August 13, 2020
Where do find your identity? Is it from your family? Is it from your job? Is it from your reputation and prestige? Is it from yourself? Is it from your friends? Is it from God? Many of us struggle with our identity, including me. When I was younger, I thought my identity was from fame and fortune, and fulfilling of the “American Dream”. Well that did not happen. As I matured, I tried to find my identity in my work. Even though I accepted Jesus when I was twelve, it never occurred to me to find my identity in Jesus. So, let’s look and see how the Bible describes our identity.
I would like to look at two different perspectives, humans in general (natural man) and then those who have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior and have a relationship with Him (spiritual man). Where do each of these types of people find their identity?
First of all, God tells us in Genesis 1:26 that we are different from all of the rest of His creation because we are made in Their image. “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’” (ESV) After that point unfortunately, natural man does not look very good when looking at what the Bible has to say for them. In Genesis 8:21 man is described as evil. “And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, ‘I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.’” (ESV) I think it is important to understand that this is a post-flood description of man. God described them in the same way pre-flood, Genesis 6:5. The prophet Jeremiah described humanity this way as well. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9 (ESV)
In the New Testament natural man is also described in a similar way. Jesus said in Mark 10:18, “and Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.”” (ESV) The Apostle Paul describes himself in this way in Romans 7:18, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.” (ESV) Paul also describes natural man but also gives a consequence for the nature of natural man.“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21 (ESV)
Then there is spiritual man, those who believe in Jesus. Paul describes a spiritual man in this way “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” Romans 6:6 (ESV) He also says in 2 Corinthians 5:17,“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (ESV)
So, the two possible identities exist, natural man and spiritual man. Which one are you? Do you get your identity from the world (natural man) or do you get it from Christ, as a new creation (spiritual man)? Jesus talks about this choice in the Sermon on the Mount. He asks this question, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21 (ESV)
Do you understand you can choose where you find your identity? Do you know how you can get the only identity of a new creation that leads to true hope? If not find out how to know Jesus.
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