As a believer our knowledge of the Word of God is not only vital but can be the difference between winning and losing, or even life and death. In Hosea 4:6 God tells us, “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge.” That means if we don’t have a working knowledge of God’s Word, we simply will not enjoy the things God promises us in His Word for this life. Instead of winning, we become another Christian casualty. To avoid this, we must be diligent to learn God’s Word and apply it in our lives.
One area we must learn about is who we are in Christ. Notice how the verse we started with in 2 Corinthians told us our victory was connected to us being in Christ. This term, “in Christ” is found repeatedly throughout Paul’s letters to the church and it is a key to us understanding how God sees us and what He says about each of us who has made Jesus Lord of our life. “In Christ” is a term that not only describes our relationship with Christ but also the new life and identity we have with Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things have become new.” Notice that God calls believers a new creation; the word new means new in kind and new in quality, a new kind of person. One translator calls believers a new species of being that never existed before. By learning who God has made us in Christ and seeing ourselves that way, we can begin living the new life God intended for us as His children. The biggest loser is the Christian or believer who never learns who they are in Christ because they never enjoy the inheritance that belongs to them as God’s child.
If we want to win, there are six things we must see ourselves as and say about ourselves because God sees and says these things about us.
1) God sees and says we are a born again child of God.
- 1 John 3:1-2 (KJV) ?Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. ? Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
2) God sees and says we are a new creation.
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV) ?Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
3) God sees and says we are righteous.
- 2 Corinthians 5:21 (KJV) ?For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
4) God sees and says we are heirs and joint heirs with Christ.
- Romans 8:17 (KJV) ?And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
5) God sees and says we are more than conquerors.
- Romans 8:37 (KJV) ?Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
6) God sees and says we are blessed, prosperous, and healthy.
- Ephesians 1:3 (KJV) ?Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
- 3 John 1:2 (AMP) ?Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and [that your body] may keep well, even as [I know] your soul keeps well and prospers.
Our lives will be transformed as we learn to see and say these things about ourselves. When we do, we will find God did make us winners in Christ.