In God’s Likeness

Because as he is, so are we in this world. —1 John 4:17

When you were born again—born of God and His Word—you became spiritually like Him. As He is now, at the right hand of the Father, raised in glory and power, “so are we in this world” (emphasis added). Notice: this is not after you die and go to heaven, but right now, in this world, you are like He is! How would this revelation change the normal Christian’s lifestyle? How would a revelation of you being born of God, in His image and likeness, an as-He-is-so- are-you-now revelation, change your lifestyle? The little problems that you face daily would be little problems in your life. You would take your place with your authority to rule and reign on the earth. You would start to talk to your problems, rather than talk about them. You would take your place as a son of God and go about to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). This is who you really are! This is who God chose to create you to be. Start to take your place today! When thoughts of weakness, sin, and failure start to come into your mind, cast them down and replace them with thoughts of you being born of God, full of His Spirit, as He is. Do not waste your time meditating on the lies of the devil, but meditate on God’s Word and your new identity—day and night. Soon a transformation will start to take place in your life, and you will start to think like He thinks, talk like He talks, and live like He lives.

Pastor Tom Kehres

The God-Seed

Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
—1 Peter 1:23

Everything on earth has a beginning. Every plant, every animal, every person came from a seed. Every seed will produce after its own kind. An apple seed will produce an apple tree; a dog seed will reproduce another dog. An apple seed cannot produce an orange tree; the seed of a dog cannot produce a cat. Every seed produces after its own kind. When you were born again, you were born of a seed. That seed was not a failure seed, a sick seed, or a weak seed, but the incorruptible seed—the Word of God! God and His Word are one (John 1:1). Therefore, we can conclude that you were born of God (John 1:13). The seed of God Himself reproduced you as a brand-new creation spiritually at the new birth. What kind of seed is the seed of God? Sick seed? Insecure seed? Sin seed? No! This seed of God is a seed that contains the life and nature of almighty God! That which is born of flesh is flesh, that which is born of Spirit is spirit, and that which is born of God is God—you have been born into the image and likeness of almighty God, with His divine nature in you (John 3:6). You can now claim that nature and your new identity and live in the victory that belongs to you! You are born of God!

Pastor Tom Kehres

Who Do You Say You Are? 

Read 2 Corinthians 6:16–18.

For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
—2 Corinthians 6:16

Can you believe that? Can you believe that you are the temple of God? That He dwells and walks in you? You can claim that you are who God says you are. You are not claiming it so that you become it, or so that God will do it, but you are claiming it because that is who you really are! You are a temple of God—not going to be, not hoping to be, not trying to be—you already are! You will either claim the old man and his traits or the new man and his traits. Whatever you claim, you will associate and identify with. Claim to be a sinner and you will live like one. Claim to be a righteous person and you will live like one. You can choose your new nature based on faith in the Word of God! Nobody can claim your new nature for you but you. You were sickly; you were a failure; you were subject to sin, anger, impatience, fear, worry, and doubt—but now you are a new creation, the right- eousness of God, the temple of almighty God. When you believe and claim this identity, your relationship with God will change. You will go from a “God and His people” (2 Corinthians 6:16) to a “father and son” (2 Corinthians 6:18) relationship. You will begin to act like God is your Father, to think like God is in you, and to treat the devil and demons like you are a new creature, a son of God. The Son in you will be manifested to the world, and you will begin to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). Just through believing, associating, and identifying with who He has already made you by the new birth will cause you to grow up into Him in all things (Ephesians 4:15).

Pastor Tom Kehres

You Are Who God Says You Are

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:
for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
And what concord hath Christ with Belial?
or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? —2 Corinthians 6:14–16

Here Paul is contrasting the old man with the new man. His intent was to show the clear separation of who you are now from who you were. What fellowship is there between righteousness and unright- eousness? Darkness and light? There is no fellowship and no relation- ship—they cannot coexist. He is telling us not to believe we are one part born of God and the other part born of the devil, one part a sinner and the other part righteous, one part of Christ and the other part of the devil. This will cause a dual-personality Christian—one who is righteous today but a sinner tomorrow, Christlike today but the old, sinful flesh tomorrow. Why? Because this person chooses to judge who he is by his own performance that day. You must never judge who you are by your performance, but you must believe who you are by His performance. Believing in what the Blood has made you will change your performance. You cannot claim to be a sinner and then live righteously, claim to be like the devil and live like Christ— there is no fellowship or communion between the two. When you sin now, it does not make you a sinner again, any more than if I put on a dress I would be a woman. You are the righteousness of God because God says so (2 Corinthians 5:21), and the more you believe it, the more sin will leave your life. If you sin, do not claim to be a sinner, but renounce the sin and reclaim your righteousness. You are who God says you are. If you believe it, you will live like God says you can live.

Pastor Tom Kehres