This week, I’ve spent time contemplating the reality of identity. My identity, who and what I am, is important to me. Generally speaking, I’m not a people pleaser, but that doesn’t mean I don’t struggle in dealing with what people think of me, because I want my identity and people’s perspective of me to be one and the same. The desire in many of us to be thought well of by other people, isn’t a bad desire.
“For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—” ~ 1Peter 2:15~
However, the problem with this desire to be identified as someone who does good, is that, if we’re honest, we know there are parts of ourselves that should not be thought well of by anyone. We know we’re sinful creatures who can be selfish, self-serving, harmful, etc.
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” 1John 1:8~
The truth of who we are as fallen humans is not an identity most of us want to claim. It’s an identity that carries guilt and shame. But we can’t remove ourselves from that truth without our identity becoming a lie, so how in the world do we find a place of peace when it comes to our own identity? Well, first and foremost, we have to take steps to allow the parts of our identity that are sinful and full of guilt and shame to be dealt with by the only person who can deal with sin.
“And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel…” ~Colossians 1:21-23~
What is this hope of the gospel through which we are given opportunity to be reconciled and presented as holy, blameless, and above reproach?
The simple answer to the hope of the gospel is this:
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” ~1John 1:9~
The longer answer is this:
“…in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God…” ~Ephesians 2:13-19~
God has reconciled (restored) our identity through His response to our sin. Jesus paid the cost to take away our identity of guilt and shame, but even more so Jesus is our Advocate.
“…if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” ~1 John 2:1-2~
When it comes to standing tall in our new identity in Christ (an identity we receive when we confess our sins, receive His forgiveness, and embrace the blamelessness He has given us), there is nothing more powerful in being reminded of our identity than having Jesus as our Advocate.
An advocate is someone who speaks on our behalf. I love this because I don’t know about you but it’s easy for me to fall back into seeing myself as that old sinner and doubting that there is any place for me in being “holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight.” I get stuck feeling like I can’t move forward in spiritual maturity because I’m a sinner. But the thing about having Jesus as our Advocate is that if we let Him, He does the talking for us. And if we listen to what Jesus said about us to God. We get to hear our identity in Christ.
- Loved (2Th 2:16)
- Redeemed (Gal 3:13)
- Reconciled (2Co 5:18)
- Beloved (Col 3:12)
- Children of God (Jhn 1:12)
- Etc.
Challenge: When you’re tempted to try to either define or defend your identity yourself, pause and let your Advocate Jesus Christ do so for you instead. Because in His truth there is always mercy and grace and a way forward in which forgiveness, blamelessness, and belonging are yours to claim.
When the rocks speak 