Born Again To Succeed

Why are we here in this life? All of us seek everyday to become successful. There is a longing in our souls that hunger and thirst for this. We sacrifice everything to obtain this in a career, business, family or ministry. Who seeks and plans to be a failure? This is something we long for that God has placed in everyone’s soul.

How do we become successful? Is it by the amount of money we earn? Is it how big our business or church is? Is it fulfilling all the standards our family places on us growing up? What about going to college and getting a degree? What about becoming a professional such as a lawyer, doctor or teacher?

The real definition of success is not what we do but who we are. If success is defined by what we do we will end up in an endless cycle of comparing ourselves with others.

We fight a battle that cannot be won.

If measuring our success is based on what we do it might make us feel good when we got more money or a better career than others. But when others have more money, a bigger church, or a better career than us we either feel unsuccessful or we end up pulling them down to our level of insecurity by criticizing them. In the race of faith we are not running to compete with others. We are not focused on others who are running. We are only focused on Jesus.

Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Success is not about climbing a tall ladder to see who can get higher than others. Owning a house, having a business, or having a good job is not the definition of success. Success is not about our external condition but our internal position.

Only when we can identify as successful when we have nothing can we truly identify as a success when we have something. Why? Because success is a gift of grace. The very day we accept Christ in our lives we are a success! Deuteronomy 8:18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.

It’s ok to own a house, own a business, or workig at a good job but it’s a result of being successful not to obtain or identify as a success. If we must have all of these things first to be a success we now have to define and determined if we are successful every time we gain or lose something. The world is chasing after this but cannot really obtain it. It’s an empty pursuit that only Jesus can truly fulfill us. Matthew 6:32-33 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Because Jesus sealed us with our identity on the cross we can escape this endless cycle and already know and rest that we are already successful! You are a successful business man or woman. You are a successful husband or wife! You are a successful father or mother. You are a successful pastor. This is a part of our salvation we inherited on the cross.Why? Because Jesus is our success and we are made complete in Him! Colossians 2:10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

What does God consider successful ?

Many of us have the wrong view of success. We view success as owning a house, great wealth or vehicles. There must be more to life than having these things. Whether we have these things or not we are still a success. It’s important to know this because at times when we have nothing is the time satan tries to attack and steal our identity. He will ask us when times are bad “are you truly blessed by God”. When Jesus was being tempted in the wilderness with nothing to eat that is when satan attacked His identity. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” (Matthew 4:3 ) What was the response of Jesus? But He answered and said, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ (Matthew 4:4)”

Notice Jesus never needed to prove His identity when it was under attack. Likewise we never have to prove our identity to anyone because people do not define our identity.

David knew he could slay the giant before he did it. His identity of being a conqueror was so great he persuaded king Saul into letting him fight the giant. Keep in mind how risky this was. Instead of the army of the Philistines fighting the army of Israel they agreed to only have a single combat. Whoever could beat their champion Goliath the Philistines would be Israel slaves. Likewise If Goliath won Israel would be the Philistines slaves. Whoever won had to be the slaves of their opponents. King Saul put his kingdom into the hands of David. The confidence and identity was on another level with David. Likewise Jesus knew His identity and slayed our giants, bondage and fears. We can now walk in full victory knowing we are Gods children!

What causes us to attack others ?

People who struggle with their identity will always attack other people’s identity. If we don’t know who we are it’s impossible to truly know, discern and judge people who they are. Only people who are secure in their identity can they discern people accurately. Although people misjudge us or misinterpret us God will never condemns us. Why? Because there is no judgement or condemnation to those who in Christ Jesus. On the cross Jesus took all of our judgment and everything wrong thing we deserved on Himself. Jesus in turn took everything good thing and what He deserved and transferred to us. That is good news!

