SoulSister: Galatians 2:20 [A Study On Identity]Sample

IT’S NOT ABOUT PERFECTION

We are still going to have our own [natural] thoughts, and we're still going to have emotions that are out of whack. We're still going to do things that are not pleasing to God, and we still have to work out our own salvation [seeking God, reading God's Word, believing in Him]. When our soul acts out or behaves in a way that is not pleasing to God [not out of rebelliousness and maliciousness], that's where our faith has to kick in and say that we are still the righteousness of God. We are still in Christ. Our actions do not determine who we are; Christ determines who we are. Our actions do, however, reveal our sin nature [flesh] and reveals the flesh’s progress or lack of surrender. This is called self-evaluation.

Our actions do not determine our identity. We should believe in that, and we should still do the things that God has called us to do out of obedience regardless of our flaws, regardless of our mistakes, and in spite of the things that we see in the natural. We walk by faith, not by sight.

I often say, "It's not about perfection, it's about posture." The posture of our hearts and the posture of our surrender is what matters, not striving for perfection because we will not reach it. So with that in mind, our response should be that if we see ourselves making a mistake, our faith still says, “Thank You, Lord, for revealing where I need to surrender. Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You put me in right standing with God the Father. Thank You that I am still alive in Christ.”

Our declaration should alway be "I am still a child of God, and He still loves me." And when we do that, then we allow God to define more of who we are and not our actions. Don’t run from the revealing of our flesh because running or hiding hinders our development. Be thankful for the uncovering because it’s the evidence of growth and it’s the evidence of the spirit within us.