Friday, July 11th 2025 SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 2:5-6; 2 Corinthians 5:21

MESSAGE: Embracing Your New Status In Christ – Living from a Place of Divine Reality

When you surrendered your life to Jesus Christ and got born again, it wasn’t merely a decision or a ritual; it was a supernatural, seismic shift in the spirit realm. A profound, fundamental change of status took place that utterly redefined who you are. Yet, for many believers, this radical transformation remains largely theoretical, an unapplied truth that leaves them living far below the abundant life Christ died to provide. Today’s devotional is a powerful call to awaken to, embrace, and boldly live out the glorious new status you have received in Christ. Ephesians 2:5-6 provides a breathtaking glimpse into this divine metamorphosis: “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ…and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” This isn’t a nebulous, far-off future promise, a hope we cling to for some distant heaven. No! It is a present reality. The language is clear and emphatic: “hath quickened us,” “hath raised us up,” “made us sit together.” These are past tense verbs, signifying completed actions. In God’s eyes, because you are in Christ, these things have already happened to you. Salvation, therefore, is far more than just a rescue from the penalty and power of sin, as glorious as that is. It is a radical relocation from spiritual death to divine life, from earthly bondage to heavenly authority. It is a spiritual transfer into a new realm, a new dimension, a new seat of power. You’ve been divinely promoted! The tragedy, however, is that “Many believers still live as though nothing changed because they do not fully understand who they have become in Christ.” They carry the burdens of their past, battle with the identity of their old nature, and allow circumstances to dictate their self-perception. Until you genuinely and experientially embrace your new status, you will inevitably keep operating far below your spiritual privileges, living a life of struggle and defeat, rather than victory and dominion.

The Radical Transformation: From Sinful to Righteousness Let’s delve deeper into the core of this radical change. The Bible declares in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” This single verse encapsulates the divine exchange that defines your new status. Jesus, who was utterly sinless, willingly took on the totality of humanity’s sin—your sin—upon Himself on the cross. In return, He imparted His perfect righteousness to you. This means that in Christ, you are now the righteousness of God. This isn’t a righteousness you earned through good works, religious rituals, or moral striving. It’s not a self-righteousness. It is a gifted righteousness, imputed to you purely “because of what Christ has done.” This truth is monumental. It liberates you from the endless striving to be good enough and allows you to stand boldly before God, not on your own merit, but on the perfect merit of Christ. Consider the implications: You are no longer a beggar hoping for mercy; you are a son who has been given full access to the throne of grace. Beggars stand outside, hoping for crumbs. Sons have unfettered access, a rightful inheritance, and an intimate relationship. Your position before God is now one of acceptance, intimacy, and beloved status, not one of pleading or groveling. Your old record has been completely wiped away. Every sin, every transgression, every stain of your past has been removed, not just covered up, but eradicated by the blood of Jesus. You are declared innocent, clean, and blameless in God’s sight. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). A new life has genuinely begun. This is not a mere reformation of the old; it is a brand new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). The old has passed away; behold, all things have become new! Your spirit has been regenerated, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and infused with divine life. This new life, however, “must not just be confessed; it must be consciously lived out.” It’s one thing to intellectually assent to these truths; it’s another thing entirely to embody them in your daily existence. Every time you respond to life, to challenges, to opportunities, to people, you must choose to respond from the standpoint of your new identity. This requires intentionality, a daily re-alignment of your mindset with God’s Word.

