Unlocking Your Identity in Christ: Tapping into the Untapped Power of God

By God's grace, I have traveled with Christ for 48 years across five continents and 32 countries. During this journey, I have seen many things. One clear truth that has become more apparent over the years and distances is that God is actively working worldwide to prepare a pure, spotless bride for His Son. Meanwhile, the enemy counters this effort by promoting biases against true biblical Christianity. Different religions and sects have appeared, seemingly improving people’s lives but actually preventing them from encountering the real truth. Growing up in a religious environment without understanding what God achieved through Christ’s death and resurrection distorts our perspective. We often resemble the Superman comic stories of Clark Kent, with Kryptonite symbolically surrounding our minds, blocking our understanding of our identity in Christ and the power accessible to us. Every believer in Jesus has extraordinary power at their disposal, yet many fail to realize their full potential. This lack of vision is a tactic of the enemy, intended to keep God's people from living in the fullness of their identity in Christ. When we do not understand our authority as God's children, we forfeit that power and settle for far less than what we could experience.

We are like the landowner in Texas during the Great Depression who endured years of poverty only to discover vast oilfields beneath his feet. However, I don't think his name was Jed Clampett (from the popular American sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies). Great wealth and resources lay on his land; he was unaware of them, yet all he needed to do was dig deep. As a pastor, I encounter individuals I believe could be used far more than they currently are. Untapped potential is widespread in America. I have often wondered how beneficial it would be to take ordinary Christians to countries where God is actively moving by His Spirit. I envision many being launched into desperate situations, like eaglets pushed from the eagle’s nest by circumstances, compelled to rely on God’s Spirit to soar. What incredible stories there would be!

In my twenties, as a young believer leading a house church, a pastor from a nearby church 30 miles away was encouraged to invite me to speak at his evening service. When I arrived at his doorstep a couple of hours before the meeting, he was visibly shocked by how young and small I looked. His jaw dropped when he realized I was his guest speaker for the evening service. He expressed surprise at my youth, saying, "But you are so young!" I replied, "I am trying to get older, but it takes time." Don't be discouraged, thinking that God cannot use you because of your youth or lack of experience. Walking with God is about taking one step at a time, and He can use anyone He chooses. David, Jeremiah, and Timothy were all young when God began using them. We tend to believe that God only uses the wise and knowledgeable, but that isn’t true. God wants His power to flow through us, regardless of age or background. It's not about what we know or how much wisdom we have accumulated; it’s about Who we know. God loves to use those who are just starting their journey in faith. Jesus said,

I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he (Matthew 11:11; emphasis added)

I believe that the 'least in the kingdom of heaven' refers to someone who has recently started a relationship with Christ. This individual knows little about their identity in Christ, yet within them resides the Spirit of the Living God, the Creator of the Universe. The one who is least in the Kingdom of God holds immense potential but has not yet recognized what they can achieve with it.

My prayer for the New Year is that we dig deeply into God and His Word, and that God's Spirit will flow abundantly, using us powerfully, much like the Texas landowner's analogy. Keith Thomas