Who Am I?

I’ve always been somewhat perplexed when people ask me the question “And what do you do?”.  Personally, I work to live, not live to work.  My job takes up a large proportion of my week, but it doesn’t define who I am.  God designed us to be so much more than what we do in life.

In the Christian movie Overcomer, there is a scene where Thomas, a dying man in hospital, asks John, a basketball coach: “If I ask you who you are, what’s the first thing that comes to mind”.  John rattles through a list of activities “I’m a basketball coach, a history teacher, a husband, a father...” before, identifying as a “white, American male”.  It is only when pressed further that John states ”I’m a Christian, a follower of Christ”.  In response Thomas asks how important it is to him to be a Christian - and why it was so far down his list in the first place!

As we start the Year 2022, many people are making New Year’s resolutions.  New Year’s Day is seen by many cultures around the world (indeed the tradition can be linked back as far as ancient Babylon) as a chance to hit the proverbial reset button, to start over.  For some it is to budget better, for others it is lose weight, to learn a new topic or to cease an irritating habit.

As Christians we may set goals to pray more, to read our bibles more.  As Brother James so eloquently put it during our Praise & Worship prior to service on Sunday, if we attempt change in our own strength we fail.  It is only when we seek God’s strength we can succeed. 

As a child, for many years I was determined to start the New Year by no longer biting my finger nails, a habit I have barely kicked today if I be honest!  Regardless of the resolution, their purpose is simply an attempt to redefine who we are.  It is an attempt to start doing something good, or to stop doing something bad to change the very character of who we are.

In our Sermon on Sunday 2nd January, the first of 2022, Pastor Courtney introduced our new sermon series “New Year, New You” based on the book of Ephesians.  This series will look at where we should seek our identity from.

The sermon began with the story of a man who was suffering from amnesia after being found by an ambulance group.  The man had all his skills and talents, he simply did not know who he was any more.  He had lost his identity.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ
Ephesians 1:3

As we read earlier, the world tells us our identity is based in what we do in this life.  For this reason, we spend our lives seeking to be something “better” than we are.  We seek secure jobs, more money, we follow fashion and the latest trends.  If we are single, we may seek to be married.  We kid ourselves that if we could only do or have this, then life will be better for us.  We do this, because the world says “You are what you do”, that we are defined by what we do or what we have.

Our scripture tells us something very different, it tells us “In Christ, you do what you are”.  As Christians, we are not sinners because we sin, we sin because we are born as sinners.  All of us.  As Pastor explained, children do not need to be taught how to misbehave, they must be taught how to behave.  We are born into a life of sin and we instinctively revert to the bad behaviours we know, based on what we’ve observed in life - unless we change our identity - and this is why New Year’s resolutions fail.

If the bible tells us our identify flows out of who we are, where do we get our identity from? Our identity comes from Jesus Christ.  New life, real change, comes from obtaining a new identity in Jesus.

When Adam and Eve were created they were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26).  However, in Genesis 3:5, the devil sows doubt in Eve’s mind. The devil tells Eve “you will be” like God, if you eat the fruit.  Eve was already like God so the devil attacks her identity, to cast doubt in her mind over who she truly was:

For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.
Genesis 3:5

The devil constantly attacks our identity.  Even Jesus was prone to attack when the devil asked Him “if you are the son of God” (Luke 4), even though God has already said to Jesus “You are my beloved Son”.  If Jesus was attacked, we most definitely will be.  Don’t let the devil try to make you doubt who you are in Christ!

As a Christian, we must know who we are in Christ.  Our Christian identity must be based on two things.  Knowing who God is and knowing who God says you are.  We must win the battle to keep our identity in Christ.

This is why reading our bibles is so important.  As a church, we have just started reading the Bible together in a One Year plan (contact your Host for details – click here).  By reading our bibles, we learn more about who God truly is and we can learn who God says we are.

In the second Sermon in this series, on the 9th January, Pastor Courtney looked further into our identity, again following the book of Ephesians, by presenting how we can obtain a new identity.  We also heard how when we base our identity on things we have done in life we become either arrogant or prideful as a result, alternatively, we can feel shame or hopeless if we have not achieved what the world tells us we should have achieved.  Our identity, how we see ourselves, follows us wherever we go - into work, church and even into marriage.  However, once we understand God chose us in Christ, through His grace, we find acceptance in our identity as a child of God.

If we truly seek change and growth in 2022, we need to ensure our identity is based in Jesus Christ.  Only by trusting in Jesus, basing our identity on Him and His teachings can we truly bring change to our lives.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
Psalm 23:6

Base your identity on Christ, abide with Him and truly be blessed, not just in 2022, but forever.

Join us!

Join us every Sunday at 3PM as we continue the Series “New Year, New You”.  You can either join us in person at Transformation House, where we are operating subject in accordance with full government guidelines, or online.

Stay safe, look out for one-another and stay connected via your Connect Groups.  Most important of all, root your identity in Christ!

May God Bless each and every one of you in Jesus mighty name.

Robert Clark