Overview
Your Christian identity is not something you achieve, it is something grace gives you, and Paul says it in one line: by the grace of God I am what I am. Closing the Grace 2023 Conference, Rev. Rico Magnelli argues that grace is so key to our identity that you just cannot remove one from the other. He starts in 1 Corinthians 13:12, where we still see through a glass darkly and know only in part, then works through Romans 8 and the creation waiting for the sons of God, Romans 5 and reigning in life, Romans 6 and the old man that is already dead, and Philippians 3, where Paul trades his credentials for Christ. He closes with three ways to demonstrate that identity: speaking, ownership and reconciliation.
Transcript
Who Are You? Answer That Question Correctly
Well, God bless you all. I know that an experience like this means different things to different people because we’re all different and there’s things that you can tuck away in your heart as we’ve learned through all these wonderful presentations and all the interaction that we’ve had one with another. That’s part of sharing grace and may it continue. May we encourage one another and continue to move forward gently with his grace at our back and help as many of our brothers and sisters as we can along the way. To close, we’re going to look at grace, the key to Christian identity. Grace, the key to Christian identity.
First Corinthians chapter 13, please. Who are you? Well, answer that question correctly and you’re on your way to a very rich and full life. Act on it and you will experience God’s grace. Grace must be experienced to truly begin to understand it. And if we’re having difficulty understanding it, who should we ask? He will work with you on a very individual basis and help you understand his grace in your life. And he will also help you to identify where we fall back into at times or get tempted in works.
For Now We See Through a Glass Darkly (1 Corinthians 13:12)
Grace is so key to our identity that you just cannot remove one from the other. Here in First Corinthians chapter 13 is this great truth in verse 12. For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known.
For now we see, we contemplate, we mentally envision, if you will, through a glass or a mirror, would be a better way to render this, darkly. And that means in a riddle. It’s like an enigma. It’s a puzzle. So we’re seeing this reflection currently as an enigma, as a riddle.
We are so surrounded and inundated with the senses realm, yet at the same time we’re seated at the right hand of the throne of God. And at the time of the return of Jesus Christ, we will see face to face. We will see up front. It’s a figure of speech in the deepest sense, because we will see very, very clearly. The reflection will be pure without any hindrance whatsoever. Because now we experience things in part. We do. Even God’s grace we experience in part. But then we shall fully experience even as we are fully experienced by God.
How Well Does God Know You?
How well does God know you? That is such an honest question. How really well does he know you? How well does he know every thought you’ve ever had, every action you’ve ever taken, every conversation you’ve ever been a part of? He knows everything about you and what’s connected to you, your family, your friends. He knows everything that’s connected to you and your sphere of influence.
At the return of Christ, we will have a new body. And with that new body, we will be able to fully experience what God experiences now. Because he sees you through the prism or the lens of eternity. He doesn’t live on a chronological calendar and an event schedule. He sees all things for all time at the same moment. So he sees you in your new body. He sees you in glory with him. He sees you when you and I reach the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, where we stand in the full measure of Jesus Christ, our complete and full capacity. That’s how he sees us now.
Why We Experience God’s Grace Only in Part Right Now
Presently, though, we see in part this grace as great as it is. We see it only in part because we have, in a manner of speaking, one foot in heaven, one foot here on earth. We’re still living this life. And we’re not fully equipped to fully experience grace yet. In its amazing magnitude, and as we learned earlier, it predates even time itself, and yet is so great that God doesn’t want to put an end to it. In fact, it will carry throughout all eternity.
Eternal life salvation in Christ begins the good work that God has begun in you, and he will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6 tells us this. So he started that good work, and then he will continue it up to the very day, even the moment that Christ returns. At that time, when we are face to face, when we come into the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, Ephesians 4:13, that’s when we will know even as we are known.
So this is a truth we must accept. We cannot understand everything. Even with God’s grace, there are things in your life that you cannot reason through and calculate. There must be a trust factor here. With God’s grace, and we heard it throughout all these wonderful presentations, there has to be an element of trust where you let go, where I let go and allow God to perform.
The Amplified version of 1 Corinthians 13:12 says it this way. For now, in this time of imperfection, we see in a mirror dimly a blurred reflection, a riddle, an enigma. But then, when the time of perfection comes, we will see reality face to face. Now I know in part, just in fragments, but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known by God. This is an anticipation of the future. In the meanwhile, we must fully trust Him.
