Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Identity Theft
E. Earl Jenkins
"...Christ lives in me." Galatians 2:20 (NIV)
Your identity has great value not only to you, but also to the thief who wants your name and credit card to run up a stack of bills. Some of us will go to great lengths to try and gain an identity we think will make us more acceptable to a certain group - like wearing designer clothes or driving a certain car. Some think it's in their looks and opt for plastic surgery. Some identify themselves by their profession or trade.
Maybe you've heard about the guy who went to the psychiatrist with a severe identity crisis, saying, "Doctor, I'm convinced I'm a dog." When the psychiatrist asked how long he had this problem, he blurted out, "Ever since I was a puppy!" Too many of us are confused or basically uninformed about our true identity as redeemed children of God. This leads to false growth, or no growth.
Paul bottom-lined his identity like this: "Christ lives in me." Then he added: "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Php 4:13 NAS). With the fingers of Mozart there's no musical piece you couldn't play. With the brain of Einstein there's no mathematical formula you couldn't unravel. With the life of Christ within you there's no victory you cannot win. Your new identity in Christ solves the problem of acceptance. When you understand who you are in Christ you realize that you've already been accepted by God - and no one can improve on that!
So who are you? You're a totally forgiven, fully accepted, deeply loved, daily-empowered child of God. Once you fully grasp that, you'll have joy you've never known and grow like you've never grown.
