Dear Heavenly Father – Let this reflection on our identities be fruitful, but most importantly, let it reflect the truth that You have revealed to us in Your Word – the Holy Scriptures and in Your Son, Jesus. It is in His name that we pray. 🙏🏻 Amen.
Who Am I?
I call You Father, so I’m assuming a parent-child relationship – You have given me permission to do so. [John 1:12-13] The term ‘child’ implies future growth – growth that involves maturity – becoming an adult. The apostle John knew this when he wrote in 1 John 2:12-14, to all believers: the new ones, the most seasoned ones, and the ones deepening their relationship and commitment with Jesus.
I am writing to you, dear children,
because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.
I write to you, dear children,
because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the word of God lives in you,
and you have overcome the evil one
God our Heavenly Father sent His Son, Jesus, to reveal His Will to us – to show us a different perspective on life from the one we’ve been forming in a natural world that is marred by sin. He calls us to rise above the natural – to become supernatural as we abide in Him and become united with Him.
‘Supernatural’ life sounds fabulous, so how do we do this?
Jesus tells His disciples in John 15: 5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Great! What does that mean?
The Christian life is different from our natural life – it is not something that we can just decide to ‘do.’ It is something that is done in partnership with God. Remember when Jesus tells Nicodemus in John 3:3 “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
Of course, being ‘born again’ also sounds like a foreign concept; in fact, it sounds offensive to many. Even Nicodemus – Israel’s teacher – could not understand this. Jesus added, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.”
Maybe you already understand this, but it never hurts to review. This requirement of being ‘born-again’ may be difficult to accept and believe, but it is not difficult to understand. Reread what Jesus says… being ‘born-again’, whatever it means, IS NOT OPTIONAL!
With natural birth, children don’t conceive themselves and they don’t give birth to themselves. When flesh gives birth to flesh, the child has parents who contributed DNA to define familial characteristics for the child – maybe you have your mother’s eyes, your father’s smile, your grandmother’s hair, etc. But Scripture states that in our natural birth, we also inherited Adam’s sin [Romans 3:23].
If we want to live eternally in heaven, in the presence of a Holy God, we cannot go with even the tiniest little sin. We will need to be transformed, re-clothed with something more suitable… like His righteousness! Christians call this a ‘spiritual’ rebirth – it begins when we realize we are sinners in need of a savior.
Hearing the gospel message of God’s redemption plan and trusting Jesus Christ, His Son, as your Savior puts you on the doorstep of new spiritual birth. Confessing that faith out loud saves you and fills you with His Spirit. [Romans 10:9-10]
I recently heard a pastor remind us that God will never ask us to do what only He can do… i.e., only God can save someone through softening their hearts to receive the gospel, convicting them of their need for a savior, opening their ears to hear the gospel, or opening their eyes to see the truth of the gospel. But also, God won’t do what He’s commanded us to do… i.e., share the gospel… make new disciples… pray for others. Let’s review that last paragraph of what rebirth looks like. Only this time look at God’s part and look at our part.
Hearing the gospel message of God’s redemption plan and trusting Jesus Christ, His Son, as your Savior puts you on the doorstep of new spiritual birth. Confessing that faith out loud saves you and fills you with His Spirit.
This is an intricate, intimate dance where Christians share the gospel, God convicts a non-believer to hear the truth – and a decision on their part must be made. Will they commit to becoming a Christian? When they do, they confess their faith and submit themselves to the loving authority of the Lord, Jesus and are filled with the Holy Spirit, enabling them to live this new life.
Now they’re a Spiritual child. And what do children need? Godly parents. – perhaps the one that shared the gospel message. Perhaps another sojourner in a church community or small group. What is this new life? It’s completely different – the Bible talks about opening the eyes of the blind or bringing the dead to life. Yeah, it’s all that and more.
In the natural world, I was a sister, a wife, a mother… a teacher, a bartender, a programmer… a dancer, a gymnast, captain of the kick line! But then I was born-again, what am I now?
I’m a daughter of a great king! And He’s coming back for me. 💖 He knows all the rest of my days here in this world and He promises to be with me [Philippians 1:6]. He asks me to trust Him, [John 10:28] to be still, and to listen to His voice. There is work I get to do for Him. [Ephesians 2:10]
Scripture provides a simple, reasonable, perspective of our new identities.
We are spiritual beings… living in a physical body… with an eternal soul.