Your Identity Is Key to Why You Get Up in the Morning
Look at Romans chapter 8, please. Romans chapter 8. Grace is the key to Christian identity. And your identity is key to why you get up in the morning. It gives you meaning, it gives you purpose, it gives you vision for yourself. It expands your horizons like nothing else can. Yet the world is bent on trying to tether you to an earthly identity through career, money, relationships, whatever the case may be.
And all those things can enrich your life, but they’re not who you are. We are who we are because of God and Jesus Christ. We live in a corrupted world. There’s a portion of humanity that is basically subservient to satanic power. There’s no question about it. And here in Romans chapter 8, we find out some more truth.
The Whole Creation Groans, Waiting for the Redemption of Our Body
Verse 21. Because the creation, the creature is creation, itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. The creation itself is waiting for the manifestation, the demonstration of the fullness of the sons of God. That’s right. Because God is ready to hand over the family business. He wants us to administrate it. That’s right. That’s why He’s rising you up. That’s why He rose up Jesus Christ.
Because we’re not just heirs of God, we’re joint heirs with Christ. And we will carry out responsibilities and privileges, in a sense, as stewards. Because we’re joint heirs with Christ. And we’re heirs of everything. That’s right. Because God is our Father. He is your Father. Wow.
It says, for we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. Mankind has lived in a spiritually hostile and corrupt environment since Genesis 3. The ground was cursed and affected all life because of the sin of Adam, which led to death. That’s right. And not only, they is not in the text, and not only, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit. That’s the gift of Holy Spirit. Even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption or the sonship, the redemption of our body.
God is telling us that this is the reality. We don’t have perfect bodies right now. No, we don’t. We get sick. We need healing. All these different things. God is completely aware of this. And yet, he’s put provision in the natural realm. There are healing and restorative properties in nature itself that can help us. We have many wonderful and skilled medical people that can help us.
We also have gifts of healings, gifts of God’s grace, where we can pray for one another and minister one to another. Yet, it still does not bring us into complete perfection until we receive that body, that new body. And this is a truth we must embrace and understand. If the Lord tarries, each one of us will fall asleep in Christ. That will happen. The truth of the Word brings you to such understanding and sobriety and honesty of life.
And we forego the things of the world. We forego the condemnation. We forego the courses of this world. And we do not embrace them as our fuel, our purpose and meaning in life. We understand where we came from.
Adam’s Sin Threw God, Man and Nature Out of Balance
Romans chapter 5, please. Romans chapter 5. Because of Adam’s sin, the perfect balance of God, man, and nature that was in perfection was thrown out of balance. And nature, the creation, will still not be set in perfection until the end. And that will come in the third heaven and third earth, where there is no sin, there is no death, there’s no sorrow, there’s no more tears. That absolutely is going to happen.
In the meanwhile, God’s grace moves us along and helps us to navigate the proper path in what seems sometimes a maze of confusion out there. But remember this, God is extremely simple and he will work with you on very simple terms. He will not complicate your life. He will make it very simple for you. Our job is to ask him, seek out his wisdom, and he giveth liberally, abundantly.
What It Means to Reign in Life Through Grace (Romans 5:17)
Romans 5, verse 17. For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one, much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ. Death reigned. To reign means to be a king. It means to hold the highest position of influence. Death had the highest position of influence.
It reigned until our Lord came along and death was conquered. Now we reign in life because of grace through our Lord Jesus Christ and what he accomplished for us. We now are in that position, the highest position of influence. You can’t get any higher. The next level is God himself. We are sons of God. There’s no other level above us but God himself.
Verse 21. That as sin hath reigned, was king or in the highest position of influence unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. That’s where we came from. When we are face to face, that’s where we’re going, at the return of Christ. And all through this is the favor of God gently moving you along.
Shall We Continue in Sin That Grace May Abound?
Now please turn to Romans 6, verse 1. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may, what? Why are we making that choice? Paul is saying. We shouldn’t choose sin. We should choose grace. So you got the two set in opposition. They are diametrically opposed. We have grace and we have sin.
Sin was resolved through Jesus Christ. That gives us the option to access fully grace. The door is wide open to heaven. It’s wide open. The only thing we’re waiting on in totality is our new body. God forbid, how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein? Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are or we were buried with him by baptism into death. That like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so also we should walk in what?
