Identity Crisis

We are defined not by what we do, but by what Christ did. We are defined not by who we are, but by Who He is.

We were set free by Christ through the Cross and Resurrection. We are set apart, a royal priesthood, noticeably different by the way we look, speak and act – which comes not from a place of fear of hell, or rewards of heaven, but rather from a place of peace and love – knowing that we cannot be otherwise.

We are not identified or defined by our name, family, job, hobbies, accomplishments, failing or even personality.

Those are simply things we do or like, people we know, or things we’ve done.
We are not what we do; what we do does not change our identity.
If a king was to go sit on the street and beg, it does not take away his kingship. If a beggar was to go sit on a throne, it does not make him king.
It may be something he does for the day, he can even rule the city, but that does not make him king.
If you suffer amnesia, it does not change who you are. Not knowing who you are, does not make you less of who you are – is just makes you act differently.

We are by creation and by grace children of God. We were created for that relationship, as His representatives, to exist in His image.
Whether we have forgotten that, do not accept that or simply dont know what it means, whether other people say different, or even if we believe differently, it does not change. We are who we are. If I use a screwdriver as a hammer, it does not make it any less screwdriver or any more hammer. It simply damages both the screwdriver, the nail and perhaps even the wall around it. In short, it just makes a mess.

In the Garden, as we saw in weeks 1-5, our identity was questioned and we fell for the deception. If a king believes he is a beggar, he may have the authority and resources to change the country, but he wont call on it. He will sit in the mud, begging, for as long as he believes he is a beggar, chooses to be a beggar, does not know he is the king.

The Bible says that by the sacrifice of Christ, He has made us co-heirs with Him, a brotherhood of which He is the first.
If we do not know and believe that, it does not change it. We can look for identity and validation in anything on earth, we will not find it.

Knowing who we are in Christ starts with knowing who Christ is, and more importantly who we believe He is. If we do not believe that we have died to the world and find life in Him alone, we will continue to seek life in place where it is not to be found – because the fact that we dont know Who He is, or give Him sovereinty over our lives, does not mean its no longer His.

We are defined not by what we do, but by what Christ did. We are defined not be who we are, but by Who He is.

We were created to be one with God through Christ Jesus, to live in relationship and not servitude, to love and be loved regardless of what we do. This does not mean that we can simply do as we choose, in fact, it means quite the opposite. No one can love God and fellow man and continue to live in sin against them. Love, empathy and respect towards someone prevent us from developing a pattern that harms or disrespects that person.

We are not what we have or do, we are who we are. In human terms, we can look at the world of economics – a product is named by the creator and is worth what the market is willing to pay for it.
By those terms, we have been defined by our God as His children, worth so much that He would pay His own life for us.

That does say a lot, but how do we apply that practically?

We know that living by the law of works instead of by the conviction of works, does not make us better or worse in God’s eyes.

We steer away from sin and evil, not because we are afraid of hell but rather because we find the relationship valuable, more valuable than what that sin offers. We can finally see sin for what it is – identity theft, in fact the Bible calls it murder. Sin is meant to erase who we are. Thank Jesus that it did not work!
In the same way, God’s Character and Identity does not change according to what we believe, or what other people or the enemy says, sin cannot erase who we are – because we are defined by who we are, not what we do. Sin can make us believe lies about who we are and Who God is, but just because we believe something does not make it the truth.

We know that when we fail, it does not redefine us. So also, success does not make us more acceptable.

As God said to Israel – Fine, you want to know why I love you? I love you because I love you. Performance has nothing to do with this.