A person's identity is who they are: what 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 in a hospital 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, 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 as 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 are they 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.
If you became a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, it
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 these 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: 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 you are still determining
who you are.
A Christian should not live comfortably in sin. So, if you claim
to be a Christian but are 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? The cure for an identity
crisis is putting on the armor of God and keeping it on (see Ephesians
6:11-18), 24/7. You can overcome this crisis by determining to live a
God-pleasing life and then seeking the help of the Spirit to accomplish it.
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