March 6, 2011
In Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings,” Aragorn was Strider, a Ranger. Or was he?
Aragorn was the rightful heir to the throne.
The ugly duckling of the children’s story did not know he was a swan.
In the movie, “Princess Diaries,” Mia thought she was a normal teenager, bu she was actually the heir to a throne.
Jesus was thought to be an illegitimate sone of a peasant. Now people think he was a good, moral teacher. The truth that Jesus is God Incarnate (in the flesh) is too much for many too swallow.
We think we are sinners (correctly), but too seldom move beyond that into our inheritance and true identity: Chosen people, royal priesthood, God’s elect, strangers and aliens in the world, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, saints set apart, a dwelling in which God lives, fellow citizens with God’s people, heirs of the promise, ambassadors, ...
Because we are forgetful, we must continually be reminded of our true identity. Before conversion, the Deceiver tells us we’re okay, we’re not that bad, we’ve done nothing to deserve judgment and so don’t need a Savior, we need no atonement or justification.
Once converted, however, the Deceiver changes tactics and becomes the Accuser. The Accuser keeps our sins and faults always before us, questioning our identify, just as he did with Christ in the garden, “If you are the Son of God.” For us, “If you were really a child of God, you would not think, do, say, ... that ...
Condemnation and guilt are his allies, but conviction brings godly sorrow that leads to repentance and freedom from guilt and condemnation.
Draw us into Your presence, Lord.
1 Peter 2:9-12, Ephesians 2:19-22, 2 Corinthians 5:16-21; 7:10
2 Corinthians 4:4, Proverbs 5:6
Job 4:17-19
Matthew 4:3, 6
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