Revelation • Identity • Activity

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! Psalm 107:8, 15,21,31 NKJV.

I’m captivated by this thought at this time.

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!  9 x in the Bible, 5 x just in the Psalms.  God’s goodness is who He is.

What is God’s goodness?  What is the goodness of God?  It is everything that Good is.

Here’s what good means:

Good – excellent, exceptional, favourable, great, marvellous, positive, satisfying, superb, wonderful, choice, pleasing, prime, sound, sterling, super, superior, worthy, admirable, deluxe, first class, honourable, precious, reputable, splendid, stupendous, supereminent, superexcellent.  (www.dictionary.com).

God is all of those things.  God’s goodness is who He is.  It is His identity.

But how do we adequately describe God?  Well, God Is: Infinite, Immutable (He Never Changes), Self-Sufficient, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Wise, Good, Holy, and Glorious (to name a few of His attributes).

God’s goodness is who He is.  That’s His identity.

God’s works are the things He does.

What He does, the earthly things, encourages us.  God does stuff!  On the earth.  God, who is unlimited and is beyond time and space, comes into our world, limited by time and space, and He changes things, and does things for us.

• The works of the Lord are great, Studied by all who have pleasure in them.
  Psalm 111:2 NKJV.
• Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works!
  Psalm 105:2 NKJV.

The breath we breathe is a work of God, our heart that pumps is a work of God, our blood that flows is a work of God, a new baby is a work of God, the new sunrise is a work of God.  A changed life is a work of God.

What God does always points to Him.  Everything, all His works, have His mark and stamp upon them.

Just over a year ago we moved into our house where we are now.  We were showing some friends through, and the lady said, “Oh it’s just so Wendy”.  Meaning the décor and layout, the furnishings, and colour scheme of the house is exactly as Wendy (my wife) would do it.  It had her mark upon it.  She is very good at interior decorating.

We might go to someone’s place and enjoy some fresh baking.  And usually we can say, “Oh so and so made that baking for sure”.

Examining the Apostle Paul’s prayers is a fascinating study.

… that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.  (Ephesians 3:19).

Paul is praying for his readers that they may know the unknowable.  On the one hand there’s the unmeasurable aspects of God — including His love, riches, wisdom.  On the other hand is the revelation He graciously give us of God — His love, riches, wisdom.

In His mercy and grace He gives us a glimpse into the vastness of His attributes, the largeness of His nature, the expansiveness of His glory, the magnitude of His riches.  Wow!

I’ve noticed some people who struggle with God’s provision, they find it hard to believe that God will provide.  Maybe, just maybe, in that case, they don’t have a large enough vision or perspective of how big and how good God really is?

When we catch a glimpse of how big and how vast and how glorious God and His resources truly are, it gives us perspective for our own needs.  Trust grows, faith grows, and we are more able to see God meeting those needs.  He meets our needs out of His riches and glory.  (See Philippians 4:19).

When we pray do we see the greatness of the need, or the vastness of the need-meet-er?  Are we consumed with the burden, so that the revelation of the burden-bearer, God’s greatness and riches are clouded?  That’s just what the enemy wants.

All of that is to say this.

God does what He does from who He is, from His position.  His identity is not in question.

And God’s activity (what He does) comes from His identity (Who He is).  Being before doing.  All that God does comes from who He is.  What God does points to Him, but those works are not His identity.

It’s just the same for us — position determines performance.  (Meaning our position In Christ, we are raised up, and seated with Him).  When we receive a revelation as to who we are in Christ and our position with Him, we are then free to function in our calling.  The discovering of our identity must come first.

God confirms our identity before He commissions us for our activity.  He did it for Jesus and He does it for us too.

When Jesus was baptised in the river Jordan, He came up from the water and the Father booms from heaven those incredible words, “This is My beloved son in whom I am well pleased”.  (Matthew 3:19).

The Father could not hold back his words of confirmation of the identity of Jesus.  He had not done anything yet in terms of His purpose or destiny.  He had not healed any sick, raised any dead, turned any water into wine, or cast out any devils, He was just the son of His Father, a carpenter.

Notice God the Father says in whom I am well pleased not with whom.  In whom confirms who He is, with whom confirms what He does.

It’s a case of position before commission.  Identity before activity.

When we receive a revelation about who God really is, we understand a lot more about what He does.  It’s just the same with us.

Here it is put another way.

Revelation ⇒ Identity ⇒ Activity.

• Get a Revelation about who God is, His Identity, and we are able to better understand His Activity and cooperate with it.
• Get a Revelation about our Identity, who we are in Christ, and we are able to do what we’re meant to do and serve, which is our Divine Activity for the Lord.

Revelation first.  Then identity.  Then activity.

I believe you can never answer the “why am I here” question, until you can answer the “Who am I” question.

Our identity is not whatever we decide it to be.  Our identity messages don’t come from achievements, behaviour, approval, appearance, possessions, the media, peers, or current trends, they come from our Heavenly Father.  If we don’t have this revelation, it can lead to an orphan Spirit (and that’s a discussion for another time).

Ahh but there is revelation to receive, from the feet of the Master.  There, in relationship with Him, He opens to us our true identity.  Then our activity is sweet!

May you know the goodness of Almighty God, and find in Him Revelation, Identity, and Activity.

Special message for Brief Word readers — Book Release.

A book Launch is being held on Monday 23 August 7.00pm, for info and registration, check out www.goodwords.nz/book-launch

We would appreciate prayer for the launch of this book, that the Lord will get it into the hands of the right people and that they will know God the Holy Spirit and grow in their relationship with Him.  Thank you.

Please contact me if you have any questions — stephen@goodwords.nz