Poema” (#4161); BibleStudyTools.com; http://www.

biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/kjv/poiema.html

(accessed February 17, 2012).

226

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 226

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Chapter 14

God Says

You Have All

Authority

We not only have eternal protection from the enemy

of God, but we have full and complete authority

over him.

In this final chapter, we will focus in on the reality that the

bridal paradigm message is shouting out that each believer as

the Bride of Christ has an inheritance and where that authority is

ignited and released.

God gave humans the ability to make choices. This is a great

act of devotion toward the human race. God is looking for vol-

untary lovers and followers who will operate in the dominion

that God has given them. Dominion simply means we have all

authority. What power and glory was given to humanity! Our

greatest source of power and authority rests on the shoulders of

intercession.

Authority and Power Have Not Changed

As the Bride of Christ, we must embrace the spirit of interces-

sion through Jesus, the Chief Intercessor. Jesus’ job description

227

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 227

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

in heaven is that of the premier intercessor. It could be said that

this is what Jesus lives for. Up to this point in history, the Bride

of Christ has seldom stepped into her role as an intercessor. As

the Bride of Christ, we need to know that all of our authority and

protection rests on the shoulders of our intercession. This is why

God is raising up houses of prayer throughout the earth.

The first century Church apostles ignited a devotion to prayer

and the Word of God (see Acts 2:42; 6:4). If the Church apostles

spent a normal eight-hour day in ministry, and they only moved

in two things, prayer and ministry of the Word, then they spent

four hours per day in prayer. It is amazing that we currently see

little authority and power over the enemy. The difference between

the Church of today and the early Church is one thing: prayer!

Prayer was the fuel that catapulted Peter from the upper room to

preaching so that three thousand people received salvation (see

Acts 1:14; 2:41-42).

prayer was the fuel that

catapulted peter from the upper

room to preaching so that 3,000

people received salvation.

Today we are less concerned about church leadership having

a deep devotion to God’s Word and intercession and more con-

cerned that church leaders are organized, are counselors, and are

individuals with soul-winning charm and personalities that draw

people to the church.

Jesus Speaks of Night-and-Day Prayer

In Luke 18, Jesus provokes His disciples by challenging their

traditions. He asks, “…When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith

on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). His question is a warning to Christians 228

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 228

6/7/12 7:35 AM

God Says You Have All Authority

who would limit the power of God at the end of the age. Jesus is

calling us to resist our powerless traditions; He is asking us indi-

vidually, “Will I find faith in you?”

Jesus clearly states in Luke 18 that night-and-day prayer is

the fuel that will drive His justice. Jesus deliberately equates faith

with night-and-day prayer. To Jesus, they are inseparable. Jesus

did not ask, “Will I find programs implemented? Will you be in board

meetings? Will I find your doctrine correct?” What we believe is quite important, but it never rises above the spirit of intercession.

If we are going to step into the authority that we have been

given, then we can expect the supernatural move of God to be

imparted on our behalf as we encounter night-and-day prayer

and, in particular, when we do not lose heart (see Luke 18:1).

Jesus demonstrates the importance of our authority through

intercession by giving a parable about a widow who petitioned

a judge who had no respect for people, much less God (see Luke

18:1-8). Because she continued to cry out, the judge gave her the

legal protection that was legally hers. God gives us legal right to

wear Him out (see Luke 18:5). Jesus concluded by saying,

And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And

will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out

to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you,

he will see that they get justice, and quickly… (Luke 18:6-8).

I Must Have More of God

It is significant that Jesus compared His elect to a widow

harassed by an enemy. The widow has legitimate reasons to quit,

but instead, she prevails. She refuses to remove herself from her

highest potential simply because of her lowly state. She makes

no apologies for her lack of finances, wisdom, or charisma. Giv-

ing herself no reason to fail, she boldly states her case before the

judge, where she pleads for and receives what is hers: legal protec-

tion from her opponent.

229

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 229

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

Being Desperate Defines Your Authority

How did a common widow gain such authority? We can imag-

ine that there must have been a time when, under the relentless

pressure of her adversary, she became desperate, and desperation

worked to her advantage. Desperation is God’s mallet. It demol-

ishes the stronghold of fear and shatters the chains of our excuses.

When our desperation for God exceeds our fears, the kingdom of

God advances.