First, we have a SPIRIT – we were meant to connect with God and others.
As we read and meditate on Scripture, we are suddenly led to perceive things differently. We now comprehend passages that used to confuse us. I love when I prepare for a Bible study on my own, then get into a small group and suddenly, brand new concepts open up. 😊 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. [Matthew 18:20] Nice!
Or when I’m thinking about a distant friend and start praying for them… then they text me. 💞 Even after an hour on the phone, I have to hang up and start thanking God with a combination of both joy and tears. He is so good!
A Christian has the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of God indwelling them to give them comfort, strength, power, understanding – all that they need to walk through their remaining days on earth in a way that honors the God who saved them. [2 Timothy 1:7]
Anyone can call themselves a Christian, but we’re told to judge by the fruit. A Christian can recognize other Christians – by the Fruit of the Spirit. [Galatians 5:22-23] A maturing Christian is learning that intricate, intimate dance with God and will exhibit this Spiritual fruit in their daily interactions: they have a little something for themselves… Love, Joy, and Peace… a little something for those around them… Patience, Kindness, Goodness… and something to honor God with: Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
Secondly, we have a BODY – a physical one for now – suited for this earth. Don’t love it, don’t hate it, don’t obsess over it – it’s designed to perish. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15: 42-44 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. When Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection, locked doors didn’t stop Him… and He ate fish. We’re not given many more details. I just trust Him that it’s good. (Remember when the nation of Israel wandered the desert for 40 years? Their clothes and their shoes never wore out!) [Deuteronomy 29:5] I’ve already got body parts that will never work the same! I’m looking forward to whatever He has designed just for me.
And thirdly, we have a SOUL. And our SOUL is further divided, again in three 😉!
We have a MIND with the ability to think, to reason, to imagine and create.
We have a WILL with the ability to choose – to accept or reject… to submit or rebel.
We have EMOTIONS with the ability to feel.
Scripture teaches us that our souls will last eternally. For a Christian, when the body dies, they are present with the Lord. Paul explains to the Corinthian church in 2 Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
But until then, we must live in the constant tension that we are not yet ‘home.’ We must live and love others in such a way that we remember that we are ambassadors for God’s Kingdom. We are inviting others to ‘Come and See’ what this better kingdom has to offer. We are partnering with God, allowing Him to use us, to invite others to that eternal realm where all sin and evil are finally defeated. [Revelation 21:4] We are living lives that display the truth – there is a Holy God that loves us enough to die for us, even though we were sinful and disobedient and perhaps even, quite content living in world permeated with evil.
If you have not yet trusted in Jesus as your savior, call out to Him in prayer – He will not ignore you. (Romans 10:13] Ask Him to reveal truth to you. He will. But He won’t force you to choose Him – He loves you enough to give you that dignity. If you choose to live your life apart from Him, you are choosing an eternity outside of heaven where He reigns. But when you choose to accept Him as your savior, be prepared for a transformation like none you’ve imagined. Then, get used to different!
You will not be comfortable if you are growing, but each new stage of growing fills you with the confidence and the assurance that He’s with you and He can be trusted. Romans 5:3-4 tells us that we are to expect ‘suffering’. … we glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
There’s a reason that Jesus asks us to ‘count the cost’ in Luke 14:28, before following Him. Christianity may be marketed as another ‘religion’, but it’s not. You don’t become a Christian by church attendance… ministry service… tithing… baptism… communion… signing a membership roster.
You become a Christian by responding with a faith confession after God changes your heart. You can’t fake this, He knows your heart! You are expected to use your mind to consider the truth of what you’re hearing. When you commit to this life, there are changes to be expected – the biggest one, for me, was putting God first… others next… myself last. 😵
What felt like ‘suffering’, was a brief testing of my faith and experiencing what it’s like to trust God and not myself. After repeated cycles of such ‘sufferings’ where GOD ALWAYS SHOWS UP in wild, fantastic ways, I can now see how perseverance and character and hope evolve. Possessing hope in a world of chaos is better than anything you can imagine.
Heavenly Father, Thank You! There is so much peace in this union with You. When I consider my sins carried on that cross at Calvary and Your Son taking the punishment I deserved, it is with a grateful heart that I offer myself to You again today. You bought my life with Your blood – I am forever Yours. 🙏🏻
Excellent message and beautiful prayer.