IDENTIFICATION-MARCH-2016.PDF (Click here to read as pdf file)

IDENTIFICATION - ONENESS WITH THE RESURRECTED AND GLORIFIED JESUS

PASSOVER & RESURRECTION
Once again the calendar brings us to the special time of the year when we remember the Jewish Passover and the Death & Resurrection of Jesus. Unfortunately our western calendar has separated both events. We know, however, that Jesus kept the Passover and was very conscious that His death was fulfilling Passover. He celebrated the Passover with meal with His disciples, died on Passover and rose on the Feast of First Fruits. He passed from death to life and opened the way for us to rise with Him to Newness of life- leaving behind the slavery and consequences of our old Adam inheritance. Unfortunately, many believers who sincerely believe in Jesus' death and resurrection are not aware of the FULL consequences of what He did for them. In this newsletter we examine what He accomplished for us so that we can enter more completely into the Victory that is ours through Jesus’ fulfillment of Passover.

IDENTIFIED WITH JESUS
When God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, came to earth, He IDENTIFIED Himself with our fallen Adam race.
When He went to the Cross He died (neither as a martyr nor simply to demonstrate the love of God) but as the representative of and substitute for the Adamic race. He took on Himself the consequence, blame and shame of our Adam nature and inheritance.
He identified Himself with us in His death, Resurrection and Ascension.
• When He was condemned - we were condemned.
• When He was punished - we were punished; and
• When He died - we died with Him (i.e. He brought to death our Adam Nature and all the junk and sin in our Adam inheritance). His death penalty is our death penalty - we (our Adam nature) were EXECUTED with Him.
"For I through the law, died to the Law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Gal. 2:19- 20)
• When He rose victorious and triumphant over all the sin and consequence of the Adam man and its inheritance - we too rose to a new victorious life in Him. When He was justified, exonerated and vindicated - we were justified and exonerated with Him and restored to the blessing of our Heavenly Father. His victorious Resurrection life becomes our new life principle. His overcoming life gives us victory over sin and selfishness. "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." (Rm. 8:11)
• When He ascended - we ascended i.e. spiritually. When He broke the authority of the ruling spirits that oppressed the race of Adam and put them under His feet, He put them under our feet also.
"(He) made us alive together with Christ ... and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus," (Eph. 2:5-6)

CONSEQUENCES OF IDENTIFICATION
Because He identified Himself with us - when He was executed - we were executed with Him.
Because we were condemned with Him the justice system of the LAW and our liability under the wrath of God (God's obligation to punish sin) is paid once-for-all. None of this benefits us unless we believe it. It becomes ours when we put our complete faith in what Jesus has done for us and ask the Holy Spirit to activate all this in our lives. We live at the reverse side of the Cross - the reverse side of condemnation and guilt. That is why we can say, "There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free form the law of sin and death"(Rom. 8:1-2)
Because Jesus identified Himself with us, (as the New Leader of the Human race) when He Rose and Ascended to the Throne of the universe we ascended with Him. He is now seated at the right hand of His Father and He authorizes us to act in His Name and use His authority. "All authority in heaven and earth is given to me Therefore go and make disciples of all Nations." (Mt 28:17)
He delegates authority to us to act in His Name for the interests of His Kingdom. He says to His disciples (i.e. you and me)
“Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." (Mt 18:18) "Behold, I give you the authority (i.e. authorization to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Luke 10:19)

REPLACEMENT NOT IMPROVEMENT
We do not attempt to improve our Adam (self) nature by trying to imitate Jesus. Our old nature is not IMPROVED - it is REPLACED by the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Our entrance into the benefits of our identification is the key to our new identity and dignity as human beings. This identity is legally available for all through Jesus’ work on our behalf. Many who say they believe that Jesus died for them do not fully realize what He really did - FOR US in His death, burial, Resurrection and Ascension - it is not just an event that took place over 2000 years ago but an event that effects our lives today and is lived out through us - if we choose it.
Jesus’ death is our death, His Resurrection is our resurrection, His Life is our Life and His Ascension is our ascension. Seeing Jesus as our substitute causes us to recognize His death on our behalf but seeing the full reality of Identification causes us to enter into far fuller dimensions of VICTORY & AUTHORITY. We have been robbed of so much glory though partial teaching of the GOOD NEWS.

OUR PART
The benefits of Jesus' identification of Himself with us and us with Himself are not automatic. We must HEAR about them and PUT OUR FAITH IN THEM. This is the importance of preaching and proclaiming these realities. We must
• KNOW ABOUT IT
• BELIEVE IT
• RECEIVE HIS NEW VICTORIOUS LIFE
• WALK IN IT

(1) We must know about it.
(This is hearing the good news of the FULLNESS of what Jesus accomplished for us)
(2) We must believe, receive and embrace it.
This is faith. Faith is not simply mental agreement with a theological position. Faith is putting all our faith on the reality of the gospel.
(3) We must walk in it.
It is not our own strength or ability but His life that empowers us. "You shall receive ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. " Acts 1:8 The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to see what God has done for us in identifying Jesus with us and us with Him and He empowers us to live by the strength of the Holy Spirit.

SUBSTITUTION & IDENTIFICATION
Most believers are familiar with the work of Jesus as our substitute. They are aware He took the death penalty on our behalf as our scapegoat and substitute.
However few believers are aware of the full glory of our identification with Him in death, burial, resurrection and ascension. When these truths are restored and fully embraced we shall see the Body of Christ come into its own - in true holiness, victory and authority. Only when we know that reality of Identification can we begin to function on the earth, not as mere "forgiven sinners", but as the Sons of God we are called to be. "As He is so are we in this world." (1 John 4:17) Are you willing to embrace your new identity through IDENTIFICATION with Him and live in the world today as He is?

A WONDERFUL TYPE
The story of Jacob receiving the birthright and blessing that Isaac had reserved for Esau prefigures how we receive the birth right of Jesus. The analogy is not perfect, yet very helpful.
To receive the birthright and blessing from Isaac, Jacob put on in the clothes of Esau. He assumed Esau's identity. He identified Himself as Jacob and though he was not Esau - Jacob blessed Him as if he were Jacob.
Jacob used subterfuge to pull this off. Jesus, however, by the process of substitution and identification gives us the right to appear before His Father in His clothing (robes of righteousness) and work in His Name. By our natural identity in Adam we are disqualified, but by receiving the identity of Jesus we are qualified
Jesus with the open co-operation of His Father took our curse to give us His blessing. He also openly declared to His Father that He was giving His name and blessing to His disciples. He gives us His identity that we may appear before the Father in Glory.

"HE IS NOT HERE - HE IS RISEN." (Mt 28:6)
HE IS NOT ON THE CROSS! HE IS NOT IN THE TOMB! HE IS RISEN INDEED. ALLELUIA!
HAS HE RISEN IN YOU?