Prince or Pauper?
Welcome to Peniel CrossRoads, where we embrace Jesus’s heart and together live out the call to Christian unity!
As sons and daughters of God, we are truly ROYALTY.
I wonder what our lives would look like if we lived like the chosen royal priests that we already are? Unfortunately, too often we live out of an orphan spirit instead of the spirit of royal adoption.
“But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God…” I Peter 2:9, NLT
To be sure, once we were not a people--not chosen, not redeemed. But now we have been chosen, called by name, washed, redeemed, and invited to “come up here” and REIGN with the King of kings!*
Even if I desire to live purely from the heart, it is only believing my true identity as a redeemed (son or) daughter of the Heavenly King that brings complete freedom. Too often we live like homeless beggars, unable and unwilling to receive help, when we could be living like the princes and princesses that we are in the Kingdom!
Every act of the flesh, whether it be outward or inward, (murder or jealousy, theft or slander, adultery or lust) rises out of an orphan identity—a belief that says, “I am not enough,” “What my Father has given me isn’t enough,” or “I have to earn the Father’s approval because I’m not good enough.” In contrast, the acts of the Spirit rise out of the identity of a royal son or daughter of the Heavenly Father-King, who loves and embraces me as His blood-bought child! As I respond to Him by believing Truth as He reveals it, I can live more fully into my identity as blood-bought royalty.
So, all the acts of disunity in the Body of Christ—discord, dissension, jealousy, competition, rage, unforgiveness, dishonoring others, disdain, slander, selfish ambition—have at their root a LIE that disbelieves what God has done for me, and others, in Christ.
When I understand and accept what my Father has done for me in Christ Jesus—believing that He has cleansed my old nature of death and given me new birth and cleansing by the Spirit of Life—and that together with all the saints WE have a new identity as royal priests, we come into living from the spirit of royal sonship.**
Without repenting of the belief that our Father doesn’t mean what He says, we will never shed the habits of the flesh.
Daily we must choose to crucify the orphan spirit, which is ALSO the spirit the world tries to put on us! Instead, through faith and repentance, we must trust the loving approval of our Heavenly Father, as we stay in obedient communion with Him.
Unity with other believers begins from the basement…by being reconciled to a loving Father in the place of deepest intimacy—the chamber of secrets—and by responding in faith to a good God who wants to transform me from the ground up.
*Revelation 4:1, **Revelation 1:5-6
Heavenly Daddy, I believe You, and I believe what You say about me! Please forgive and help my unbelief! Thank you that You give us so many chances to believe Your words about us. Lord, I yield to Your loving work in my life, to transform me to think, believe and act in accordance with Your word about all those You have redeemed. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
For Jesus’ Sake,
Chris & Julie