Are You Living Your Real Life?

Peace is found in your position.

(If you prefer to hear this message in audio form, I have included it above :)

How has the journey of life been going?

I can hear you whisper, “A little rough.”

Let’s take a moment and listen to what the Spirit is saying to our heart.

Take a deep breath and let My word cascade over you. My word cleanses you from the dust of this life. First of all, I love you with an everlasting love. I am always here to remind you of who you are. I remember the day you gave your life to Me. In the spirit realm it was an earth shaking and miraculous event. My heart leapt with joy as your spirit was reborn…re-created…re-established. You were born into a life of light, My light. I can see your spirit burning brightly even now. I absorbed all the darkness on the cross. now, there is no entity, no authority, no mistake, no sin, and no darkness that can dim the light that burns in your spirit.

You are perfect and flawless in My sight. You burn pure and beautiful. You are strong and filled with heaven’s wisdom. You are a manifestation of what We dreamed about when We designed the new creation. You are my celebrated child. I have so many gifts and promises of life accessible to you right now, and I am excited to show you more wonders in eternal life. This is your real life. I will say it again, this is your real life.

As a believer in Jesus Christ your identity is found in your born-again spirit. This is how God sees you. This is how you should see you. This is the part of you that loves and desires the Father’s will. This is the part that walks through life blameless in His sight. The part that is free indeed! This is the part that is cleansed and re-made in perfect right-standing with Yahweh, the Creator, right now. Jesus made all this possible, so we rejoice in Him for eternity. Can you see that your spirit is now flawless and sinless? This is your real life. What a gift! 

But this God-made spirit lives in a natural body and makes decisions through a natural soul. The soul is your mind, your will (decision-maker), and all your emotions. Your soul is designed to react to information.

Our work on earth is to believe everything Jesus said about our real life. When we believe, it brings information into our soul on what is real and true. When we receive and believe the Word of God it establishes an unshakable foundation in our soul that changes our perspective on everything we see, hear, and feel.

Your body is tightly joined to your soul. As your soul processes information in the natural world that is a threat to you, see how quickly your stomach reacts and how your physical heart begins to race. The body is very simple and reactive: it likes what feels good and always follows the impulses of the soul.

Our mind needs to be renewed. Both your soul and body need to be informed of your new identity. They get weary with day to day challenges. They can easily get off-course with emotions, threats, and bad reports. They are the natural vehicle we use to navigate the natural realm, and they get tired. They need to rest in the truth and be cleansed from the dust and hammering storms of this world. Our soul and bodies need to be submerged in the promises of God. They need to be brought into union with the “Vine”, Jesus, Who is the source for all life. They need to be reminded that what is seen, felt, and heard is not more real than the “real life” that is found in Jesus.

It is so healthy to understand we are not our emotions. It is wise to understand our human mind is designed to latch onto opinions, belief systems, and reasonings to stabilize itself. It brings so much peace to know, as a believer in Jesus, our spirit is anchored to heaven’s realities. Our mind begins to rest and our bodies respond. Being connected to the life-giving vine of Jesus is training our souls to be spirit-minded. It is not complicated: we remain in Jesus.

Our Father in heaven has given us every tool needed to do this. He has given us the word of God which is alive in its ability to transform our minds. He has given us the gift of grace (His own strength in our weakness) to bring our entire being, soul and body included, into holiness. Above all, He has even given us a master life coach, the Holy Spirit, to train us in bringing our souls and bodies into a life of freedom.

One of the words I received in prayer when I asked the Holy Spirit about this new year was “distractions”. He was highlighting the danger in this age of distractions. So many of them seem innocent but they are a trap. We are in a culture drowning in distractions; screens are in every corner aggressively vying for our attention. Jesus gently taught us that as the end of the age comes close, and His return is near deception will run rampant (Mark 13:5). 

Stay at your post, watching…I am saying it to you, and I am saying it to all: Stay at your post. Keep watch. -Jesus.

Mark 13:33 MSG

Distractions will always lead to deception. This is the work of the thief who is setting traps to steal your true identity in Christ. Distractions prey on an unrenewed mind and a false sense of not being good enough. They are designed to take your focus. Jesus is telling us to be aware and focus on the “real life” of the spirit and our spiritual destination. 

“Stay at your post.”

As a believer in Jesus, what is this post we hold tightly to?

Let’s look at Colossians 3:1-4

“Christ’s resurrection is your resurrection too. This is why we are to yearn for all that is above, for that is the place where Christ sits enthroned in the place of all power, honor, and authority!

Yes, feast on all the treasures of the heavenly realm and fill your thoughts with heavenly realities, and not with the distractions of the natural realm.

Your crucifixion with Christ has severed the tie to this life, and now your true life is hidden away in God in Christ.”

Our true life is our new identity and it is securely found in Jesus. We hold tightly to our new identity. This is our post and it is already a reality.

What validates you? We are all longing to be important in our world.

Where does your provision come from? We deeply need to feel secure.

Where is justice? We all have a desire to live in a perfectly balanced and governed world.

If everything in the natural realm was to be shaken, would you be shaken?

What words do you sit under that speak of validation, provision, or justice? When we let the words of another authority, apart from our Savior’s words, speak over us we come under the atmosphere of that authority. That atmosphere can be very dark. Rulers can be our opinions. The culture around us can be a cruel dictator of what we need to be. But when we come under the words of Jesus, we come under the atmosphere of His authority. That atmosphere is always peace. This is staying at our post.

The Words I have spoken over you have already cleansed you. John 15:3

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (His peace is His authority.) John 16:33

May grace and perfect peace cascade over you as you live in the rich knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 2 Peter 1:2

Our goal while we live on earth is to gain knowledge of our new creation identity. It is the beautiful work that pleases God. Gaining this knowledge and letting it transform the way we think brings us into a rich, peaceful life. It makes serving others easier.

If we claim that we share life with him, but keep walking in the realm of darkness, we’re following ourselves (opinions, wrong identity beliefs, reasonings) and not living the truth.

But if we keep living in the pure light that surrounds Him, we share unbroken fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus, His son, continually cleanses us from sin.

If we boast we have no sin, we’re only following ourselves and are strangers to the truth. But if we freely admit our sins when His light uncovers them He will be faithful to forgive us every time. 1 John 1:8 

We are all working on this. We all stumble. We all fall short. We all need Jesus. But it is remembering that we are able to quickly get up, receive His cleansing and set our hearts on Him. It is so healthy in our Christian journey to remind ourselves that there is a very real part of us that is eternal, alive, and perfect and has a strong ability to do God’s will. All day long we have invitations to shift our focus: distractions that try to speak to us about a wrong identity, natural world validation that leaves us empty and lonely, natural protection that is fragile, fear that has no cure, sweat equity you cannot take into eternity…

Remember, Jesus said, “As you live in life-union with Me as your source, fruitfulness will stream from within you-but when you live separated from Me you are powerless…I love each of you with the same love that the Father loves Me. You must continually let My love nourish your hearts.” (John 15: 5,9).

Let’s end with this powerful promise in God’s word from 2 Peter 1:3-5. This scripture is the foundation upon which our Christian lives are built. It is our “new life” identity. Hold tightly to this truth:

Everything we could ever need for life and godliness has ALREADY been deposited in us by His divine power.

For all this was lavished upon us through the rich experience of knowing Him who has called us by name and invited us to come to Him through a glorious manifestation of His goodness.

As a result of this, He has given you magnificent promises that are beyond all price, so that through the power of these tremendous promises you can experience partnership with the divine nature, by which you have escaped the corrupt desires that are of this world. 2 Peter 1:3-5 TPT

Remember:

-We are already connected to perfect provision. Stay tightly connected in your thought-life.

-We have been invited to go deeper by learning more about who God is and who we are now that we are in life-union with Him.

-We are partners with Jesus!

-We have promises for a rich life available to hold onto. We just need to learn what they are and then stay there…aware of our eternal connection to them. The distractions will hold no appeal.

Until next time…

I am praying for a new season for you to experience Jesus like never before. I pray that heaven’s realities would become more real than anything you see, hear, or feel. I pray you would wake up every day to a brand new hope.

Teresa L. Hoffman

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