The Transformative Power of Consciousness: Living Like It

Living with the consciousness of your new status will fundamentally change everything about your life. It’s the key that unlocks the full reality of your spiritual privileges. 1. You will pray differently. No longer will your prayers be filled with doubt, timidity, or a sense of unworthiness. Instead, you’ll approach God’s throne with boldness and confidence, knowing you are His beloved child, clothed in Christ’s righteousness (Hebrews 4:16). You’ll pray not as one begging for a favor, but as one who has legal access and divine authority. Your prayers will shift from “if it be Your will” to declaring and enforcing God’s known will for your life, because you are seated with Christ in the heavenly realms. You’ll understand that you are praying from victory, not for victory. 2. You will walk differently. Your gait, your demeanor, your very presence will begin to reflect the royalty within you. You’ll walk with an unshakable confidence that comes from knowing who you are and whose you are. Fear will lose its grip because perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). You won’t walk with the slouch of defeat or the anxiety of uncertainty, but with the upright posture of one who has been raised up and seated with Christ. This means you carry a divine presence into every room you enter, every conversation you have, and every task you undertake. 3. You will face challenges differently. Challenges are inevitable in life, but your approach to them will be radically transformed. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, defeated, or helpless, you will face adversity from a position of triumph and authority. You are not fighting for victory; you are enforcing a victory that Christ already won on your behalf. This changes the entire dynamic of the battle. You won’t plead with God to solve your problems as if He’s far off; you’ll stand on His Word, exercise your authority in Christ, and declare His victory over every obstacle. You’ll see giants not as insurmountable foes, but as opportunities for God’s power to be displayed through your new status.

Understanding Your Acceptance and Victory in Christ

Two pervasive lies keep believers from fully embracing their new status: the lie of non-acceptance and the lie of defeat. 1. You are not trying to be accepted by God—you are already accepted in the beloved. This is a profound truth that liberates from performance-based Christianity. Many believers live as if they constantly need to earn God’s love, prove their worth, or perform enough good deeds to gain His approval. This mindset leads to exhaustion, anxiety, and a false sense of God being distant or demanding. But Ephesians 1:6 declares that we have been “accepted in the beloved.” This means God’s acceptance of you is not conditional on your performance; it’s based entirely on His unconditional love for Christ, and because you are in Christ, you are accepted. You are His delight, His masterpiece, His beloved child. There’s nothing you can do to make Him love you more, and nothing you can do to make Him love you less. This settled acceptance fuels authentic worship and joyful obedience, rather than fear-driven efforts. 2. You are not trying to win battles—you are enforcing the victory Christ already won. The cross and resurrection represent the definitive victory over sin, death, hell, and the devil. Colossians 2:15 declares that Christ “having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” This means the spiritual warfare you face is not a battle for conquest, but an exercise of enforcement. Christ has already conquered the enemy. Your role is to stand firm in that victory, to resist the devil (James 4:7), to declare God’s Word, and to exercise the authority He has given you. You are a victor, not a victim. You are the head, not the tail. You are above, not beneath. This perspective transforms defensive living into offensive living, pushing back the kingdom of darkness with the authority of heaven.

Boldly Embracing Your Divine Status: A Call to Action

“It is time to embrace your divine status boldly.” This isn’t a suggestion; it’s a command, an urgent call to action. The enemy thrives in the shadows of ignorance and timidity. Your bold embrace of your new status dims his power and illuminates the truth of God’s Word. Refuse to let the devil talk you into living like a defeated person. His primary weapon is deception. He will remind you of every past failure, every present weakness, every discouraging circumstance. He wants to convince you that you’re unworthy, incapable, and powerless. But his voice is a lie. You must recognize his tactics and deliberately shut out his lies. You have a choice: believe the lie of the enemy or stand on the truth of God’s Word. You have been raised with Christ, seated with Him, and made victorious by His blood. This is the immutable reality of your spiritual position. It’s not about how you feel; it’s about what God says is true. Therefore, the charge is clear: Live like it. Let your daily life reflect the reality of your new birth. Let your character, your choices, and your priorities align with your divine nature. Think like it. Guard your mind. Let your thoughts be filled with truth, not lies. Meditate on who God says you are, not what the world or your flesh tries to impose. Renew your mind daily with the Word of God (Romans 12:2). Speak like it. Your words carry power. Speak words of faith, victory, life, and righteousness over yourself and your circumstances. Declare your identity in Christ. Don’t speak limiting beliefs or negative confessions. Walk in the full reality of your new life. This is a continuous journey of revelation and application. It means actively putting off the old man and putting on the new, daily choosing to operate from your resurrected position.

Practical Steps to Walk in Your New Status

Embracing your new status isn’t passive; it requires deliberate, spiritual effort. 1. Immerse Yourself in Identity Scriptures: Don’t just read them; meditate on them. Personalize them.

