Living in sonship and finding our identity in Christ, means we have this endless, limitless Source of love, wisdom, power and grace to live from.
I could go on and on in describing all that we have and can access as a son and daughter of God. No wonder the enemy wants us to stay focused on the lie that we are defined by our circumstances and limited by our weaknesses. Thank God for Truth and that His Truth births freedom in us.
There’s no personality quirk, life experience, disease, family background, past failures, or any present insurmountable circumstances, that have more power than the truth of who God says you are! Like Smith Wigglesworth said, “God said it. I believe it. And that settles it!”
Back in 2006, when I was going through my ‘dark night of the soul’ and my mind and soul was too weary and wounded to wield the Word of God and be a strong, mighty, Bible thumping Christian, (lol!) I sensed the Lord ask me to make this confession over my life: “In Christ, I have a future and a hope!” Every time I felt overwhelmed with hopelessness and fear, that would be my statement and confession of faith.
I confessed it when I woke up tormented by fear and regrets. I said it when I had no clarity regarding my future. I said it when I looked at my present circumstances. I said it when I would drive my old, grey mini van that had no air conditioner in it. I said it when I went to my storage unit, where for four years all of my belongings were piled up and I longed for my own home. I said it when I felt I was too old and had made costly mistakes to ever be used by God again. I declared that confession with tears in my eyes when I wondered if I’ll ever get married and have a child.
The more I declared His truth over my identity and my circumstances the more of His character and faith was rising up inside of me. I wanted to tell everyone, “Look out world, Christ is coming alive in Johanna!” I was about to bust outta Compton y’all! Hahaha!
There was an awakening happening inside of me. There was a new sound forming inside of me, much like a far distant rumble of a train approaching and as it gets closer the rumbling becomes stronger and stronger and more pronounced.
Even those around me could see the difference. One day at a conference, the speaker came up to me and said, “I really appreciate you smiling the entire time I was speaking.” Lol! What? I had no idea I had a silly grin the ENTIRE time of that session. I knew it was Jesus spilling out with His overflowing river of joy. My circumstances had not changed. I was still driving that beat up old van. I was still single. I only had a few personal items at a friend’s house where I was temporarily staying.
But none of that mattered. What really gripped my heart was the resurrected Christ living inside of me, gave me the power to overcome years of shame, condemnation and depression. His Presence became so tangibly real and evident. His voice is what I lived for. His Word is what I craved to eat. His goodness was indescribable. He was my sustenance. My Life Source. Nothing could come close to how satisfying He was and is!
You see confessing the Word isn’t about seeing all of your dreams come true, as wonderful as they may be. Rather, in declaring His promises over our lives in every season and circumstance, the powerful outcome and glorious fruit is that we are being transformed in the image of Jesus through the process of dying to our self-made plans and ways. We are rising in Christ’s divine life and manifesting HIS dreams for our existence.
As sons and daughters, we can trust the Father’s heart of radical love and be confident that His sovereign wisdom is engineering every one of our circumstances and positioning us strategically and precisely to fulfill His promises over our lives. This is the glorious mystery of divine sonship.
Romans 8:29 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
When you zoom out and get the aerial, ‘seated in Heavenly places‘ perspective, we see that our individual story as sons and daughters with divine, royal blood coursing through us, is an astonishing part of the grand tapestry God is weaving in the family He always desired.
And by the way speaking of family, I did get swept off my feet by a wonderful man who became my husband and we have an adorable five year old who is the joy of my heart! God in His great faithfulness, went above and beyond my expectations and I have absolute confidence that He’ll do the same for you!
What is your confession today? If you don’t have one, ask Holy Spirit for a statement of faith for this season in your life and let THAT be your reality and the framework for your self-talk, your relationships and your hopes and dreams for the assignment God has called you to.
Beloved one, the confession of God’s Word is the sword we can wield against every lie and weapon the enemy may attempt to form against us. God’s Word of Truth – in Christ – has provided and predestined victories that are greater than any lie and fear regarding our identity in Christ. We can stand firm with our heads held high, because of the sonship and daughtership we have in God and because of who we are in His beloved Son. When the Father sees you and me, He sees His perfect and holy Son.
2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
Many of you know about and use “The Passion Translation.” The translator of that Bible version is Dr.Brian Simmons. He shared this beautiful and powerful reminder not too long ago. Read these words and speak them over your heart today:
“Never let anxiety enter your heart, but let your mouth be filled with praise. As you praise Me from the deepest place of your heart, I will become a mighty shield wrapping Myself around you with My presence.
“I will not share you with another. Fear will not conquer you for I already have. I will not share you with worry. For I am a jealous Lover and will have no rival. Praise from the overflow of your heart.
“Be filled with My grace that laughs at your difficulty and ignores your weakness. Come and be filled from the everlasting fountain of mercy. I have blessed you with My fullness and multiplied your every joy. Praise in the midst of your weakness and watch My strength arise within you.
“Under the cloud of My glory you will see how I order your steps and have gone before you to make your path secure. Come into My majesty until it wraps around you as a robe.
” Walk with dancing steps of praise and I will release the sounds of victory to scatter your enemies. You can count on My care of you.
“You can trust My love for you. You can depend on the Faithful One to be always present around you. Did I not silence the lion’s roar for Daniel? Did I not thwart the schemes of darkness for Esther? Did I not pierce the darkness with the birth of Light when the Living Expression of My Glory was born?
“And will I not do these things for you, my favorite one? You will never be disappointed when you cling to Me. Nothing can take the place of your union with Me. Healing is in My hand that rests upon you now.
“As I touched the blind and they saw again, I will touch you in My love and you will be healed. The miracles are not for the few but for the many. Come and find Me in that place where no one can intrude and no one can disturb.
“Praise until the joy flows and watch the cares of life go away. I call you to seek Me. Seek My face and all you need will be found in Me. For in Me there are only joys forevermore!”
Philippians 4:4-7 The Passion Translation
“Be cheerful with joyous celebration in every season of life. Let joy overflow, for you are united with the Anointed One! ⁵Let gentleness be seen in every relationship, for our Lord is ever near. ⁶Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell Him every detail of your life, ⁷then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will make the answers known to you through Jesus Christ.”
