Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” Numbers 13:30 (NKJV) To win in life, you have to believe you already are who God says you are. Over the past few days, we’ve been talking about the new identity you received the moment you gave your life to Christ. This identity is yours, but you have to believe it to begin to live it. This topic reminds me of the story in Numbers 13. The Israelites had just been delivered from slavery in Egypt. Roughly ten to fifteen generations grew up with this slave identity before they reached the edge of the land God had promised to …

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 (NKJV) Once you realize your true identity in Christ, look out! Nothing can hold back a Christian who knows who they are! A while ago I shared a made-up story about an orphaned lion cub who was raised as a poodle. He learned to be afraid of being hit on the nose by the owner’s newspaper and—even as a full-grown lion—he cringed at the sound of the newspaper being cracked against the owner’s leg. He learned to cower at the sight of the neighbour’s Rottweiler as well, even though one swipe of his paw could have sent the dog flying. This …

So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:16–17 (NLT) Who determines your identity? Many of us allow others to tell us who we are or we define ourselves by our successes and failures. In reality, this is not the source of our identity. If you gave your life to Jesus Christ, your nature was immediately changed at that moment. You became an entirely new creation with a new identity. Although this is true whether you …

It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Ephesians 1:11 (MSG) If you want to live out a great life, you need to develop healthy, Biblical self-esteem. Good self-esteem doesn’t develop automatically when you give your life to Christ. It’s something you need to build by realizing your true identity—the nature you now have in Christ. This new identity is going to be the topic of our devotions for the next few days, but before we go any further, it’s important to understand how people develop a poor sense of identity. If you suffer from low self-esteem, it may have been caused by several factors. First, your parents had a great impact on you, especially in your …

And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved. Romans 11:6 (NLT) Do you ever wonder why you haven’t received an answer to prayer?  Let me tell you a story. I was praying for people in a church one day when two women with health issues stood side-by-side. The first woman was brand new to Christianity and it was clear that she hadn’t been living a “Christian lifestyle.” When I prayed for her, she was instantly healed. You could see the shock on her face as she began to cry. The woman beside her had been going to church for years. When I prayed …