One of the most important truths we have in the Word is understanding who we are.
Growing up, I was blessed to have parents who believed in me and encouraged me. The flip side of that was when I messed up, there were consequences which were always administered in love. Being a preacher’s kid, my punishment always came with what my dad called “a sermon in a nutshell” and believe me, I got more than all my siblings combined!
Looking back now, I needed those, and the truth my Dad spoke into my life back then has become the foundation of what and how I believe.
You see, it’s very important that we understand who we are in Christ Jesus — not your flesh, not your emotions, but your spirit.
“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” —1 Thessalonians 5:23
Understanding spirit, soul, and body brings tremendous insight to understanding who we really are. I put it this way: once you are born again in Christ, your spirit is born and will be a part of YOU throughout eternity. It’s the same spirit you will have in heaven!
Wow! Think about that for a minute. That means once born again your spirit is perfect.
“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.” —Ephesians 1:13
After YOU responded to the Gospel (the almost too good to be true news), you became a new creation (a new species of being) not only that, but you were SEALED.
John 3:3-7
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
According to Ephesians 1:13, this word SEALED in the GREEK is “SPHRAGIZO” which means “to stamp” (with a signet or private mark} for security or preservation. This is the Holy Spirit protecting our salvation.
When I would go fishing with my Dad, we would gather all the fish we caught for the day and head over to the outside sink and start cleaning the fish together. Of course, Dad would always comment
when I would pull out a large walleye and say, ‘That’s the one I caught!’ and point out how much bigger it was than the smaller one he would claim was the one I caught. We would banter and laugh, but eventually, all the fish were cleaned, washed and made ready to be SEALED by this machine that would suck all of the air out of the clear bag preserving the fish inside keeping contaminants out.
This is what the Holy Spirit did for you and me. He sealed salvation around our spirit not allowing
any sin to enter. Remember, it’s no longer we that live, but Jesus lives in us!
John 4:24
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
This is why we can worship Him! We come to Him with our perfect spirit. You are perfect! Yes, you! It’s not your flesh, not your emotions, but it’s your born-again spirit that is perfect. You are a brand new creature in your spirit.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all
things are become new.
That part of us is identical to Jesus!
1 Corinthians 6:17
But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
1 John 4:17
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
Did you read that? As Jesus is right this moment, so are you right this moment. Not in the sweet by-and-by, but in the rough now-and-now. Our spirits are created in righteousness and true holiness. Once we are sealed by the Holy Spirit our born-again spirit stays pure and holy.
John 14:12
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Jesus told us this because the Holy Spirit is in us, and He is perfect.
Believing who you are is the first step to a life of supernatural strength, hope, power, wisdom, knowledge, understanding and so much more. ALL the promises are yours and mine. Once we understand and believe who the Word says we are, then we walk in total transformation.
We could go further, but this is supposed to be a “NUTSHELL”
Ephesians 4:24
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Romans 12:1-2
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
The next step is getting our soul and body in unity with our spirit. We renew our minds through the
Word. What you think affects what you feel, what you feel affects what you say, and what you say affects the direction you go which in turn sets your destiny.
So, the Word transforms the way we think which sets our path straight. This is why my Dad gave me a sermon in a nutshell in the first place — to set my path straight.
Remember, the Word is Spirit and Life. DO NOT be conformed to the world (poured into its mold) but instead, be transformed into a new creature, like a caterpillar changes into a butterfly! How? By renewing your mind! Thinking like the Word, trusting the Word, and believing the Word will affect your soul and flesh. You will no longer be dominated by your emotions (soul) but you will be dominated by God’s Word. Not by YOUR experience but by God’s Word which you now have inside your spirit!
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,
temperance: against such there is no law.
The fruit of the Holy Spirit is already in you! By faith, we bring the fruit that is in our spirit and appropriate it into our emotions and flesh drawing out what is already inside you. You are AWESOME, you are POWERFUL, you are AMAZING, you are STRONG, you are His MASTERPIECE and full of the glory of God!
Yes, you’re full of it. But the “it” is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. So look into the mirror (the Word of God) and see who you are in your spirit. YOU ARE A SPIRIT, YOU HAVE A SOUL AND YOU LIVE IN A BODY. Now, let your spirit lead you, free from your flesh and emotions!
A large nutshell, but that’s my Dad’s fault.
We love and pray for you all. Blessings and favor in the name of Jesus our Champion and Savior.
Pastor Jeff Earlywine