March 2nd, 2026
by Rev. Kevin C Benton
by Rev. Kevin C Benton
Reclaiming Your Divine Identity: A Journey Back to the Original Design
Have you ever looked in the mirror and wondered if the person staring back truly reflects who you were meant to be? Not just physically, but spiritually—at the core of your being? There's a profound truth that often gets buried beneath layers of life's disappointments, societal pressures, and spiritual battles: you were created in the image of God Himself.
The Original Blueprint
Genesis 1:26-27 reveals something extraordinary: "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness...So God created man in his own image; in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.'" This wasn't just poetic language. This was the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—the Trinity—declaring their intention to create humanity as their own representation on Earth.
Think about that for a moment. You weren't created as an afterthought or a cosmic accident. You were intentionally designed to reflect the character, nature, and qualities of the Creator of the universe. That's your original identity—the blueprint that existed before the world told you who you should be.
When Identity Gets Corrupted
But here's where things get complicated. Just like a computer virus corrupts files and steals information, the enemy has systematically worked to corrupt our spiritual identity. He's replaced God's truth about who we are with lies, insecurities, and false identities based on our circumstances, our failures, or the opinions of others.
Some of us have been monitoring our lives through the wrong lens entirely—using the world's standards instead of God's Word as our mirror. We've been trying to fix a Dodge with a Ford manual, so to speak, wondering why nothing seems to work.
The transformation we need isn't about becoming someone new; it's about being restored to who we were always meant to be.
The Metamorphosis Process
Second Corinthians 3:18 offers hope: "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."
Notice the phrase "being transformed"—it's present tense, ongoing. This isn't a one-time event. Transformation is a process, like a caterpillar entering a cocoon and emerging as a butterfly. And here's the thing: you might need to enter multiple cocoons throughout your spiritual journey. Each time you say "no" to something that doesn't align with Christ and "yes" to His way, you're being transformed from glory to glory, from battle to battle, from deliverance to deliverance.
Deliverance isn't a single moment where you receive prayer and everything's forever fixed. It's a daily walk, a daily decision to live in the freedom you've received. The enemy is actively working to pull you back into bondage, which means you must be actively participating in your own transformation.
The Check in Your Pocket
There's a powerful illustration about a wealthy man who encountered a homeless friend from years past. He wrote him a check for $10,000, enough to change his life completely. Two weeks later, the man returned to find his friend in the same condition—still dirty, still homeless, still hopeless.
When asked why he hadn't cashed the check, the man admitted he'd walked into the bank, saw his reflection in the glass, and convinced himself they'd never believe someone who looked like him could possess such a check. So he kept it in his pocket, life-changing resources unused.
The devastating truth? His identity—how he looked, how he smelled, how he appeared—didn't matter at all. It was the signature on that check that gave it value.
The same principle applies to us. Christ's signature on the cross is our check for identity restoration. Many of us are walking around with life-changing power in our pockets, but we're not cashing it in because we don't believe we're worthy of what it offers.
Crucifying the Flesh Daily
Galatians 2:20 declares: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
This verse reveals a critical truth: your life doesn't belong to you anymore. It belongs to Christ. Every day, you must make a conscious decision to crucify your flesh—to subject your mind, will, and emotions to the Spirit of God living inside you.
Every day you don't crucify your flesh, it grows stronger against your spirit. These two are at enmity with each other, constantly at war. The flesh shouts loudly for attention, demanding to be fed, while the spirit sometimes sits quietly, almost whispering, "Please, just open the Scripture. Feed me. Just one verse."
The Difference Between Believing and Following
There's an important distinction that often gets overlooked: the difference between being a believer in Christ and being a follower of Christ. Many people believe in Jesus, but they don't follow His teachings. Jesus Himself asked, "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?"
To be a disciple means to follow the teachings of your teacher. Jesus is that teacher, and His Word is the manual for how we should live. We can't take the grace He provided on the cross for granted, using it as a license to disregard His commands while counting on "gravy grace" to cover all our intentional sins.
The laws and commands in Scripture aren't just suggestions—they're guardrails designed to keep us aligned with our true identity. When we follow them, we're not earning salvation; we're living out the identity we've already been given.
Looking in the Right Mirror
The Word of God is your mirror. It shows you who you really are and who you're becoming. When you look into that mirror regularly, you'll see areas that need transformation. Sometimes you'll read something and think, "Whoa, I need to change that." Other times you'll read something and declare, "Yes! That's what I'm standing on!"
Both responses are part of the transformation process—being conformed back to the image you were created to reflect.
Your Personal Love Letter
Don't view the Bible as just an ancient book or a collection of religious rules. It's your personal prescription for success in life. It's a love letter from your Father God, written specifically for you. Yes, it speaks to everyone, but it also speaks directly to your unique situation, your specific struggles, your personal journey.
Every genealogy, every story, every command—they're all woven together with the scarlet thread of Jesus running through them, pointing you back to your true identity as a child of God.
The Call to Transformation
This year can be different. This can be your season of restoration—not becoming someone new, but rediscovering who you've always been in Christ. It requires active participation. It demands daily decisions. It means looking in the mirror of God's Word and allowing what you see there to change you.
You were created in the image of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That's not just theology; it's your identity. And while you'll never be God, you should be looking more like Him every day you're alive.