Christianity Is Getting Rid of Stuff, and Your Old Man Is Already Dead
Today’s a new day. Forget all that stuff before, and let’s not bring any of the shackles of the past into today. Let’s lay aside every weight and the sin that does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience or endurance the race that is set before us. Put that stuff aside. Christianity isn’t more Bible. It’s getting rid of stuff. That’s what we just don’t understand. It’s those toxic thoughts. It’s those bad memories. It’s those things that are unforgiven. All those things that we hold on to.
The little children, as an example that we’ve seen, they don’t have all that baggage. They run around like, and they’d probably run around naked if they could. They have no inhibition. In a manner of speaking, we should be that free. You should run around naked. That’s not what I’m saying, so don’t go out and say that I said that. I’ll really get in trouble.
For if we’ve been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection, knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him. Your old man is dead. All you’re dealing with is the habits that you have accumulated, that I’ve accumulated over the years. The old man is a magnet for a self-centered life, for negativity, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin, for he that is dead is freed from sin. We’re free. We’ve been released. We should live accordingly.
Now, if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him, knowing that Christ being raised from the dead, dieth no more. Death hath no more dominion over him. In a manner of speaking, death has no more dominion over you, because if you fall asleep in Christ Jesus, the next thought you’re going to have is face to face. That’s the next thought.
Do you think that possibly God thought about this and said, this is how I’m going to encourage my children? I want them to know I’ve got their back. I’ve got this, yet I’m going to allow this whole thing to play out, but I’ve got this, and he wants us to know. See, the potential to reign in our lives is our choice. So this brings us back to Adam experiencing good and evil. Remember the trouble that they had? The difference is you cannot be canceled as a son of God. Eternal life cannot be revoked. It cannot be retracted. It cannot be rescinded. It cannot be removed, because it’s by grace that you’re saved.
Paul in Philippians 3: Losing an Earthly Identity to Gain Christ
Philippians chapter 3. Grace is the key to the Christian identity, and the Christian identity is rooted in the crucifixion and the resurrection of Christ. The crucifixion and the resurrection. Many celebrate the resurrection on this day. That’s a good thing.
See, Paul takes a real personal approach to discover his identity in Christ, and this can set an example for others to follow. He gives all these credentials that he has, you know, family background, all the things that he accomplished, and he says in verse 8, of Philippians 3, Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. Boy, the point is really clear here.
That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death. We share fully in his suffering. We share fully in his resurrection. That’s what that’s talking about.
See, credentials and family background do not define us. We can talk about it and enjoy it and look at pictures and all this kind of stuff. Great. But to gain your identity, one must lose their earthly identity, genealogy, achievements, education, career. None of those things are bad. None of those things are wrong. That’s part of our culture. That’s part of how we live and understand our station in society. Nothing wrong with it, but it’s not who you are. Who you are is a son of God first and foremost and everything else follows, and that’s what Paul is saying.
Paul Had More to Overcome Than Any of the Apostles
Look at 1 Corinthians 15, please. Paul was not a pleasant person. Paul was a very aggressive individual who persecuted Christians. He was so convinced that they were so wrong that he was willing to commit every fiber of his being to eliminate the movement of Christ amongst the first century folks. Have you ever been in a situation where you thought you were so right and then you got a cold bucket of water thrown in your face and you realized you were so wrong? That’s what happened with him. It takes a lot of humility to realize you are wrong and perhaps someone else is right. Well, God is always right.
1 Corinthians 15. Look at this verse. It says in verse 9, for I am the least of the apostles. Now wait a second. How do we get into this, you know, you’re like a first degree apostle, you’re a ninth degree apostle, you’re a kind of a apostle in training. It’s not what he’s talking about. He’s saying from a human point of view, there is no way I should be an apostle because I persecuted the church. I literally attacked this movement.
1 Corinthians 15. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle. In other words, it does not fit. I was the worst of the worst because I persecuted the church of God. So here’s a man that has to deal with his past and yet he’s called to this commissioning. Condemnation is going to ruin your life. You got to get rid of it and start teaching people and modeling for people how they can get rid of it because without condemnation, you’re destined to have confidence in God. That’s it. When we’re in condemnation, we have no confidence toward God. 1 John 3 says so.
By the Grace of God I Am What I Am (1 Corinthians 15:10)
But, verse 10, but by the grace of God, I am what I am. This should be a confession of the soul of every Christian. You don’t have to have a hat if you want to have a hat or a shirt. Those are cool. I like those stickers. But it’s really what’s in your heart. By the grace of God, I am what I am.
