Your personal identity shapes your life. Shaping your life based on another person’s identity or a false identity is a crime. In 2018 nearly 16 million Americans were victims of identity theft. It is a crime that is becoming more and more common as the years go by. As a result, the authorities are taking cases of identity theft more and more seriously. The penalties that are faced in this country for living out a false identity are high. Including severe fines and decades of imprisonment. The US government is doing all that they can to get people to live life as who they really are.
A Two-Sided Problem
Today the church is facing the same problem. Millions are trying to live their lives contrary to their identity. There are two different ways that this creates serious problems for the church. Many unbelievers, those with an identity that is not in Christ, who are not born again, try to live as though they are. They attempt to prove their identity as in Christ by any means necessary, but that is simply not the case. They hold out seemingly legitimate identification: IDs showing them as church members, letters and emails showing a connection with those who are in Christ, they may have passports stamped full with all the places they have gone for the cause of Christ, they even have bank statements showing their generosity… But in the end they have not been born again, they do not have an identity as in Christ. They can show all the documentation they desire but it’s not enough because they don’t have a birth certificate. The second way the church sees this problem is with Christians, those who are legitimately born again but don’t live out that identity as they should. They have all the right paperwork declaring the truth of who they are, but none of the right actions.
Who are You?
What is your identity? Are you a child of God? Is your identity in Jesus or is your identity in something else? You should be whoever you are. If you are an unbeliever, don’t pretend to be a follower of Jesus. He isn’t fooled, no matter how much documentation you might provide. Continuing to cling to an identity of Christian when it is not true does no good, in fact, it will only do you harm. But, if you have been saved and now are a Christian, be one. Be one with all your thoughts, words, actions, desires, and pursuits, be a Christian with your character, be a Christian with all of your life. Let all of who you are be shaped by that identity.
Make the Reality Real
Over and over the Bible talks about how our actions are in relation to our standing in Christ. An example of this is found in 1 Corinthians 5:7 where Paul says, “Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed”. In the Bible yeast is a picture of sin. He is saying, “Jesus died as a sacrifice, and if you have put your faith in Him, He has already made you sinless, so now get rid of the sin.” God tells us that if your identity is a Christian there are several truths about who you really are. He tells us things that are already a presently held reality, but then also tells us to fight and strive for what He has already made us.
As a Christian, we instantly become positionally holy, and yet we are told to kill sin, to strive for righteousness. (1 Cor. 5:7 Col. 3:12, 1 Pet 1:15) When you become a Christian you are the light of the world (Matt.5:14) therefore, “let your light shine” (Matt. 5:16). God has made wonderful truths a reality for us, we are to live in a way that those realities actually become real in our lives.
Christian, Be Yourself
This is by no means a call for you to be true to your heart, yourself, or to trust your gut. It is not a call to excuse yourself from striving or fighting because you are simply letting you be you. But if you are a Christian you are a child of the almighty God. That is your identity and that identity will change your life. Go and be who you are. Be holy and righteous, be bold and courageous, be meek and humble, be ambassadors for God’s kingdom. As God’s children, there is a lot that Jesus calls us to be and to do. Fulfill the destiny that is befitting of your identity.
How can we do this?
Becoming like Christ is not impossible. Growing more and more into the person God has made you to be can be a reality. However, you cannot do it by your own effort and work. If you try you will fail. No amount of study and no amount of time invested will be enough. You can only do this by union with Christ. Your identity comes from Him, your identity is in Him, and you can only live out that identity through Him. Jesus longs for your identity to be found in Him. That is why Paul said on Colossians 1:27 that “Christ in you is the hope of glory.” You cannot hope to accomplish this apart from Him.
There are serious consequences for those who practice identity theft today, but the consequences of spiritual identity theft are even farther reaching and will leave their mark for eternity. Be sure you have all the necessary forms of identification and do not be satisfied with anything less. If you do not have that birth certificate declaring you to be a child of God go to Him, seek Him with all you have. If you do, let nothing get in your way of becoming all of who you are identified to be.