So cash the check. Enter the cocoon. Look in the right mirror. And let the transformation begin—from glory to glory, from battle to battle, until you fully reflect the image you were always meant to bear.
Have you ever looked in the mirror and wondered if the person staring back truly reflects who you were meant to be? Not just physically, but spiritually—at the core of your being? There's a profound truth that often gets buried beneath layers of life's disappointments, societal pressures, and spiritual battles: you were created in the image of God Himself.
The Original Blueprint
Genesis 1:26-27 reveals something extraordinary: "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness...So God created man in his own image; in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.'" This wasn't just poetic language. This was the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—the Trinity—declaring their intention to create humanity as their own representation on Earth.
Think about that for a moment. You weren't created as an afterthought or a cosmic accident. You were intentionally designed to reflect the character, nature, and qualities of the Creator of the universe. That's your original identity—the blueprint that existed before the world told you who you should be.
When Identity Gets Corrupted
But here's where things get complicated. Just like a computer virus corrupts files and steals information, the enemy has systematically worked to corrupt our spiritual identity. He's replaced God's truth about who we are with lies, insecurities, and false identities based on our circumstances, our failures, or the opinions of others.
Some of us have been monitoring our lives through the wrong lens entirely—using the world's standards instead of God's Word as our mirror. We've been trying to fix a Dodge with a Ford manual, so to speak, wondering why nothing seems to work.
The transformation we need isn't about becoming someone new; it's about being restored to who we were always meant to be.
The Metamorphosis Process
Second Corinthians 3:18 offers hope: "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."
Notice the phrase "being transformed"—it's present tense, ongoing. This isn't a one-time event. Transformation is a process, like a caterpillar entering a cocoon and emerging as a butterfly. And here's the thing: you might need to enter multiple cocoons throughout your spiritual journey. Each time you say "no" to something that doesn't align with Christ and "yes" to His way, you're being transformed from glory to glory, from battle to battle, from deliverance to deliverance.
Deliverance isn't a single moment where you receive prayer and everything's forever fixed. It's a daily walk, a daily decision to live in the freedom you've received. The enemy is actively working to pull you back into bondage, which means you must be actively participating in your own transformation.
The Check in Your Pocket
There's a powerful illustration about a wealthy man who encountered a homeless friend from years past. He wrote him a check for $10,000, enough to change his life completely. Two weeks later, the man returned to find his friend in the same condition—still dirty, still homeless, still hopeless.
When asked why he hadn't cashed the check, the man admitted he'd walked into the bank, saw his reflection in the glass, and convinced himself they'd never believe someone who looked like him could possess such a check. So he kept it in his pocket, life-changing resources unused.
The devastating truth? His identity—how he looked, how he smelled, how he appeared—didn't matter at all. It was the signature on that check that gave it value.
The same principle applies to us. Christ's signature on the cross is our check for identity restoration. Many of us are walking around with life-changing power in our pockets, but we're not cashing it in because we don't believe we're worthy of what it offers.
Crucifying the Flesh Daily
Galatians 2:20 declares: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
This verse reveals a critical truth: your life doesn't belong to you anymore. It belongs to Christ. Every day, you must make a conscious decision to crucify your flesh—to subject your mind, will, and emotions to the Spirit of God living inside you.
Every day you don't crucify your flesh, it grows stronger against your spirit. These two are at enmity with each other, constantly at war. The flesh shouts loudly for attention, demanding to be fed, while the spirit sometimes sits quietly, almost whispering, "Please, just open the Scripture. Feed me. Just one verse."
The Difference Between Believing and Following
There's an important distinction that often gets overlooked: the difference between being a believer in Christ and being a follower of Christ. Many people believe in Jesus, but they don't follow His teachings. Jesus Himself asked, "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?"
To be a disciple means to follow the teachings of your teacher. Jesus is that teacher, and His Word is the manual for how we should live. We can't take the grace He provided on the cross for granted, using it as a license to disregard His commands while counting on "gravy grace" to cover all our intentional sins.
The laws and commands in Scripture aren't just suggestions—they're guardrails designed to keep us aligned with our true identity. When we follow them, we're not earning salvation; we're living out the identity we've already been given.
Looking in the Right Mirror
The Word of God is your mirror. It shows you who you really are and who you're becoming. When you look into that mirror regularly, you'll see areas that need transformation. Sometimes you'll read something and think, "Whoa, I need to change that." Other times you'll read something and declare, "Yes! That's what I'm standing on!"
Both responses are part of the transformation process—being conformed back to the image you were created to reflect.
Your Personal Love Letter
Don't view the Bible as just an ancient book or a collection of religious rules. It's your personal prescription for success in life. It's a love letter from your Father God, written specifically for you. Yes, it speaks to everyone, but it also speaks directly to your unique situation, your specific struggles, your personal journey.
Every genealogy, every story, every command—they're all woven together with the scarlet thread of Jesus running through them, pointing you back to your true identity as a child of God.
The Call to Transformation
This year can be different. This can be your season of restoration—not becoming someone new, but rediscovering who you've always been in Christ. It requires active participation. It demands daily decisions. It means looking in the mirror of God's Word and allowing what you see there to change you.
You were created in the image of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That's not just theology; it's your identity. And while you'll never be God, you should be looking more like Him every day you're alive.
So cash the check. Enter the cocoon. Look in the right mirror. And let the transformation begin—from glory to glory, from battle to battle, until you fully reflect the image you were always meant to bear.
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