Who We Are In Christ 1

Ephesians 4:22–24 NASB95

22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

Ephesians 4:22-24 Memory Verse

A) Who is this new self? Who is the Bible describing? That is what this class is all about.

1. If we can identify and be identified with this new self and then walk in it, we will live the victorious life God has for us.

2. If we walk through life without understanding the new self then we don’t know who we are, what we have, and what we can do in God.

3. Often people never figure out who they are, so they act like someone else.

For example:

Some identify with someone on T.V. who made an impression on them. They try and talk, dress, walk, or do their hair like that celebrity.

Others pick a sports figure, singer, or gangster.

Some identify with a problem that they have had and call themselves by that name such as: divorced, alcoholic, bankrupt, drug addict, criminal.

Some are wrapped up in their profession. They live to work. It ‘s about what they do than who they are. They say I’m a mechanic, secretary, business man, fireman. If they were to lose their profession they lose their identity and have a crisis.

Some identify with just their race and cannot get past the color of their skin or their racial or national ancestry. I’m white, black, Hispanic, Asian, ect… They describe their weaknesses by their physical appearance or racial identity. I’m African, Irish, German, ect....

There is some validity to your natural identification but it is not more powerful than who you are or the New Self in Christ. Maybe what has happened naturally to you has a great impact on your life but what happened to you through Jesus is greater than anything else that has ever happened to you. This will swallow up your old identity.

B) Into to Covenant

4. We really cannot fully understand who the New Self is or who we are in Christ until we have a general idea of our covenant with God.

This gets into the guts of our identity.

The Bible is a book of covenants and to understand it we must understand covenant.

The Bible is made up of the Old and New covenant.

The Bible is also a eastern book and to fully understand it we need to know some eastern customs and practices in oder to understand it.

Now Blood Covenant isn't something that our culture is familiar with. What we have thats even close to it is a marriage covenant and a contract between business transactions.

The Old Testament word for covenant is"ber-eeth" number 1285: shows up 264 times in the old covenant It means to cut were blood flows. "to bind or to fetter; a binding obligation"

The covenant in action is described by the old testament word hesed in the old and its equivalent to the New testament word is agape.

Hesed is Strongs number 2617 and is mentioned 240 times in the old testament. It is translated as steadfast love, covenant love, unfailing love, or loyalty.

C) A covenant is different than a contract.

A contract = is a vehicle whereby properties and goods are conveyed from one person to another. Contracts are negotiable by both of the parties and can be changed or even canceled. In a contract, promises are mad that are as good as the character of the contracting parties whose signatures seal the document: therefore they are easy broken.

A covenant = is far above the exchange of properties and things. It is the giving of one's whole person and life to another and the wholehearted receiving of that other person and his or her life.

Heres a good working definition of covenant:

Its a binding, unbreakable obligation between two parties, based on unconditional love sealed by blood and sacred oath, that creates a relationship in which each party is bound by specific undertakings on each other's behalf. The parties to the covenant place themselves under the penalty of divine retribution should they later attempt to avoid those undertakings. It is a relationship that can only be broken by death.

Sacredness of the covenant. The blood covenant was hardly ever broken. If so the persons own mother, father, siblings would hunt you down to the 3rd and 4th generation if need be to take your life. To brake the covenant meant death.

When you entered this covenant the vilest enemies would become the most trusted friends. No man takes advantage in this covenant. The covenant last forever.

D) 3 basic reasons or motives why someone would want to enter into a blood covenant are:

Strengths and weakness - farmer tribe will enter a covenant with warrior tribe - The Lord has everything and we have nothing but sin debt - In the Bible for the most part we see unequal covenants. They are made unilaterally, initiated by a person who is vastly superior in power and authority, and graciously imposed on a person of lesser power and position for one's greater good.

Two people entering a business deal to make sure the other don't take advantage to the other

If two people loved each they would make a blood covenant for loves sake. Husband and Wife. A large portion of the Bible covenants were made because of Love.

E) Pick representatives to represent the tribe. Usually the strongest person.

The word represent means to present again, to re-present the will of another, to speak and act with authority on the part of another, to be a substitute or agent for.

The representative speaks and acts as the whole.If they are defeated then the whole tribe is defeated. David and Goliath. 1 Samuel 17:8-10 45-47

Now each covenant that we see through out the Bible and times might be a tad different but there are

F) 4 main things that you will consistently see in every covenant in the Bible:

1) Promises and curses of the covenant

2) Blood of the covenant

3) Seal of the covenant

4) Remembrance of the covenant

This covenant identify’s you as a Christian. This covenant defines your relationship with God.