It’s a Question of Identity
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Cor. 5:17)
When our children were younger we would on occasion take them to the circus. When you go to the circus one of the most anticipated highlights is seeing the elephants. Sometimes you would see them outside and the handler would be selling tickets to take a ride on the elephant’s back. Kids would line up and pay 5 bucks a pop to sit on the back of this gigantic animal as it trudged around in a circle over and over again with five or six kids on its back. Other times you would see the elephant performing in the big tent. There would be the big circus parade with the elephants all decked out in colorful dazzling costumes. At least one of the elephants would be carrying a pretty girl on its trunk who would wave at the audience as she passed by the stands. Most times each elephant would be holding the tail of the preceding elephant in their trunk forming a long elephant train. Then came the show, where the elephants would entertain the crowd by standing on their two front legs. They would roll a barrel across the ring and squirt someone in the audience with water from their trunk. The elephant show was always great!
As we walked around the circus we would always notice the elephants that were not being used in the show that day. It always amazed me that these huge beasts were held hostage by a little chain around their ankle which was connected to a little spike in the ground. It’s amazing to think that such a little chain, connected to such a little peg could hold such a huge beast hostage. The elephant could with a minimal amount of effort either break the chain or simply pull the peg out of the ground. But circus elephants don’t do that, because when they were baby elephants, their master, the trainer, taught them that when they felt the chain they were to submit. The baby elephants never had an opportunity to understand their identity. So circus animals are good for entertainment only because in the early days their identity was ripped away from them.
A lot of us are held hostage. We come to church and we hear about all of this power we have, all of this greatness we have, but just a little old chain still holds us down. The chain of an addiction from our past. The shackles of old worldly thought patterns which keep us from reaching our full potential in Christ. The fetters of doubt and skepticism which we accepted early on and still believe because we haven’t the courage or humility to admit that our previous way of thinking was wrong. Our previous master, the devil taught us that we are weak – unable to break the chains that held us hostage to his power and will. He commands us to submit to his wicked purpose in our life. Because we’ve become so accustomed to his shackles, we comply. As Christians we wonder what’s wrong, how can we be such powerful beings and be held hostage by any little thing that shows up.
It’s a question of identity. Like that beast at the circus trudging around and around in the same old circle, so many never really break free because they’ve never truly believed or never understood that their relationship with Jesus Christ gave them a brand new identity and new power to overcome. The Scriptures unashamedly declare, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” In Christ you are not the same old person you once were. You have not been remodeled – you have been rebuilt. In Christ you have been reborn as a brand new resourced, powerful, wise, free, living son or daughter of the King. The chains to your old way of life have been utterly shattered. There is no reason whatsoever to carry your old lifestyle, your old habits, your old way of thinking, your old attitudes, your old frustrations, your old defeats with you in your new life in Christ. It’s a fascinating thing for me to see people who have been gifted with the “riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints” and “the incomparable great power for us who believe” by the One who lavishes us with “love that surpasses knowledge” and who “is able to do immeasurable more than all we ask or imagine according to His power which is at work within us” - it is absolutely fascinating for me to watch people who have all this and more and watch them insist that they still can not break the chains that once held them. Are the chains that hold you in bondage really stronger than the power of the One who died to set you free? Really?
You see the issue isn’t that we don’t have the power to pull away from the old life. The issue is either we don’t yet understand our identity – or perhaps the hard truth is we have become so comfortable with the shackles around our ankle that we don’t really want to break away. For some the weight of the chain has become so familiar, that they can’t imagine what it would be like not to have it. Hear this: “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Don’t stay shackled! Freedom is your gift. Declare the old way of life dead and walk in the newness Christ has provided.
I’ve always wondered what might happen if someone lifted up one of those great ears that belong to the elephant and whispered, “You’re actually strong enough to experience freedom now – just break the chain.” I believe an old elephant can learn new tricks. Perhaps the Holy Spirit is whispering that into your ear this very moment that you are a new creation in Christ and that it’s time for you to break the chains that bind you through the power He grants to all who trust Him. He has ears to hear – let him hear.
