KingdomView, Vol. IV, Issue 7 Scripture: John 8:32
While in the process of purchasing our home in the early 1990s, my wife and I had to deal with a menacing problem, identity theft. Our lending institution ran a credit check on both of us, and to my surprise, my report was problematic. The credit report revealed a purchase for furniture that I had not made. Someone was able to acquire pertinent financial data associated with me and used my identity to purchase living room furniture when we lived in California. I must admit, they had some good taste, too! Well, the issue was resolved, but not without some painstaking effort to clear my name with an agency that dealt with fraud. There is a new form of identity theft looming in the church and I call it spiritual identity theft. Some believers have fallen prey to this form of identity fraud. The good news for those who may be ensnared by Satan’s deceptions is that the Bible declares, "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32 NASB). The Apostle Paul deals with this subject in his letter to the church at Corinth. He writes:
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you WERE. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NIV
Satan has ensnared some Christians and they find themselves entangled in his web of deceit, or as an animal caught in the constriction of a python. As Satan squeezes, he tells you to throw in the towel. You cannot save your marriage. You cannot overcome that drinking or substance abuse problem. Better yet, as he continues his press, he says that you know you cannot control yourself, so you should go ahead and engage in the emotional and physical abuse of others. However, Saint of God, you must know that Satan is a liar (John 8:44). His strategy is to implant falsehoods in the minds of his desired prey to keep them fixated on his deceptions. His assault upon our thought life could be lethal if we do not understand this truth. Adam and Eve fell victim (Genesis 3), as did David (1 Chronicles 21:1-17) and Judas (John 13:2). He even tried to sift Peter (Matthew 16:22, 23). So, how do you break free from the snare of the spiritual identity theft trap? You must believe and act in faith on the truth of Scripture concerning what God has said (John 8:32). If God says you are the head and not the tail, then you must believe and act in faith as He has said (Deuteronomy 28:13).
In sum, Paul declared in 1 Corinthians 6:11that we were washed by the purifying blood of the Lamb (Hebrews 9:14; 13:12). Likewise, we are sanctified, i.e., set apart in positional holiness before God (1 Corinthians 1:2); and have been justified, which is the judicial act of God whereby He acquits gospel believers of the divine verdict of condemnation and declares them to be righteous, for He has made them so (Romans 3:24). Remember, you are not what you used to be, but God has made you a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Now, you MUST walk in it!
