Rest in a New Identity

"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, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. "Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God's people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God's mercy." Dear friends, I warn you as "temporary residents and foreigners" to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbours. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honourable behaviour, and they will give honour to God when he judges the world."1 Peter 2:9-12 NLT Philippians 3:20 Before Jesus came into our lives we identified solely with the Adam life, we wouldn't articulate it like this, we would say we were just of the world, and chasing after the things of this world. But all of this changed when We responded to Christ's invitation to belong to His family. We were given a new identity the moment we believed. But what does this look like, how do we live out of this identity and not the old one.. well, our identity is tied to our roots, our family linage, and our citizenship. A passport is the most accurate form of identity, its proof of who you are and the country you belong to, your citizenship. The world is no longer our home, we have been given a new passport, we belong to the kingdom of heaven, now, today. We are citizens of heaven now and as we identify with the the Christ life, we become more and more aware that we are also living in our new country. This world is no longer our home, we are foreigners of the world and what it has to offer, we are simply passing through, spiritually speaking this world has no legal hold on us, because Jesus made us legal residents of His kingdom.