Ephesians 2:5-6: You have been quickened, raised, and seated with Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:17: You are a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5:21: You are the righteousness of God in Christ.
Romans 8:1: There is no condemnation for you.
Colossians 1:13: You have been delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of His dear Son.
Colossians 2:10: You are complete in Him.
1 John 4:4: Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.
Philippians 4:13: You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

Write these verses down, speak them aloud, confess them over your life. Let them saturate your consciousness until they become your inner conviction. 2. Practice Daily Confession of Your Identity: Our confession (what we say) aligns with our possession (what we have in Christ). Develop a habit of making bold, personal confessions about who you are in Christ. For example:

“I am accepted in the Beloved.”
“I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.”
“I am victorious over every challenge through Christ who strengthens me.”
“I have the mind of Christ.”
“I am more than a conqueror.”This is not positive thinking; it is speaking divine truth.

3. Actively Resist the Devil’s Lies: When thoughts of doubt, fear, or unworthiness surface, immediately identify them as coming from the enemy and resist them with the truth of God’s Word. Don’t entertain them. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). You resist him by standing firm on your identity and authority in Christ. 4. Cultivate a Lifestyle of Worship and Thanksgiving: Worship shifts your focus from your problems to God’s greatness. Thanksgiving acknowledges His past victories and current blessings, reinforcing your faith in His power to sustain your new status. A thankful heart is a powerful antidote to doubt and discouragement. 5. Partner with the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is your Helper, Teacher, and Guide. He is the one who empowers you to live out your new status. Yield to His leading, listen to His still, small voice, and allow Him to guide you into all truth about who you are in Christ. He will strengthen you to manifest the divine nature that is now within you.

The Divine Invitation to “Come Up Hither”

This message of embracing your new status perfectly aligns with the theme of the upcoming “ANNUAL GOD OF BREAKTHROUGHS CONVENTION & HOMECOMING (GOBC&H) 2025″—“COME UP HITHER!” This theme is a divine invitation to ascend to a higher level of understanding, faith, and living. It’s a call to move beyond the shallow waters of spiritual ignorance and step into the deep, profound realities of your position in Christ. To “come up hither” means:

To rise above limiting mindsets: To shed the old thought patterns of defeat, lack, and unworthiness.
To embrace higher spiritual realities: To grasp that you are seated with Christ, in authority, with every spiritual blessing.
To live from a heavenly perspective: To view your earthly challenges from God’s vantage point, knowing that in Christ, you are already victorious.
To activate your divine potential: To stop merely existing and start operating in the power, wisdom, and glory that is rightfully yours as a son or daughter of God.

This convention, and indeed this devotional, serves as a catalyst for you to step fully into this “Come Up Hither” reality. It’s a call to abandon the comfortable mediocrity of an unexamined faith and to boldly seize the divine inheritance that is already yours.

THOUGHT TO PONDER: Are you living daily in the consciousness of your new status in Christ? What adjustments do you need to make to reflect your divine identity in your words and actions? This thought is a powerful self-assessment tool. Take time to honestly reflect.

Do your words align with your new status, or do they still reflect the old man?
Do your actions demonstrate faith in your divine authority, or do they betray fear and defeat?
Are your choices driven by worldly pressures or by the wisdom of your heavenly position?

The call to adjustment is not condemnation but an invitation to alignment. As you adjust your mindset, your words, and your actions to truly reflect your divine identity, you will begin to experience the full reality of the new life Christ has given you.

PRAYER: Father, I thank You for the new life I have received through Jesus Christ. I declare that I am no longer dead in sins, but quickened, raised, and seated with Christ in heavenly places. I thank You that I am the righteousness of God in Him. Help me, Holy Spirit, to walk daily in the consciousness of this glorious new status. Deliver me from every mindset of defeat, every lie of the enemy, and every old pattern of thought that contradicts Your truth. Teach me to live boldly, speak powerfully, and act courageously as one who has been raised with Christ and given victory by His blood. I embrace my divine identity fully, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 11:1–12:18; Acts 28:1–31; Psalm 9:1–12; Proverbs 19:1-3