A person's identity is who they are, which sets them apart. Who are you? Who do you claim to be? Do people know you, and does their knowledge of you match who you claim to be? Don't make room for them to assume who you are, and don't make room for them to guess, but if they do guess, make it possible for them to guess correctly. Just be who you are in Christ!
For example, if you see an individual with a stethoscope around their neck, you could assume they are in the medical profession. If you see an individual in a courtroom, wearing a robe, sitting behind the bench, and holding a gavel, you could safely assume they're the judge.
In our natural world, everyone has parents. So, it is in the spiritual world. You either have God or Satan for your father. Do you call yourself a child of God? If you do, then be a child of God. When you meet people, do they notice something about you that causes them to assume or guess you are a Christian, or will they be uncertain? If they don't think you are a child of God, you are left with only one other option: they must think you are a child of the devil. But if you are a Christian, you are presenting the wrong identity. What could be the cause of this discrepancy?
If you become a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, your person should be evident to people around you. If you live a life of obedience to God, you will, in essence, be saying you love Him (see John 14:15). On the other hand, if you are living in disobedience, people can quickly assume you are not a Christian, even if you claim to be one.
Jesus is
not interested in lip service, and He made that clear to the disciples when He
asked them, "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not what I say?" (Luke
6:46). When Jesus was warning against false prophets, He said, "By their fruit
you'll recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from
thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad
fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good
fruit" (Matthew 7:16-18).
If you
are a child of God, the characteristics (fruit) you exhibit should clearly indicate that you are His child. There is no better way of demonstrating that
you are a child of God than through obedience. The Bible says, "Be holy for I
(God) am holy." In other words, we should exhibit His traits of holiness in the
way we live.
Developing those traits is an ongoing effort. We will arrive at holiness after some time. According to the apostle Paul, we must work at it with fear and trembling (see Philippians 2:12). It takes meditation on God's Word and allowing it to transform us into His nature by renewing our minds. Then we will shine, as the Scripture says, like stars in the universe (see Philippians 2:15).
Observing the disciples' lives, the Jewish leaders could accurately conclude that they had been with Jesus. If we have been with Jesus, it should be evident to others. Claiming to be a Christian and yet living as an unbeliever is proof of an identity crisis. It means one is still determining who they are.
A Christian should not live comfortably in sin. So, if you claim to be a Christian but living comfortably in sin, you must revisit God's plan of salvation to ensure you are born again. We need to turn our backs on worldliness and all appearances of evil. If we fall into sin, which we occasionally do, we should quickly repent, confess, and seek forgiveness. That is the mark of a Christian: the fear of evil and the concern for displeasing God (see 1 John 1:9).
Are you experiencing an identity crisis? You can overcome that crisis by determining to live a God-pleasing life and then seeking the help of the Spirit to accomplish it. The cure for identity crisis is: putting on the armor of God and keeping it on (see Ephesians 6:11-18), 24/7.
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