Your desperation for God provides the legal protection that

the widow pleaded for. You are the widow who has now received

all power and authority to defeat the enemy of God. As we are

relentless through intercession, we will see the justice of God

released on our behalf into all the earth! As we persevere, let us

keep praying and never settle for failure. For this is what the Bride

of Christ does. She stays on the wall of intercession, moving in her

authority, and prays for justice!

Focus Your Authority

Through the spirit of intercession and boldness, the Church

is beginning to take our position seriously as we stand against

the enemy of God. The problem, historically, has been where we

place our focus. When we place our time, energy, and spiritual

resources on the devil instead of on the majesty and beauty of

God, we have lost our power and authority. We have to admire

the admonition that James gives us.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will

flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you…

( James 4:7-8).

The first thing that we are commanded to do is to submit to

God. Remember the word submit means to agree with God. The

way we resist the devil is by coming near to God. As we focus on

the power and beauty of God, remember that He will, from time

to time, prompt us to speak directly to the enemy. But, this is not

230

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 230

6/7/12 7:35 AM

God Says You Have All Authority

our focus or concentration. All of our protection and authority

rests on the shoulders of intercession and agreement with Jesus

as we draw near to God and focus on His nature and character.

Given Protection and Authority

When Christ died on the cross, heaven made a declaration of

truth. The debt that we owed was canceled, and we were brought

from death into life. Along with our sins being forgiven, this

decree also declared and guaranteed protection for the Bride of

Christ. This eternal shield provides guaranteed protection from

the enemy of God. This means that we not only have eternal pro-

tection from the enemy of God, but that we also have complete

and full authority over him.

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of

your flesh God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our

sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which

stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nail-

ing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers

and authorities, he made a public spectacle of

them, triumphing over them by the cross (Colos-

sians 2:13-15).

We, as believers and followers of God, stand on Jesus’ ceiling.

The things that Jesus contended to bring from heaven to earth

have become the foundation that we stand upon. Jesus’ death on

the cross and His ascension from the dead have given us the abil-

ity to stand on His power and authority.

we, as Believers and followers

of god, stand on Jesus’ ceiling.

231

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 231

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

We have been given ultimate authority to engage in spiritual

warfare against the enemy of God. Our greatest and most power-

ful source of spiritual warfare is declaring God’s Word of truth

against all evil and ushering in God’s justice to the earth through

intercession.

Faith of Reality

The faith of reality is the essence of who we are. This faith

holds things as true, even if they appear as contrary evidence

to what we see. Jesus said that mustard seed faith could move

mountains.

And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for

truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed,

you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and

it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you (Matthew

17:20 NASB).

This practice of faith is based on the power of God and the

evidence of the things that He has done in the past. When you

begin to reason with your Kingdom mind, then your attitude is

shifted toward His heart and His miracles. You must begin to put

the revelation that God has given you into practice. This means

the faith that we experience must shape the way we think and,

therefore, the way we live and function.

the faith that we experience

must shape the way we think.

In The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind, Bill Johnson

discusses from Mark 6:30-44 how we need to learn from miracles

and the influence miracles can have on our identity in God.1 Bill

is an amazing author, and his understanding into this passage

232

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 232

6/7/12 7:35 AM

God Says You Have All Authority

is full of the Spirit and brilliant. I must add a few of my own

thoughts on this passage. This miracle story illustrates the need

to learn as Bill mentions, from each miracle, but beautifully illus-

trates our need to remember who we are.

Here is the story.

The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they

had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming

and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to

them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some

rest.” So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary

place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran

on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When

Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them,

because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began

teaching them many things.

By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him.

“This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late.

Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding coun-

tryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”

But he answered, “You give them something to eat.”

They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s

wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to

them to eat?”

“How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”

When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”

Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups

on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and

fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to

heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them

to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the

two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied, and the

233

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 233

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and

fish. The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand

(Mark 6:30-44).

The disciples participated in the incredible miracle of a great

increase of food at the feeding of the five thousand. This miracle

took place in their hands, not in Jesus’ hands. Jesus didn’t say,

“Appear,” and suddenly a massive amount of food appeared! He

took the small portions and placed it in the hands of the disciples

and, as they gave it away, it multiplied. Jesus simply blessed the

food, but the disciples carried out the miracle!

Suffice it to say that the disciples were astounded at the mira-

cle of food multiplying, but they were equally astonished that the

miracle occurred through their hands, not Jesus’ hands. I believe

that, at that moment, they had a spiritual epiphany. It hit them

like a ton of bricks that—out of their obedience and agreement

with Jesus—the power of God was and is real. They knew at that

moment who God was and who they were!