Live the Victorious Life,
PT
When our children were younger we would on occasion take them to the circus. When you go to the circus one of the most anticipated highlights is seeing the elephants. Sometimes you would see them outside and the handler would be selling tickets to take a ride on the elephant’s back. Kids would line up and pay 5 bucks a pop to sit on the back of this gigantic animal as it trudged around in a circle over and over again with five or six kids on its back. Other times you would see the elephant performing in the big tent. There would be the big circus parade with the elephants all decked out in colorful dazzling costumes. At least one of the elephants would be carrying a pretty girl on its trunk who would wave at the audience as she passed by the stands. Most times each elephant would be holding the tail of the preceding elephant in their trunk forming a long elephant train. Then came the show, where the elephants would entertain the crowd by standing on their two front legs. They would roll a barrel across the ring and squirt someone in the audience with water from their trunk. The elephant show was always great!
As we walked around the circus we would always notice the elephants that were not being used in the show that day. It always amazed me that these huge beasts were held hostage by a little chain around their ankle which was connected to a little spike in the ground. It’s amazing to think that such a little chain, connected to such a little peg could hold such a huge beast hostage. The elephant could with a minimal amount of effort either break the chain or simply pull the peg out of the ground. But circus elephants don’t do that, because when they were baby elephants, their master, the trainer, taught them that when they felt the chain they were to submit. The baby elephants never had an opportunity to understand their identity. So circus animals are good for entertainment only because in the early days their identity was ripped away from them.
A lot of us are held hostage. We come to church and we hear about all of this power we have, all of this greatness we have, but just a little old chain still holds us down. The chain of an addiction from our past. The shackles of old worldly thought patterns which keep us from reaching our full potential in Christ. The fetters of doubt and skepticism which we accepted early on and still believe because we haven’t the courage or humility to admit that our previous way of thinking was wrong. Our previous master, the devil taught us that we are weak – unable to break the chains that held us hostage to his power and will. He commands us to submit to his wicked purpose in our life. Because we’ve become so accustomed to his shackles, we comply. As Christians we wonder what’s wrong, how can we be such powerful beings and be held hostage by any little thing that shows up.
It’s a question of identity. Like that beast at the circus trudging around and around in the same old circle, so many never really break free because they’ve never truly believed or never understood that their relationship with Jesus Christ gave them a brand new identity and new power to overcome. The Scriptures unashamedly declare, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” In Christ you are not the same old person you once were. You have not been remodeled – you have been rebuilt. In Christ you have been reborn as a brand new resourced, powerful, wise, free, living son or daughter of the King. The chains to your old way of life have been utterly shattered. There is no reason whatsoever to carry your old lifestyle, your old habits, your old way of thinking, your old attitudes, your old frustrations, your old defeats with you in your new life in Christ. It’s a fascinating thing for me to see people who have been gifted with the “riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints” and “the incomparable great power for us who believe” by the One who lavishes us with “love that surpasses knowledge” and who “is able to do immeasurable more than all we ask or imagine according to His power which is at work within us” - it is absolutely fascinating for me to watch people who have all this and more and watch them insist that they still can not break the chains that once held them. Are the chains that hold you in bondage really stronger than the power of the One who died to set you free? Really?
You see the issue isn’t that we don’t have the power to pull away from the old life. The issue is either we don’t yet understand our identity – or perhaps the hard truth is we have become so comfortable with the shackles around our ankle that we don’t really want to break away. For some the weight of the chain has become so familiar, that they can’t imagine what it would be like not to have it. Hear this: “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Don’t stay shackled! Freedom is your gift. Declare the old way of life dead and walk in the newness Christ has provided.
I’ve always wondered what might happen if someone lifted up one of those great ears that belong to the elephant and whispered, “You’re actually strong enough to experience freedom now – just break the chain.” I believe an old elephant can learn new tricks. Perhaps the Holy Spirit is whispering that into your ear this very moment that you are a new creation in Christ and that it’s time for you to break the chains that bind you through the power He grants to all who trust Him. He has ears to hear – let him hear.
Live the Victorious Life,
PT
posted by Larry | 1:52 PM
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