When you’re in trouble, when you need help, when you do something great and people want to laud you, both sides of the spectrum, you still come back with the same thing. By the grace of God, I am what I am. And it lives so deep within you. It is so part of the fabric of your soul, you just can’t get it out. Whether you’re on the high or on the low of life. And we all get there at some point. But by the grace of God, I am what I am. That’s an identity in Christ.
And his grace, which was bestowed upon me, was not in vain. It was not empty. Why? Because he partnered with God. That’s why. The emptiness for the Christian comes when they do not partner with God. That’s the emptiness. Because you’re on your own now. And to partner with God flows beautifully with partnering with his people, working together as a team.
By the grace of God, I am what I am. And his grace, which was bestowed upon me, was not in vain. But I labored more abundantly than they all. Oh, now he’s setting up a comparison. No, he’s not. You know what that means? Again, it’s from a human perspective. He had more to overcome than any of those people. Because as far as we know, the original apostles did not persecute the church. He did. He did. He even consented unto Stephen’s death when they stoned him to death. How does somebody deal with that in their life? Grace. Unmerited divine favor. He said, but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God, which was with me. Amazing.
Demonstrating Your Identity Through Grace, One: Words That Minister Grace
How do we demonstrate our identity through grace? How do we demonstrate it? Ephesians, chapter 4, please. Here’s three ways that we can do that. Number one, speaking. This thing here, where you put food, it has other purposes. It serves as a breathing kind of part of your breathing apparatus. You can actually breathe through it. You can actually imbibe. You can drink fluid with it. You can eat. But there’s something else that happens. There are things that come out of this hole here that are very powerful, both negatively and positively.
And our words should be with grace. Ephesians, chapter 4, verse 29. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth. And that doesn’t mean four-letter words. What that’s talking about is words that destroy and decay and corrupt. Rotten words. You hear them all the time. Don’t pass them on. Let not corrupt communication proceed out of your what? Mouth. But that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
This is part of how we demonstrate our identity with the grace of God. It’s the words that we speak. And this is talking about words speaking to those of our brothers and sisters. Words that minister grace. So that means in the backdrop of our words is the understanding of the crucifixion and the resurrection. You don’t have to say those words, crucifixion and resurrection, but they’re always there. They frame our words.
Look at Colossians 4. Now what about other people that are not part of the Christian community? Grace applies to them too. Look at this. Colossians chapter 4, verse 3. Withal praying also for us that God would open unto us a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds, that I may make it manifest as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how to answer every man.
The people that are without are outside the community. And yet our words are to be with grace, seasoned with salt. We are to redeem the time. We dip in and out of the world. You can’t spend a lot of time there in your head. You dip in and out. You redeem the time. That means the right thing at the right time. You can’t be 24-7 world in your mind and not get consequences.
Our words are to be seasoned or prepared or arranged to make them appealing to each man. It’s not a shtick. It’s not a formula. It’s not, here’s my stump speech, but it’s tailored to each individual and it provides what they need. So speaking is going to make a significant demonstration of your identity through grace.
Two: Ownership, Such As I Have Give I Thee
What about ownership? Look at Acts 1, please. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, Proverbs says. Those words that you speak start at home. Then they branch out to when we interact with people outside of where we live. But you and I demonstrate our identity through grace by speaking. We also do it by ownership.
Acts 1:8 tells us this. On the day of his ascension, Jesus said, but you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you. And you shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth. We are witness to the crucifixion and resurrection. We witness, we present the case of Christ to the world. We model it.
And Peter and John did this in Acts 3 because they had decided that that’s the way that they’re going to live. And as they were going into the temple one day, there was a man lame from birth at the temple gate, beautiful. And it’s so interesting what Peter and John said, specifically Peter. In verse 6, then Peter said, silver and gold have I none, but such as I what? Such as I what? Such as I have. I’m not pursuing it. I’m not waiting to get the third degree or fourth degree. I’m not waiting to go through some class or some course. I’m not waiting to do my trek up the mountain and, you know, sit in the lotus position and pray for 10 weeks. Such as I what? Such as I have.
I have it. I have it now. Such as I have, present tense, give I thee. That’s ownership. Such as I have, by the grace of God, I am what I am. Such as I have, give I thee. That’s one way to demonstrate your identity through grace. Such as I have, give I thee.
