Identity

The past few weeks, a friend and I have been leading a Bible study for college women who attend Luther.  We have been studying the book of Ephesians, and are wrapping up the first three chapters.  I don't know how many of you are familiar with this epistle of Paul, but it has many distinguishing characteristics that set it apart from his other letters.  I won't go into all of that right now, but one aspect of Ephesians that makes it unique is that Paul does not address a specific problem within the church.  In fact, many believe that this letter was circulated amongst many churches in the region of Asia Minor (modern day Turkey).

It was a letter written to the church--the body of Christ and it has great implications for our lives today.   For the first half of the epistle, Paul sets out to proclaim to the Ephesians (and other area churches) just exactly who they really are--both collectively and individually.  Half of the epistle is spent revealing truths that were once unimaginable to the Gentiles.  Interestingly enough, I think some of us today find them unimaginable.  Because, if we truly believed them, our lives would be different.   Our thoughts about ourselves and who we really are would change drastically.  Our daily choices and the motives behind them would look so different.

As I sit here and think about the choices I made today, I realize that many of the wrong choices came from a mistaken identity.  What I mean by that is, when I choose to believe what others say about me or what I think about myself instead of the Truth in God's Word, I usually don't make good choices.  Ephesians 1-3 clearly points out who I really am.  But, the question is, do I believe that is really my identity?

Who am I?  What are the essential characteristics that define who I am?

Is my self worth tied up in my perception of myself?  Does what I do define who I am?

Ask those questions of yourself and write down some answers.

To be totally honest, for most of my life my self worth was tied up in how I perceived myself or how others perceived me.  My identity was tied up in "the doing" of life:  my performances, my teaching, my successes, my failures.

How many of us look in the mirror, or think these thoughts...

"I am a failure.  I can't do this as well as __________ can."
"I am not beautiful at all."
"I am not a good _____________________ because I can't seem to get results that others would deem successful."
"I am unable to change."
"I am unloved."

Of course, there is the other side of the coin too!  When everything is going our way, we tend to think:

"I am really gorgeous today!"
"I am such a good ______________________."
"I must really be something because of what this other person said about me."

Isn't it amazing how one day we can feel one way, and the next day we feel another way about ourselves?  Is this the way we are supposed to exist???  Are we supposed to be on an emotional roller coaster?

NO.

I don't know about you, but after I rode this roller coaster for several years, I got sick.  Miserably sick.  What I didn't realize was that I was believing a lie.

Who I am is not determined by what others think, what I think, what society thinks...etc...

Why?  Because I am IN CHRIST.

These two seemingly simple words make all the difference, because apart from Christ, I am nothing, but IN CHRIST I am:

forgiven
loved
accepted
adopted
chosen--i.e. hand picked
blessed
favored
beautiful
reconciled to God
given an eternal inheritance that will never spoil or decay
renewed day after day
given a very special purpose
a friend of God
a dwelling place of God
a new creation
a saint
a masterpiece
righteous and holy
a part of something greater than myself
a citizen of heaven
free from condemnation
free from the control of sin and evil
FREE
FREE
FREE!

Now, to be honest, I am going through a time right now, where I need to repeat these truths over and over again.  I can feel myself slipping back--and waiting in line to ride the roller coaster of misery!  In my thought life, I have been trying to tell myself that I am a failure--not doing good enough.

I am done with that ride.  No thanks! Not going back.

I am going to chose to believe that His divine power has given me everything I need for this life, and to live a godly life. (2 Peter 1:3).  I am going to choose to believe that God sees me as pure, holy, beautiful, righteous.  I am going to chose to believe that I am highly favored.  I am going to choose to pursue all that He has called me to do for His kingdom and His glory.

Is it because of anything I've done?  NO!!! 

When are we going to get it through our thick, stubborn skulls that it is nothing we do.  It is all His work.  Only when we get this truth can we respond in true freedom and gratefulness.  Only then can we really experience joy and a hope that never fails.

That is why Paul (after he tells the church all that they possess in Christ) inserts this very important truth:  "For it is by GRACE that you have been saved, it is NOT from yourselves, it is the gift of God, so that no one can boast."  THEN, he says, "for we are God's masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do."  (Eph. 2:8-10)


Our good works will follow because of who we already ARE in Christ.  Not because of something we do or earn.  Everytime we are driven by performance, we are operating under a mistaken identity.  If you are a believer, you already possess every spiritual blessing possible.  Why should you have to earn anything?  Isn't his grace marvelous?  I realize that every time I pursue the praise of others, I am demeaning God's grace.

So, think about your choices today, as I am thinking about mine.  Or better yet, think about the choices you made this last week--is there a pattern?  There definitely were patterns in my choices.   Never forget that choices are what make up your day, and these choices stem from what you believe or hold dear.  "We live and act according to how we perceive ourselves" is a great quote from one of the Bible studies I have gone through recently.

I'm not saying that we won't have difficult times--times of serious suffering.  There is no doubt that we will.  But, in the midst of that suffering, we can have a right view of ourselves and save ourselves a lot of excess heartache and misery.   "Christ in you, the hope of glory."

I have been contemplating what I should give up for this season of Lent.  My thoughts first went to food, but deep down I knew this wasn't the avenue to take.  I knew I'd be doing it for the wrong reasons.   I now realize that what I should give up is myself.  I will offer my body as a living sacrifice--holy and acceptable to God.  I will be transformed buy the renewing of my mind, instead of thinking self-full thoughts.  I will fix my eyes on Jesus, the perfecter of my faith.   I will chose to walk in the Spirit, believing who God says I really am and not clinging to what this world says of me.  I want to grasp and take hold of what I already possess in Christ.

I came across a short video about identity on You Tube.  I think this says it quite perfectly.


Identity

Just like the glass pictured in the clip, we can only begin to see ourselves clearly when, through the pouring out of the Holy Spirit into our cup, we allow His truth to permeate us and to overflow.  Then and only then will we perceive ourselves rightly and live the life He has planned for us since before the creation of the world. 


"I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.  I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms."  Ephesians 1

"I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.  Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.  Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen."  (Ephesians 3)