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Identity: Who Are We?


Around the world people are trying to find their identity. Companies like Ancestry and Heritage.com have grown in popularity as people seek to find their family tree, tribe, and genealogy. Right now there is an identity crisis, as gender, and other roles are being thrown into a chaotic mess, and new definitions are posed. The instability makes people what to compartmentalize, to put things in boxes, and to find their group to wait out this storm of uncertainty. The problem is that people are seeking then wrong identity. It isn't weither you are African, a Scotsman, or Asian, these are ethnic and national identities, but your true identity is in Jesus Christ, "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28). Right there in Scripture is the answer to chaos around uis, we aren't suppose to be obsessed with our heritage, identity on this earth, but our identity in Christ. Even gender is not suppose to be the focus, Christ is meant to be focus (Hebrews 12:2). The Apostle goes further in the passage, by telling us we do have a country, "And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God's promise to Abraham belongs to you." (Galatians 3:29). We are Hebrews through Christ our Lord and God, but even this is not suppose to make us proud, what we should boast in is our heavenly citizenship in Christ, "But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior." (Philippians 3:20). Our hearts and minds should be fixed on Jesus Christ (Matthew 22:39-41, John 17:3), not if we are Hebrew or Gentile, male or female, slave or free. 

The Apostle Paul warns adamantly against tribalism and focus on genealogies, "But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless," (Titus 3:9), and "As I urged you on my departure to Macedonia, you should stay on at Ephesus to instruct certain men not to teach false doctrines, or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God's work--which is by faith." (1 Timothy 1:3-4). The Apostle Paul under auspices of Holy Spirit is trying to redirect churches in the right direction, the focal point of our interest, curiosity, love, and desire should be Jesus Christ. Hence why Paul says that our real genealogy is from God, "If we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." (Romans 8:17). For Man and Woman is made in God's image (Genesis 1:27), but more so through faith, belief, and trust in Jesus Christ, man and woman is filled with God (Colossians 1:27, 1 Corinthians 3:16, John 17:20-23, 1 John 4:15), and is to be focused on God and love Him and others. Our pride isn't in pedigree, it is in the Prince of Peace, the LORD God, the Holy Trinity. For the Apostle says, "so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:31). 


Our identity is in Christ Jesus, in our Lord and God. Focusing on if we are Celtic Christian, Byzantine Christian, Armenian Christian, Roman Christian, and etc is the speculations and genealogies that hinder the Gospel and relationship with LORD as the apostle said (Titus 3:9,,, 1 Timothy 1:3-4). The ultimate goal is to count everything lost and worthless compared to knowing (ginosko, epignosko) Jesus Christ, "But whatever was an asset to me, I count as loss for the sake of Chris. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ,   9and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith." (Phillippians 3:7-9). For only in our LORD God do we find the satisfaction, the wholeness, and completion our restless souls desire. All the gin, drink, drugs, and etc. is to drown that emptiness inside that only Emmanuel, Jesus Christ, can fill. There is hole, because in Garden of Eden made was rent asunder from God in closeness, and mankind's spirit is r,"restless until it finds rest in Christ" (edited version of St. Augustine's words, I do not recommend anything St. Augustine writes, because of corruptions in his works). 

Our Identity is in Christ Jesus. Do not let people pull you into the radical feminism, chauvinism, tribalism, and classism that is rising now. Instead, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, and remember that anything that tries to make you proud of some minority element of yourself, unless it be the LORD God, is a pride that comes from world, and will destroy you. But the LORD is not proud, but humble and of gentle spirit (Matthew 11:29), and all we may boast in is our grace and salvation in Jesus Christ, and ultimately Christ himself. Amen.

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