Who Are You

For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

2. The familiarity with which mankind seeks to judge the righteousness and fairness of God is shocking.

We need to recover an awareness of the awesomeness that is God

4. In C.S. Lewis’ book The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Lewis chose a Lion to represent Jesus. At times the children in the story felt comfortable running their fingers through his mane, taking rides on his back and enjoying being in his presence. But his roar was ferocious enough to introduce an element of fear. It prompted one of the children to ask, “Is Aslan safe?” The thoughtful answer was, “No, He’s not safe, but He is good.” God is a God of love and justice; grace and wrath, and sometimes I think we need to hear Him roar to remind us of His holiness.

B. Who we are in Christ – vs. 11,

1. Forgiven

a. A man said to his pastor: “I am a miserable sinner and there is no help available for me. I have prayed to God, I have tried to be good and I have tried to do the right thing at the right time, but I always seem to fail.”  The pastor asked him: “Do you believe in the life, the death, and the resurrection of God’s Son Jesus Christ?   The man said, “Yes I do.  “If Jesus came and stood right here beside you at this very moment, what would be your words to Him?” asked the pastor.  The man said, “I would look up into His face and confess my sins to Him and then I would tell Him that I feel like a lost sinner and that there is no hope for me.”  “What do you think Jesus would say to you?” ask the pastor.  The man thought for a few moments and them a change came upon his face. The change went from a look of worry to a look of peace and tranquility.  And then the man replied: Jesus would say, “I have forgiven you of all your sins, you are under no condemnation, you are ‘set free”.

2. New Creations –

2 Corinthians 5:17 NASB95

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

a. We are part of the family of God

b. The privilege of being part of God’s family is often taken for granted.

c. One of the most touching moment in the Sydney Olympics was when Eric "The Swimmer" Moussambani of Equatorial Guinea swam in the 100-meter free style qualifying heat. The 22-year-old African had only learned to swim last January, had only practiced in a 20-meter pool without lane markers, and had never raced more than 50 meters. By special invitation of the International Olympic Committee, under a special program that permits poorer countries to participate even though their athletes don’t meet customary standards, he had been entered in the 100-meter men’s freestyle. When the other two swimmers in his heat were disqualified because of false starts, Moussambani was forced to swim alone. Eric Moussambani was, to use the words of an Associated Press story about his race, "charmingly inept." He never put his head under the water’s surface and flailed wildly to stay afloat. With ten meters left to the wall, he virtually came to a stop. Some spectators thought he might drown! Even though his time was over a minute slower than what qualified for the next level of competition, the capacity crowd at the Olympic Aquatic Center stood to their feet and cheered the swimmer on. After what seemed like an eternity, the African reached the wall and hung on for dear life. When he had caught his breath and regained his composure, the French-speaking Moussambani said through an interpreter, "I want to send hugs and kisses to the crowd. It was their cheering that kept me going." As Christians, we have a cheering section encouraging us on when we are tired and calling out to us to do better when we are feeling at our best. The author of Hebrews says, “We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.” What in the world does he mean—great cloud of witnesses? The author of Hebrews is telling us that we are a part of something much richer and deeper than we know. As children of God and as brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, we are a part of a family.

C. Who we will be in Christ

1 Corinthians 2:9 NASB95

but just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”

Ephesians 3:20 NASB95

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,

3. The story is told of a little girl who had lived her life in the city and was acclimated to the many street lights at night. She had opportunity to go to the country on a vacation. One starlit night, she and her mother stood gazing up into the sky without any street lights to conceal its aura. The child was awestruck by its sparkling beauty. She exclaimed, "Mama, if heaven is so pretty on the wrong side, I wonder what it looks like on the right side!"

4. There is a land that is fairer than day, and by faith we shall see it afar. For the Father waits over the way, to prepare us a dwelling place there.