Who Are We Really?

Not too long after I turned 13 (in the early 1990’s), my parents wisely informed me that they wanted me to read a book on sexual purity. My teenage hormones were in full swing, and I was beginning to notice girls. They gave me with the book by Elisabeth Eliot called Passion and Purity (which was less than 200 pages). Unfortunately, as a young man, I didn’t possess much wisdom, and I resisted the idea of reading a book about purity by a woman.

Dumb move Chuck!

So, my parents showed me some grace and didn’t force me to read that book and instead gave me Josh McDowell’s book Why Wait? (which was about 450 pages).

This was the time period in which these kinds of books written for teenagers about sexual purity were thriving. Every teenager in the church seemed to be making a pledge to stay pure before marriage. Sexual purity before marriage was celebrated by wearing bracelets, promise rings, etc. Some teenagers were making commitments to never kiss or hug or even date.

Sexual purity was all the rage, and there is never a reason to criticize a commitment to sexual purity. It should always be the rage (I Thessalonians 4:3).

But one of the by-products of this being the trending topic was that sexuality became one’s identity. And when you “put all your identity eggs in one basket” and happen to sinfully compromise in a sexual way, you might be tempted to think you are now worthless, unable to be forgiven, and start to turn from the Lord who can forgive.

Should our identity be our sexuality?

Fast forward to 2019, sexuality is still an identity for some people. For example, some evangelicals are completely comfortable saying they are a “gay Christian” – as if that helps better identify who they are. It won’t be long before you hear things like, “I am an alcoholic Christian” or “I am a deceitful Christian.”

Identity is important to us. When you meet someone for the 1^st time, you often ask whether they work or go to school or where they live, because those facts help you better identify the kind of person you are interacting with.

If someone asked you to describe yourself, how would you do it? How would you identify yourself to an audience of strangers?

The Bible is not silent about identity. The Bible teaches us that our identity is not about our experiences but about our relationship to Christ.

As Christians, how should be identify ourselves? In his book Who Am I?, Jerry Bridges suggests that our identity can be summarized into 8 words or statements:

• We are creatures (Genesis 1:27).

• We are in Christ (John 15:1-5).

• We are justified (Galatians 2:15-16).

• We are adopted (Galatians 3:35-4:7).

• We are a new creation (II Corinthians 5:17).

• We are saints (I Corinthians 1:2).

• We are servants of Christ (Galatians 3:22-24).

• We are not yet perfect (Philippians 3:12).

Who are you? If you know Christ, you are made like Him, for Him, made righteous by Him, in His family, not like your old self, and made to be more like Him.