Who are you?
Sermon notes by Apostle Andre Pelser

Know who you are in Christ. It is vital for your spiritual and natural life. It will stabilize your faith.
When Moses asked whom God was He said: ‘I am that I am.’ Jesus proclaimed many ‘I am’s’ as recorded in the book of John.
Paul wrote: ‘I am what I am by the grace of God.’
At the time of Christ there was much speculation about re-incarnation. Jesus asked His disciples who people say He is and they mentioned that some said Elijah and some said John that came back from the dead. Then Jesus asked them: ‘but who do you say that I am?’ (Matthew 16)
Simon (‘reed’) had a revelation that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God. Jesus commended him and explained that he did not hear that from flesh and blood but the Father in heaven revealed it to him. Jesus changed Simon Bar Jona (son of Jonah) to Peter (‘petros’ or little rock) expanded this revelation (‘petra’ – rock of revealed knowledge) by saying He would build His church on this revelation and the gates of hell would not prevail against it.
The church is built on the knowledge that Jesus is the Christ, the Anointed One (the Messiah) Son of the living God. Once we accept this truth we are saved and born again and then we begin to discover our new nature called ‘a new creature in Christ’. (II Cor 5:17)
In Ephesians 1: 1-14 we see many instances of who we are in Christ and this helps us to have a sane estimate of ourselves:
1. In Fellowship with Christ
2. Blessed in Christ in heavenly places
3. Without blame in Christ
4. Well-accepted in the Beloved
5. Redeemed in Christ
6. Wisdom in Christ
7. Understand the mystery of His will
8. Have an inheritance in Christ according to His purpose
9. Sealed with the Holy Spirit in Christ
God has set boundaries for the sea, for nations and for individuals. We need meekness to accept these limits that God set. Moses led Israel through the Red Sea and the wilderness but did not enter the Promised Land. That was meant for Joshua. He conquered some of the nations in the Promised Land but not all. The Judges had to do that. John the Baptist prophesied about Jesus and then pointed to his cousin and said ‘this is He!’ But when Herod arrested him and put him in prison he doubted his own words and wondered if Jesus really was the Chosen One. He died without seeing his prophecy come true. Jesus was also limited in the sense that God only allowed certain healings. He never healed the lame man at the gate beautiful because he was left for Peter & John who raised him up a few years later.
God has given us gifts, abilities and talents but also set some boundaries for our lives. Meekness accepts God’s dealings with us in a good attitude.
Accept who you are in Christ and accept the boundaries God set in your life. Acknowledge who you are: ‘I am what I am by the grace of God.’ It will give you assurance and peace and you will have authority. Jesus said: ‘I give you authority over all the ability of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you.’ (Luke 10:19)
Because God accepted us for Christ’s sake we accept one another also – for Christ’s sake. We trust God who started the good work in all of us will also complete it in Christ Jesus.
We are His workmanship in Christ created for good works before the foundation of the world that we might walk in them. (Eph 2:10-12)
So when someone asks: ‘who do you think you are?’ respond with: ‘I am what I am by the grace of God!’