Today Kwan Porter and I continue our conversation on identity. As we recognize God for who He is, we see ourselves for who we are.
Eph. 5:8 says, “You were once darkness. But now you are light in the Lord.” (emphasis added). This verse says you are light. Walk as a child of the light.
It also says we were darkness. But because Jesus identified with us at such an intimate level, we now are light. He took on our nature so we could take on His nature. He is light. Therefore we are light!
We need and get to agree with the truth that we are light. What we agree with has the most influence on how we live. God’s word is transformational if we embrace it and apply it. If you disagree, wrestle until you rest in the truth of God’s Word. Don’t try to make God’s Word fit your thinking.
Identity is about resting in who you are. Once you are born again, your identity is, “You are light”. You can do some really stupid or even dark stuff. But that doesn’t change your identity.
Gal. 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Jesus Christ now lives in me, and the life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” We live by faith which isn’t based on what we see. It is based on the finished work of God and agreeing with that. Ask God to empower you to match your faith with what He says about who you are.
Hebrews 4 says the Israelites entered the Promised Land but didn’t enter the “rest of God”. Our level of our ability to rest demonstrates our level of faith. Verses 9 and 10 read, “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.”
This doesn’t mean we cease from doing anything this side of heaven, but it does mean we cease from doing anything to try to gain identity, to try to gain affirmation. It is resting in the fact that we are loved and that God is working on our behalf.
I can only impart identity from the identity I embrace. If I don’t rest in my identity in Christ, then I can only impart a works based identity based in striving. A works based identity says, “If you do these things, then you get to belong.” If/Then is the law. That is the old covenant.
Jesus pushed against the If/Then mentality of the law because He knew that the law could never give us the righteousness we need and desire. Next week we will look how Jesus addressed this in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7.
Ask God this week to give you grace to rest in your identity in Christ. Ask the Holy Spirit, “Who Am I?” Receive what He says and rest in that. When the Holy Spirit speaks to you respond out loud, “I receive that. I am who you say I am.”