Prosperity is not defined by what we own or don’t own. People who own great wealth are actually under poverty if they don’t know their identity. They are broken spiritually, empty of Joy and peace. Likewise people who have very little but know their identity are considered wealthy. James 2:5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

Notice in the following verses how Paul mentioned in some of the greatest distresses of his life he was still was a overcomer. In his tribulation, persecution and famine he was still more than a conqueror. Romans 8:35-37 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Success or victory is not necessarily a work we achieve but a gift we receive. On the cross Jesus took our failure and gave us His gift of victory. The cross destined and sealed us to be a sucess forever. The world has plenty of definitions of what success is but the Bible declares we are not a failure and our identity is victorious because of what Christ did on the cross. 1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The children of God are a success not a failure.

If someone came up to me and called my children a failure that would be a problem. How much more if I called my own children a failure. Because they are my child their identity is successful. How much more the children of God are the Fathers success. They are born again to succeed!

Although we fail we never should make failure our identity. When we make failure our identity we cannot walk in the plan and purpose of God for our life. We cancel it because of our feeling of being unworthy. The way we break this stronghold in our minds and becoming conquers is not by putting forth effort or battling to obtain this identity. Our identity is not earned because we made it through the storms of life. Success is our spiritual DNA when we are born again.

We do not just do works of success we are success. Our new nature is success. The DNA of success is now in our being it’s who we are. Do you believe that?

Why would God redeem us and transition us from death to life so we would remain as a failure? Gods plan and future for us is to have a new identity of success. Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

This is great news! Success is not about climbing a mountain to reach the top in order to be a success. Success is climbing a mountain top because we know who we are.

God promised Abraham that he would become a great nation. This is not a small promise but a very big promise. This is much bigger than being promised a business or being given great riches. God was about to birth an entire nation through Abraham. Before Abraham had any resources or a heir the promise was already given. Genesis 12:2 I will make you a great nation;

I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.

But in order to manifest this promise his identify needed to be changed. The very day when we accept Christ in our life our identity is changed. We transition from a dark and empty identity to an identity full of light and fullness! We are not trying to be qualified we are already qualified. Colossians 1:12-13 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,

At first Abraham tried to fulfill this promise by having a child with Hagar. Ishmael was birthed through his insecurity and doubt. Anything that is birthed through insecurities causes division and destruction. Ishmael will always fight with Isaac. Insecure people will always have conflicts with secure people. People under the law will always have conflicts with people under grace. People with a slave mentality will always have conflicts with the Children of God.

It was only after God changed the name of Abram to Abraham that he could receive the promise of having a son. The name Abraham meant the father of many nations. When we accept or identify as blessed and successful we can also produce Isaac’s( the promises of God ) in our lives. Nothing can be birthed or created until our identity is changed.

At one time Abraham had nothing and was in a famine. He had only the promise of God that he was blessed and God will make him a great nation. In the beginning Abraham experienced the opposite of what God had promised. Can you imagine what Abraham felt? He was now fleeing from a famine and going to Egypt another nation that believed in other gods. If that was not bad enough Pharaoh also took his wife! He was at the point he lost it all. But Gods blessing is greater than us losing it all and having nothing. Gods blessing is greater than our greatest troubles we face.

Although Abraham was in Egypt he experienced the greatest transfer of wealth when he left Egypt. Genesis 13:1-2 Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the South. Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.

We do not have to wait at the end of our life to become a success. We can have it now in the beginning of our life. What am I saying? Obtaining a successful career, owning wealth, or having a successful ministry flows from our identity we already have in Christ.

Our identity as being successful is a gift not a work. We do not work hard so that one day we might become successful. We work hard because we are already successful. We can rest now in this gift not one day in the future. Insecurity should never be our motivation for success. Being driven by insecurity only makes us more insecure. When we are motivated by security we are a overcomer. 1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

Do you want to be born again to succeed?

Have you accepted Christ as your savior? Right now call on the name of Jesus and ask Him to forgive you of all your sins, give you a new heart and come live in your life! You don’t have to save yourself, pray the right prayer or do the right thing. The Holy Spirit knows how to give life and save us. All we do is open up our hearts to Him and receive the gift of salvation.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;