Know Who You Are!
Scripture
14: I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.
Psalm 139 (NKJV)
10: For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2 (NKJV)
Check out the NLT version of this passage, where Paul writes:
10: For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.
Identity theft is a major crime that can have far-reaching repercussions on a person’s life. Around 1 in 15 people become victims of identity fraud. Americans are most likely to have their identities stolen. 650,572 people suffered from identity theft in 2019. Over 1 million children become victims of identity crimes each year.
With that in mind, do you know who you are? Not your government name or social security number. Not your title of mom or dad, school teacher or engineer. Do you know who YOU are? There are way too many Christians claiming victory but living in defeat because they do not know who they are in Christ. Is your identity secure? Or have you allowed it to be stolen by the one who came only to kill, steal, and destroy?
It's been said that it doesn’t matter what people call you. What matters is what you answer to. Here’s an example of how easily a person’s identity can be lost in the chaos of this life. A young lady said that people began calling her by her stage name as she made a name for herself in the rap game. Even her family called her by that name. It became so ingrained in her psyche that when she was called by her given name, she felt uncomfortable and unsure how to respond!
Everyone knows that identity theft poses a real financial danger in the natural. But how often do they think about the impact it has on their lives spiritually? Satan is a master deceiver, and one of his strongest tactics is making people doubt who they are. He started in the Garden with Eve when he asked her, “Has God really said?” How, you may be wondering, was Eve’s identity stolen in the Garden?
Adam and Eve shared a unique relationship and complete fellowship with God. They enjoyed intimacy with Him. They had been given dominion over everything that God created, and the only “DO NOT!” given to them was they were not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. By eating from this tree, their eyes would be opened and they would be “like God” (according to Satan). He began his act of identity theft by making them doubt who they were. They were already like God! They had been created in His image, and God Himself had breathed His Spirit into them. Don’t miss this – they were already like God! But she lost sight of her identity, and so did Adam when they allowed themselves to be distracted by the lure of chasing after something they already had.
Believers cannot let the enemy steal their identity! They are who God says they are, and they can walk confidently in that. They have to know who He says they are. They can walk in complete confidence, boldly declaring the blessed assurance of knowing who they are by remembering who God says they are. They can be confident in that because God sealed it with His love. Because of His great love for them, they can be assured, and never have reason to doubt.
In the movie Black Panther, T’Challa is in a fight to the death for the right to be king of Wakanda. In true movie style, T’Challa is getting the dust beat out of him. But Queen Mother is not having that, because she knows that her son is the rightful heir to the throne. To encourage him, she reminds him of his real, born identity. In a powerful scene, she shouts to him, “Show them who you are!” This was a game-changer for T’Challa.
That is the word for today – “Show them who you are!” No matter what’s going on in life, never forget your real, born-again identity. Speak life in all situations. Believers are children of the King, which comes with rights, privileges, and authority. Walk in it – unashamedly and unapologetically. If there is ever a time of wondering, or doubting, or fearing, look in the mirror, hold your head up, pull your shoulders back, and declare to yourself, “I know who I am.” Then, show them who you are!
Prayer:
Father, thank You for adopting us as Your children. By the blood of Jesus, You have justified us and made us righteous. We know that we have been accepted in the Beloved. We are Christ-like, filled with the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We are more than conquerors, walking as light and salt in the earth. We are holy. Thank You, Father God, for sending Your Son to make us new in You. Thank You, Jesus, for shedding Your blood for the remission of our sins. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for being our indwelling help to keep our actions in line with our royal identities. We know who we are in You. Thank You, Lord! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Reflection:
“Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.”
George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones