08.28.2022 | IDENTITY

IDENTITY

Introduction: Who do men say I the Son of Man am?

Matthew 16:13b (KJV) – “Whom do men say that I the Son of Man am?”

Jesus is not seeking information or affirmation from His disciples. He is attempting to unlock their revelation of who He is. “But who do you say that I am?” This question is at the heart of understanding who we are.

1. Jesus Knew Who He Was!

Luke 2:49b (KJV) – “I must be about my Father’s business?”

“Father’s business” implies a Son.

John 1:29b (KJV) – “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

Matthew 3:17b (KJV) – “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” [water baptism]

Identity comes from the affirmation of the Heavenly Father!

Identity is not chosen but discovered!

Jesus begins His ministry with the affirmation of His identity.

Matthew 17:5b (KJV) – “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him.” [Mount Transfiguration]

The enemy came after Jesus’ identity!

Matthew 4:3 (NKJV) – “…If You are the Son of God…”

We have relational identity and operational identity!

The enemy is coming against our declared identity! It’s vital that we know who we are! Why is this so important?

Jesus’ identity was affirmed from and by the Father.

2. How Do We Know Who We Are?

A. By the Holy Spirit!

Romans 8:16 (KJV) – “The Spirit Itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.”

From the inside out. We must know who we are by revelation of the Holy Spirit.

B. By the written Word!

Identity is affirmed through the Scriptures!

Do we believe the Word concerning who we are? Whose words do we truly believe?

1 John 5:13a (NKJV) – “These things I have written to you who believe in the Name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.”

Isaiah 55:8-9 (KJV) – “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

Romans 3:4a (KJV) – “...Let God be true, but every man a liar.”

We must put absolutely no trust, no confidence, and no faith in what people attest as our true identity. Only the One who has made us, fashioned us, and ordained us to live in Christ Jesus can accurately define and affirm our true identity.

I am who the Word says I am, and I can do what the Word says I can do!

C. Jesus knew who He was by the witness of the Father, the work of the Spirit, and the written Word of God.

We too are to rely upon the Father speaking to our hearts through the Holy Spirit, and by the written Word of God.

3. Do We Know Who We Are?

A. We are the sons of God.

1 John 3:2a (KJV) – “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be.”

Romans 8:14 (KJV) – “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”

We must believe what the Word says about who we are!

B. We are the Body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:27 (NKJV) – “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.”

C. We are a new creation in Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

Do we believe God’s Word or don’t we?

We must renew our minds to our new identity.

Romans 12:2a (KJV) – “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed [Greek: metamorphoo] by the renewing of your mind.”

The Marine Corps are an interesting group. They say once you become a Marine, you are forever a Marine. The idea is once you have gone through the metamorphosis, it can never be undone.

D. Our identity must not come from the human experience!

We are more than what we have gone through. More than who or what others have defined us as. More than our mistakes or failures.

We are not defined by events or labels from life. Not defined by rejection, divorce, mistakes, setbacks, or disappointments. “Do we believe God or not?”

E. Why does the enemy come against our identity?

Our enemy will use anything to divide us. He is currently using racial and ethnic strife to divide America and the Church. The devil is pushing Critical Race Theory (CRT) as a weapon against us.

Some of the teaching and ideology of CRT: Black and brown are perpetual victims and whites are the endless oppressors. Lies from hell. We are who the Father says we are.

If the enemy can distort our identity, he can frustrate and hinder our purpose.

At the center of our greatness is the discovery of God-ordained identity.

4. Identity is Found in Jesus Christ Alone!

A. Identity is found, discovered, and fulfilled in and through an ongoing relationship with Jesus Christ.

Identity is locked up in Him. He is our life! Fulfillment is only found in Him. He is our portion. Not what He gives, but He Himself.

Colossians 3:3-4 (NKJV) – “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”

B. The more we know who He is, the more we will know who we are in Him.

5. Lucifer Pursued an Identity That Was Not His to Have!

A. “I will be like the Most High.” – Satan

Isaiah 14:12a, 14b (NKJV) – “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!…‘I will be like the Most High.’”

Most High – Hebrew: Elyown “el-yone” = Uppermost, highest, the Supreme, elevation

B. The battle over identity is seen in the garden.

Satan tempts Eve with a lie in part about her identity:

Genesis 3:5a (NIV) – “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God. [Elohim].”

Adam and Eve were already like God. They were made in His likeness and image.

Genesis 1:26a (NKJV) – “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.’”

Eve was deceived to reach for something she already had, and in her actions, lost what was most valuable, her relationship with Father God.

C. Identity is under assault!

At the heart of the transgender/homosexual movement is the evil quest to distort the identity of our children and young adults.