We learned in Romans 5 that we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice. We stand, we take a firm and resolute posture on the grace of God. We don’t move. People want to move us. They want to get us part of their agendas. But we say, no, we do not move. And we rejoice because we stand. It’s an unmovable mental position and posture in grace. I am what I am, by the grace of God. That’s Romans 5. And here they’re responding. Amazing.
Three: Reconciling People Back to God (2 Corinthians 5)
Look at 2 Corinthians 5, please. Peter and John were reconciling this man back to God. As the grace of God continues to saturate your soul, the desire will grow within you to bring people back to God in all regards. That’s where you’ll lead them. And that’s finally how we demonstrate our identity through grace, by reconciling back to God. God never wanted this separation thing. That’s why in the end, we’re not separated from him. You notice? And in the beginning, man wasn’t separated from God. Perfect connection with God, because that’s God’s heart, that’s God’s desire.
In 2 Corinthians 5, verse 17, Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things are what? Behold, all things are become new. It’s a new day, every single day, because your past has been resolved at the cross, and your future has been determined at the resurrection. Your past has been forgiven and is wiped clean. Your future is set in glory. What’s left is the moment. You live in the moment.
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and has given unto, has given to us the ministry of reconciliation, the ministry of reconciliation. Our service is to bring people back to God in all regards, to wit that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. He put the word in you that reconciles, and that word will grow within you, and that desire to help other people and bring them back to God will grow within you. And it’s by his grace that this all happens.
Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ. We’re fellow laborers with God, but we’re ambassadors for Christ. We represent the same mission that Jesus Christ came to earth to make known, to make known his father, which is your father. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ. As though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he, God, has made him, Jesus, to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. You’re as right as God is right, because he made you that way through grace. You’re as right as God. That’s pretty right.
What It Means to Receive the Grace of God in Vain
But it doesn’t stop there. It says, we then as workers together with him, God, beseech you also that you receive the grace of God, what? Not in vain. Do you know what it means to receive the grace of God in vain in this context? Is not to partner with him as a fellow worker. Is not to partner with him. Not to include him. Then what ends up happening is our life becomes empty. Our efforts are empty. Grace is inclusive. Grace brings us into his throne room and in his heart, and is what guides us in all regards of life.
Now Is the Accepted Time, Now Is the Day of Salvation
Watch this. For he saith, I have heard thee in the time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee. Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. When you in your heart receive Jesus Christ, and it’s probably different for everybody here, and maybe everybody on this planet who’s born again, I don’t know, but I’m sure it’s probably mostly probably different. That moment he was waiting for you since before time began.
He was waiting for you to say, yes, I confess Jesus is Lord, and I believe that God raised him from the dead. However that occurred for you, in your heart it did happen. But he knew when that time was coming. He saw it down before the ages. He saw it before the beginning of time, and he waited for you specifically. And when you were ready, he came right in with his new birth. He created Christ within you. He gave you access to eternity. He opened the door to grace forever, and never to close it.
What this verse is saying is that there are people that are ready to move. Salvation is now. The perfect time is now. It’s not 10 years from now. It’s not next week. It’s now. This word says, the day of salvation have I succored thee, helped thee. Behold, because I did it for you, I will work within you to reconcile my children back to me in all regards, and then people that are not my children, to bring them to me. That’s right. He says now, behold, is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. To think that salvation and deliverance is something in the future, is not what God’s talking about.
Now this word salvation, we all know and understand that it has to do with eternal life, but there’s a lot more to it. God saves. He makes whole. He’s talking about being made whole, being made sound in body, soul, and spirit. He’s talking about salvation that results from removing negatives in your life. As this word is used in scripture, it reflects an inner healing of the soul. It’s not just talking about eternal life, because eternal life affects every aspect of your life. It’s talking about ridding ourselves of guilt and condemnation, because grace heals from diseases, from maladies, from weaknesses in the body and soul. Grace delivers us from judgment and ushers in an understanding and appreciation of eternal life.
All of that is now, not in the future. Now is the accepted time. Now is the day of salvation. Like he saw you so, so long ago, that moment you would accept him. He sees every person on this planet, and he knows when the time is for them. Now maybe they’re not ready to move, you know, enlightening speed on everything. That’s fine, but now is the day of salvation. Now is the accepted time, and we should stop putting off the grace of God. Now what this means to you, I don’t know exactly, but God does. Now is the accepted time. Ephesians tells us that by grace we are saved, present tense, and that means all of the blessings of grace, all the healing, all the wholeness, all the soundness of life is yours now.
