Who are you?
That’s not always an easy question to answer. People are complex, multifaceted,
and often changing across our lives.
Our world
talks a lot about identity these days. In the past, people found their identity
rooted in things like:
-
Their
family, vocations, achievements… or failures.
-
Those
factors still play a role
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Exterior
source for identity.
Today, there
are other sources that are emphasized for finding one’s identity.
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Thoughts,
Feelings, Perceptions
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Interior
source for identity.
Both of
these sources can help us understand ourselves – who we are – but, really, both
fall short
-
Exterior
falls short – based on the observations of fallen sinners
o
No
consistent criteria.
o
Perceive
you differently based on the things they value – good or bad
-
Interior
falls short – also based on the observations of a fallen sinner
o
You!
o
Your
thoughts and emotions lie sometimes.
o
Sometimes
we desire things that bring confusion and disorder to our lives.
This world
will act like it has the right to define you, but it doesn’t. Remember that the
name Satan means “accuser.” And often the world’s messages will be accusations,
too.
At the same
time, you don’t define yourself. Jeremiah 17:9 observes, “The heart is deceitful
above all things, and beyond cure.”
There is,
however, an authority outside of us that defines and reorients our inside. It
speaks to our identity from both outside and inside of us.
-
Peter
writes, “Come to him, to that living stone, rejected by men but in God’s sight
chosen and precious; 5 and like living stones be
yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer
spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
-
He
compares Jesus to a cornerstone – everything is measured from him, the whole
building is oriented around him, and relates back to him.
Why would
Jesus fill such a role?
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God
in human flesh, Messiah, and Chosen one
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Resurrection
o
His
death is our death
o
His
life is our life
-
Because
we are born again in him and because he has ransomed us, he also reorients our
identity around who he is.
This is what
Jesus says about who you are as you live in His grace and new life.
You are a
chosen race …
-
Pause
for a pet peeve – “race” – is not a great translation for this word
o
Bible
doesn’t know a word for race “racism” – rooted in the theory of evolution – only
one “race” – the human race.
-
You
are a chosen – people, nation, generation
o
Notice
the plural – we belong together
o
Chosen
– God wants you … He wants us!
You are a
royal priesthood
-
Royalty
represent law and order
-
Priests
intercede for people with God
-
You
are both.
o
You
represent the truth of God’s law
o
You
are also here to intercede for others
§ You know God’s love and mercy – leads
you into prayer, acts of mercy – esp. for the hurting, those who are far from
God, and don’t know God’s love for themselves.
You are a
holy nation
-
Holy
means “sinless,” but it also means “set apart” – sinless in Christ’s
forgiveness, set apart to serve him and share this hope
You are a
people for His own possession that you might declare the deeds of your savior
who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. Sharing the light
and hope of Christ.
This new
identity is a complete change. Peter writes, “Once you were not a people but
now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy but now you have
received mercy.”
-
God’s
people tied to him by His mercy
Now, what
does this mean for your career? Where to live? Your car? What sports team you
cheer for? What foods you eat?
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You
have a lot of freedom.
This new
identity is a solid foundation that informs how you will interact with the
world. You can be confident in Christ as you deal with the world. The Risen One
is your God, and death cannot defeat you. You will rise again. You are also
guided by Jesus’ Word and Spirit – truth, mercy, and peace.
The world
will challenge this new identity you have been given. It will tell you, “You
don’t act very Christian!” But it doesn’t know. The world doesn’t understand that
at the heart of being a Christian is an acknowledgment and a hope. We
acknowledge, “I am a sinner – fallen far short of the glory of God.” Our hope
is that we are washed and forgiven in Jesus’ blood. We are exiles on a journey
home, and we will be welcomed home because Jesus is risen from the dead and has
given us new life.
So, O chosen
people, O royal priests, O holy nation – embrace this new identity you’ve been
given to change you inside and out. You have been born again to a living hope,
ransomed for a new identity. You are a Christian – a little Christ – a
recipient and example of your savior’s mercy, and you live in Him. Amen.
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