6. One New Man

A. One new man in Christ

Ephesians 2:14a, 15b, 16b (NKJV) – “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation…create in Himself one new man from the two…reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross…”

B. Put on the new man!

Ephesians 4:23-24 (NKJV) – “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

We must consciously put off the old man and put on the new man who is in the image of Christ.

Colossians 3:10a-11 (NKJV) – “Put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythians, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all” (Read in NLT; Amplified is also a good read)

Galatians 3:28-29 (NKJV) – “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

7. Crucified in Christ

A. The crucified life!

Galatians 2:20 (NKJV) – “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

The life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God. It’s not about me. It’s all about Him. The old man died.

8. Identity Affirmed Before Destiny is Achieved

A. Gideon, the mighty man of valor

Judges 6:12 (NKJV) – “And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said unto him, ‘The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!’”

Notice that the Lord affirmed that he was a mighty man of valor before He sent him into his assignment and purpose.

B. Jeremiah had identity and purpose before he was born.

Jeremiah 1:5 (NKJV) – “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

Our identity and purpose are hidden in Christ before the foundation of the world.

C. John the Baptist had his name, was filled with the Spirit, and received his divine mission while in the womb.

Luke 1:13b, 15b, 17 (NKJV) – “You shall call his name John…he will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb…he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.”

If we don’t know who we are, we can be redefined by others. Identity helped each of these remain centered and focused on their mission.

9. Authority & Purpose Derive from Identity

When we know who we are, we then gain insight to the authority entrusted to us, and from that, the purpose charged to us. It starts with identity. Jesus tells those at His ascension that all authority has been given to Him; now go therefore and proclaim the Gospel and make disciples of all nations. (Matthew 28:18-20)

Authority and purpose vary from person to person. Yes, there is a common authority and purpose we all have in Christ Jesus. However, with every unique assignment comes a degree of authority to fulfill that purpose or assignment. Example of this is seen in 1 Corinthians 12:28.

A. With our identity comes delegated authority.

Luke 9:1-2 (KJV) – “Then He called His twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And He sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.”

Authority is a trust delegated to represent a person, group of people, or a kingdom.

A police officer is given authority by the state to enforce the laws of that state.

Jesus was authorized to represent the Father; then Jesus delegated that authority to His disciples. Authority is a delegated trust. Authority is enforced by the person or kingdom that delegated that authority.

Authority to tread on serpents and scorpions has been granted. (Psalm 91:13; Luke 10:19)

B. With our identity is Kingdom purpose.

Matthew 28:19 (NKJV) – “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Our identity is intended to fulfill His eternal purposes! He has graced us for His Kingdom agenda.

Joseph’s purpose was on the other side of hardships. The life journey, sufferings, slavery, and imprisonment of Joseph’s life worked and served a greater purpose.

Genesis 50:20 (KJV) – “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.”

Can the Lord trust you with a challenging path (pain, hardships) to a great Kingdom purpose?

10. Hinderances to True Identity

A. Rebellion against God will distort the truth of our identity.

Our full and accurate identity is hid in Christ Jesus. To rebel against Him is to miss life’s greatest and best.

B. Disobedience to parents and authorities will blur the recognition of our identity.

Ephesians 6:1 (KJV) – “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.”

C. Pre-occupation with selfish pursuits will delay the application of our identity.

Proverbs 16:25 (KJV) – “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

D. An unteachable and untrainable spirit will setback the implementation of our identity.

Proverbs 1:7 (KJV) – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

E. Listening to lies, false beliefs, and misinformation will extinguish the enormity of our true identity.

CRT, BLM, and Marxist lies say that all black and brown people are victims and all whites are victimizers.

F. A love of the world and the things in the world above a love for God will neutralize the implementation of the fullness of our identity.

1 John 2:15 (KJV) – “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

G. Making unwise, unvetted, reckless choices will surely frustrate and detour the execution of our God-ordained identity.

I have spent some time with a couple of my grandchildren on a daily confession. A portion of that confession is: “The quality of my choices determines the quality of my life. My choices are my own. My choices impact others.”

All of us are living a life today according to the choices and decisions we made yesterday. How many lives have derailed because of a foolish or impulsive decision? Learning to make informed and wise decisions is vital to life and the purpose of life. Teaching our children how to make good choices is a critically important life skill. In fact, that’s a skill most adults have failed to learn.

Conclusion:

We must live, war, and win in and through who we are in Christ Jesus. Our strength is operating in our authentic self, created in Christ Jesus.

How many people are set (fixed, caged) in a place of pain? Weep no longer! How many are still weeping over yesterday’s pain? Life may have dropped us, but the Lord took us up. He came for us!

How many people are caged in by a distorted identity or a past season of their life?

Who Will Cry for the Little Boy?

By Antwon Fisher