The First Christians Did Not Wait to Live Their Salvation (Acts 2)
Let’s close in Acts 2. The first Christians did not wait to live their salvation. They lived and shared it the first day they were born again, and they started doing it by sharing it one with another. In Acts chapter 2, the apostles, Peter leading the way here, addressing the significance of Jesus Christ, he tells them, or it records in verse 40, and with many other words did he testify and exhort saying, save yourselves from this untoward generation. Save yourselves from this crooked and bent by dryness generation, and this generation still exists.
How do you save yourself? You receive the salvation through faith, through Jesus Christ, and then you start living it. You start living it. And in verse 47, this is how it concludes. This first foray, this inception of the Christian church, by summing up and saying this, they were praising God and having favor, or sharing grace, holding out grace one to another with all the people, and the Lord added to the church daily such as were being saved or made whole through salvation.
See, they were experiencing grace, and they didn’t have all the literature that we have. They didn’t have Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They didn’t have the book of Acts. They didn’t have Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians, 1st and 2nd Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews. They didn’t have any of it. So it must be something that it’s attainable. Would you agree? It is. So how can we live our identity through grace speaking? We can take ownership of what we have, what you’ve already been given, and give it to somebody else by reconciling them back to God.
Key Takeaways
- Grace is so key to our identity that you just cannot remove one from the other, and answering the question who are you correctly puts you on your way to a very rich and full life.
- In 1 Corinthians 13:12 the glass is better rendered a mirror, and darkly means in a riddle, an enigma, a puzzle, so we experience even God’s grace only in part until we see face to face.
- To reign means to be a king, to hold the highest position of influence. Death held that position until our Lord came along, and now we reign in life by grace, with no other level above us but God himself.
- Christianity isn’t more Bible, it’s getting rid of stuff: the toxic thoughts, the bad memories, the things that are unforgiven, because your old man is already crucified with him.
- To gain your identity, one must lose their earthly identity, genealogy, achievements, education, career. None of those things are bad, but they are not who you are.
- Identity through grace is demonstrated three ways: speaking words that minister grace, ownership that says such as I have give I thee, and reconciling people back to God.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean that we now see through a glass darkly?
In 1 Corinthians 13:12 the glass is better rendered a mirror, and darkly means in a riddle, an enigma, a puzzle. Rev. Rico Magnelli explains that we are seeing a reflection, which is why we experience even God’s grace only in part while we have one foot in heaven and one foot here on earth. At the return of Christ we will see face to face, up front, and the reflection will be pure without any hindrance whatsoever.
What does Paul mean by, by the grace of God I am what I am?
It is 1 Corinthians 15:10, and it is Paul’s answer to his own past as a persecutor of the church. Rev. Rico Magnelli calls it the confession of the soul of every Christian: when you are in trouble, when you need help, and when you do something great and people want to laud you, both sides of the spectrum, you still come back with the same thing. That is an identity in Christ rather than one built on credentials, genealogy, achievements, education or career.
How do we demonstrate our identity through grace?
Rev. Rico Magnelli gives three ways. First, speaking, from Ephesians 4:29: let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Second, ownership, which is Peter at the temple gate saying such as I have give I thee. Third, reconciling people back to God, the ministry of reconciliation in 2 Corinthians 5.
Scripture References
1 Corinthians 13:12; Philippians 1:6; Ephesians 4:13; Romans 8:21; Romans 8:22; Romans 8:23; Genesis 3; Romans 5:17; Romans 5:21; Romans 6:1; Romans 6:2; Romans 6:3; Romans 6:4; Romans 6:5; Romans 6:6; Romans 6:7; Romans 6:8; Romans 6:9; Philippians 3:8; Philippians 3:9; Philippians 3:10; 1 Corinthians 15:9; 1 John 3:21; 1 Corinthians 15:10; Ephesians 4:29; Colossians 4:3; Colossians 4:4; Colossians 4:5; Colossians 4:6; Proverbs 18:21; Acts 1:8; Acts 3:2; Acts 3:6; Romans 5:2; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 2 Corinthians 5:18; 2 Corinthians 5:19; 2 Corinthians 5:20; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 2 Corinthians 6:1; 2 Corinthians 6:2; Ephesians 2:8; Acts 2:40; Acts 2:47
This text was prepared from the teaching audio. Please verify scripture references against your own Bible.
