The Heart of God: Identity

Speaking from Colossians 1:13-23, Pastor Nicole talked about how the more we know and understand our true identity, the more like Jesus we are (live, love, and look like Him.) The enemy wants to rob us of our identity and give us a false one because our identity in Christ is powerful. We understand our identities because we know the hope of the Gospel. But the world is having identity crisis because they don't know who Jesus is anymore or have the hope that we have. Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, and by Him, through Him, and for Him were all things made. Pastor Nicole pointed out that if we look at others with that in mind, we will always recognize people and situations as redeemable. We just need to introduce them to Him and by the power of Jesus, as people encounter who He is, they will be transformed. We were all once alienated but are now reconciled to God. The moment we say yes to Jesus we are blameless, holy, and above reproach, not by anything we have done (it is NOT our actions that define who we are.) but by Christ's actions on our behalf. First, we get the revelation of who we are, then from that, we live out of who we are in a relational day by day life. When we continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, not moving away from the hope of the gospel, there is a transformation of our hearts and a revealing of our identity. Pastor Nicole encouraged us that our society's identity crisis is not hopeless because we have the answer! It's just too beautiful not to share!