Later that day, Jesus told them to sail over to the other side of

the Sea of Galilee in their boat, and Jesus went to a mountainside

to pray. In the Spirit, Jesus saw His disciples straining to row

their boat because of a storm. They were almost ready to lose

their lives.

He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was

against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking

on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw

him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried

out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he

spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I, don’t be afraid.”

Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died

down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood

about the loaves; their hearts were hardened (Mark 6:48-52).

234

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 234

6/7/12 7:35 AM

God Says You Have All Authority

Amazingly, they had not remembered the miracle that had

taken place through them earlier that day with the loaves and

fishes.

The Influence of Remembering

They had completely agreed with and obeyed Jesus when

handing out the miracle of fishes and loaves, yet the disciples pan-

icked when they saw what they perceived as a ghost walking on

the water. Because they did not remember the results of the previ-

ous miracle (feeding the five thousand), they had no solution for

the storm that presented itself when Jesus was not in the boat!

Jesus calls us to remember who we are, whether He is in the boat

with us or not! Jesus had said previously, “You feed them.”

Jesus was not going to do the miracle for them. Their obedi-

ence caused the food to multiply. Remembering who we are will

produce obedience, and that obedience will deliver the kingdom

of God. Our mind is heavily influenced by what we agree with.

When Jesus spoke in Mark 8:15, “Be careful…Watch out for the yeast

of the Pharisees and that of Herod,” Jesus was reminding them and

us about the influences of the mind. In Mark 8:18-21, Jesus tells

the disciples,

“Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And

don’t you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the

five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”

“Twelve,” they replied.

“And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how

many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”

They answered, “Seven.”

He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

Jesus is calling each of us to understand and remember who

He is and who He says we are.

235

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 235

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

As we endeavor to move into the kingdom and experience His

power, favor, and miracles, these influences affect our minds. In

order for us to see into the unseen world of God, we will have to

understand and remember who God says we are. God has each

of us on a process of renewing our minds with His truth. This

process is called transformation of the mind (see Rom. 12:2). He

is giving us right thinking and right beliefs!

You Have Dominion, Now Pray and Go!

Like you, I was created for His great pleasure. The bridal par-

adigm message communicates that my Heavenly Father created

me to be in His presence, completely fascinated and consumed by

Him. You too were created and established for this reason. All of

the longings we contain will be fully realized when we see Him

in His glory.

all of the longings we contain

will Be fully realized when we

see him in his glory.

We will all know Him and understand all things, and yet we

will gaze on His glorious face with an ever increasing and non-

ceasing wonder of His infinite grace and glory.

The Bridegroom message is a call to active intimacy with

God. The bridal paradigm message speaks of God’s invitation for

us to experience the deep things of His emotion-filled heart. To

enjoy active intimacy with Jesus includes feeling His heart for us.

The bridal message speaks of experiencing Jesus’ emotions.

Hopefully, now you may know more of who you are as Christ’s

beloved Bride. God has created you and given you life to re-estab-

lish all dominion and authority on the earth by demonstrating

236

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 236

6/7/12 7:35 AM

God Says You Have All Authority

love, miracles, signs, and wonders. You were created for His plea-

sure and to bring heaven to the earth. Since you have been given

His authority, you move in the power and love of heaven. In the

name of Jesus Christ, all authority is now yours, so step into the

truth and move into your destiny. And always remember who you are!

Summary Questions

1. As members of the Bride of Christ, where does our authority

begin? (See page 227.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

2. _______________ means you have all authority (see page

227).

3. _______________ is our greatest source of power and author-

ity (see pages 227-228).

4. Read Luke 18:1-8 in the NASB and fill in the blanks. “…Pray

and do not lose _______________. …Will not God bring

_______________ for His elect who cry out __________ and

__________? …When the Son of Man comes will He find

_______________ on the earth?”

5. Why is it important that we pray and “not lose heart”?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

237

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 237

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

6. How does desperation define your authority? (See page 230.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

7. What happens when you focus your authority? (See page

230-231.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

8. Why do we have eternal protection from the enemy, and what

does this mean to us? (See page 231-232.)

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

Endnote

1. Bill Johnson, The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind

(Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image, 2005).

