(1 John 4:17)
The Word says you are as He is. You are made in the image of God. You are created in Jesus. You are identified with God by your nature for you have eternal life.
No longer do you need to fear when approaching God. You can go boldly before the throne of grace. (Heb. 4:16) You can approach God without any fear of rejection. Although we don’t see God with the natural eye, our spirit bears witness that we are His children. (Rom. 8:16)
The people of this world fear the day of judgment. A sinner does not have peace about the day he or she dies. That is not so for the born-again Christian. Christians have the assurance that when we leave our bodies, we are in the presence of the Lord. (2 Cor. 5:8)
God’s love is perfected in you when you keep His Word. (1 John 2:5.) The Word reveals your right standing with God. There is a “right relatedness” or righteousness that belongs to every Christian. You are the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21) for as He is, so are you. Jesus is righteous and everything He is, you are.
Think on this. When you asked Jesus into your heart, He now dwells in your spirit being. Since He is strong, you are strong. Make this your daily confession: I am strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. (Eph. 6:10)
“But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him” (1 Cor. 6:17). You have the Spirit of God in you. You are a partaker of the nature of Jesus Christ—as He is, so are you.
As a young child, you might have been told, “Be like Jesus.” Well, now you are like Him. You are a reflection of His glory and grace to those around you. Accept your God-given likeness: “I am as He is.”
Faith is merely a matter of accepting the Word of God. If God says it, when you believe it, that settles it.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
Billy Joe Daugherty was founder and pastor of Victory Christian Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was also the founder of Victory Christian School, Victory Bible Institute and Victory World Missions Training Center. Five hundred twenty-three Victory Bible Institutes have been started in eighty-five countries around the world. He inspired individuals and ministries with his life, love and influence for more than 30 years.