238

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 238

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Appendix A

Gaining

Revelation

Through

Meditation

Use these tools to help you meditate on Scripture in order to

understand who God says you are to Him! Your burning desire

for more of God will be increased as you meditate. Use the verses

listed on pages 179-182. Stay on one passage for a while. Remem-

ber, the goal is not to finish, but to be with Him!

• Read the passage of Scripture ten times. Read it slowly and

literally.

• Write out the passage of Scripture ten times. (If you are

using a computer, it is no fair using “control copy, con-

trol paste.”)

• Say the passage of Scripture. Say it with passion and zeal.

Say it with your own words. Love language will begin

to be formed. Say it until you get it.

• Sing the passage of Scripture (for a while).

• Pray the passage of Scripture over yourself. Ask God to give

you revelation into who you are to Him.

239

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 239

6/7/12 7:35 AM

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 240

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Appendix B

Answer Key

NOTE: This answer key has answers for the fill-in-the-blank

questions. The rest of the answers can be searched out in the text

of Remember Who You Are and the Bible.

Chapter 1: The True Nature of God

7. mourn, comforted

9. a. loved, you, b. world, loved them, loved

Chapter 2: Understanding the Bridal Paradigm

1. bridal paradigm, intercessory worship

2. a. shame, b. fear, c. doubt, d. insecurity

5. a. the body of Christ, b. the sons of God, c. the Bride

8. filled with tender mercy, thrilled and happy heart, fiery

affections, zealous, possesses indescribable beauty

9. purpose, living (and) existing

Chapter 3: Is There Spiritual Abuse?

2. false

Chapter 4: God’s Grace Is Not Difficult

3. spirit, flesh

241

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 241

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Remember Who You Are

Chapter 5: Humanity’s Deepest Issue

1. death

3. soul, body

4. from God

7. living sacrifice, holy, pleasing

15. mind, will, emotions

Chapter 6: God Makes a Promise

8. a. love, b. joy, c. peace, d. forbearance, e. kindness, f. good-

ness, g. faithfulness, h. gentleness, and i. self-control

10. a. spirit, b. soul, c. flesh

12. a. know, b. consider (or count), c. present (or yield)

Chapter 7: The Flesh and the Soul

3. natural, supernatural

5. old, sin, died, free from sin

Chapter 8: What Shall We Say, Then?

1. truth, truth, lies

Chapter 9: Do You Think the Law Is Good?

4. grace

5. sin, Commandment, Law, dead

7. created

Chapter 10: Is There a Battle?

No fill-in-the-blanks

Chapter 11: The Cycles

2. God, shame

3. manipulate, control

242

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 242

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Answer Key

10. Yes

19. truth, transformation

Chapter 12: God Gives Tools

2. meditate, obey

3. be with Him

4. Supernatural revelation

Chapter 13: God Believes in You

9. God, light

Chapter 14: God Says You Have All Authority

2. Dominion

3. Intercession

4. heart, justice, day, night, faith

243

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 243

6/7/12 7:35 AM

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 244

6/7/12 7:35 AM

About Ken

Winton

Ken Winton is the Director of The Prayer House in Chico,

California. His desire is to help the body of Christ grow in the

bridal paradigm reality. If there is anything Ken can do to assist

you, your church, or your house of prayer, please do not hesitate

to contact him for speaking engagements, trainings, or a consul-

tation on the phone.

Contact Ken at:

www.kenwinton.org

www.theprayerhouse.com

ken@theprayerhouse.com

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 245

6/7/12 7:35 AM

remember_who_you_are_text.indd 246

6/7/12 7:35 AM

Document Outline

- 9780768402834cover

- 9780768402834

Table of Contents

Introduction ..........................................................13

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Appendix A

Appendix B

prevailing attitude; a disposition; a receptive state of mind predis-

to us, even in our weakness. In Isaiah 62:4, God tells us that His

justice. In this context, the word zugos refers to a heavy crossbeam,

means “new in time” but kaine means a brand-new creation, as

Lamb. The word redeemed means to set free, rescue, or ransom, to

been translated as “flesh” numerous times in the New Testa-

which you and I try to acquire life, value and meaning, outside of

means, “every day I am in the danger of death.” The Greek word

wrote a song that included the following words: “This world has

the end from the beginning. He sees us as the finished

Ancient Greeks used to say, Except for the sun, there is nothing more

discusses from Mark 6:30-44 how we need to learn from miracles

9780768402834cover

9780768402834