‘How authentic are you?’ 2

Continued from yesterday

He was, therefore, not only able to respond appropriately to His adversaries’ allegations and temptations (they included Satan, that acute theologian, by the way), He also asserted His identity, very clearly and with profound conviction, through the ‘I am sayings’ which are the theme of this Synod.

Let me just state here that it is easy for us now, with the benefit of hindsight, to condemn those who probably rejected Him and His ministry at the time because of His lowly social status and/or the kind of company He kept – fishermen, tax collectors, etc. But, let’s face it, how many of us, in the same circumstances, particularly those who belong to the higher echelons of society, would have behaved any differently?

Jesus’ Social Status

Jesus’ social status on earth is another lesson in the futility of social labels.

Jesus was born in the lowliest circumstance imaginable – in a manger. He was born to parents of modest means. Yet, He was ‘Immanuel’, God with us. John 1: 2-4 says, ‘He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it’.

Jesus’ family relationships

Jesus had siblings, but those relationship labels counted for very little in the furtherance of His ministry on earth. His brothers’ story is one of a journey from skepticism of Jesus’ mission to one that culminated in the martyrdom of James after Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, in the days of the early church.

The usual assumption is that close filial relationship would translate into wholehearted loyalty.  Yet, the Bible paints a different picture. His family, at a point, even thought He had lost His mind (Mark 3: 20-21).

John 7: 7 states, categorically, that ‘even his own brothers did not believe in him’. The passage in John 7: 1-10 indicates subtle mockery of Jesus by His brothers and mistrust of them on Jesus’ part. For example, Jesus would not disclose His plans to them concerning His possible attendance at the feast. He told them that He would not attend, but He later did, secretly.

The good news is that they finally encountered Jesus after His crucifixion. Paul reported seeing James in Jerusalem (Galatians 1: 19), where he was apparently leading the early church. He was eventually martyred for his faith.

Jesus’ Profession and Livelihood

The fact that Jesus was a carpenter and that His disciples were also known to have shared similar, lowly professions is another example of the futility of labels, this time the professional and occupational labels.

The following passage is a succinct example of the futility and error of defining an individual by his profession or occupation alone.

A Prophet Without Honour (Matthew 13: 53-58)

53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. 54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honour except in his own town and in his own home.”58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

As for His disciples, their lowly status notwithstanding, their message shook the world in the days of the early church, to the amazement of many. ‘Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus’ (Acts 4: 13).

Their relationship with Jesus was, therefore, their distinguishing feature, not their profession, or learning, or social status.

And, by the way, the disciples’ message, and mission and ministry are still shaking the world today.

It is abundantly clear, therefore, that no label could define Jesus. They were of no use whatsoever in the matter of determining who He was. Jesus’ distinguishing characteristic was rooted in the Godhead. The essence of Him could only be found in God.

So, ‘Who are you?’ ‘Who am I?’

Jesus’ closeness to God when He was on earth is unparalleled. That was why He was supremely confident about His own identity.

Therefore, because we are made in the image of God, He should be our fixed reference point on which our design, purpose, and value are established. In an identity crisis, we must start by looking up (at Him), not around (at others) and not within (at ourselves).

Rom 12:2  says, ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

“I would rather be what God chose to make me than the most glorious creature that I could think of; for to have been thought about, born in God’s thought, and then made by God, is the dearest, grandest and most precious thing in all thinking.” (George MacDonald).

God Alone is the Ultimate Game-Changer

“Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. This is the true self. Every other identity is illusion.” (Brennan Manning).

It is God alone that knows us even more deeply and more intimately than we could ever know ourselves (Psalm 139). Though we deceive fellow human beings with our ever-changing, false personae, He cannot be deceived (Gal 6: 7).It is he, who made us, and we are his;we are his people, the sheep of his pasture (Psalm 100: 3).

Therefore, it is only through our encounter, and deep relationship with God that we can truly discover who we are and then be transformed into who He created us to be.

Let us look at a few examples from the Bible where an encounter with God changed lives and destinies:

Abram & Sarai were old and childless, but they encountered God and they became Abraham & Sarah, the father and mother of many nations (Genesis 17-18);

Moses was raised a prince of Egypt from birth until the age of 40. He encountered God at the age of 80 and was used by God to be a liberator of his people after 430 years of captivity (Acts 7: 23, 30);

Hannah was barren. As if that was not enough, she was thought to be drunk when she was in fact praying in deep anguish. She encountered God through prayer and she was granted her desire to become a mother. (Sam. 1: 13);

Jacob, the schemer, encountered God and became Israel, with a covenant of increase and perpetual rulership through his descendants (Genesis 35);

Simon Peter was a simple fisherman but he encountered Jesus and became a fisher of men and was even declared by Jesus to be the rock upon which His church would be built (Matthew 4: 18-20, 16: 13-20);

Mary Magdalene was possessed by seven demons, but she encountered Jesus and was not only cured, she became His disciple and was the first person to whom Jesus appeared after His resurrection (Luke 8: 2, John 20);

The woman with the issue of blood struggled through the throng, touched the hem of Jesus’ garment, and was healed (Mark 5: 25-34).

Zacchaeus was a rich, but despised tax collector. He made a choice and put in the effort to encounter Jesus and was saved (Luke 19);

Saul was a murderous opponent of Christ’s gospel but he had a dramatic encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus and became Paul, the greatest exponent and propagator of the gospel of Jesus Christ in history (Acts 9).

The common thread that runs through all these examples is that identities were completely transformed, for good, when the individuals concerned encountered God. It did not matter whether the encounter took place through the choice of the individual or through God’s choice. The result was the same – discovery of an enriched life of testimony and total transformation to God’s design for their lives.

How to Discover Our True Identity

Move closer to God

Since our true identity can only be found in God, it makes eminent sense that our search for authenticity begins and ends in Him.

The stronger the dissonance between us and God becomes, the more lost we are. The greater the distance between us and God, the more conflict we have within ourselves. Blaise Pascal states “Not only do we know God through Jesus Christ, we only know ourselves through Jesus Christ.”

Only when we live in harmony with God do we find ourselves. Only when we live in harmony with God, by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, do we have the abundant life that He promised (John 10: 1-18).

The more time we spend in the presence of God Almighty, the more we get to know Him and His plans for us. The more we get to know God, the more we get to know ourselves. Only when we find our true identity in God can we by God’s grace fulfill God’s plans for us.

When we have found our God-created identity it becomes our pleasure to live it out. We are called to share the joy of knowing God and being known by him. How do we accomplish that? A simple answer can be found in the Bible:

“In a word, what I’m saying is, grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.” (Matthew 5: 48, MSG).

Develop a God-view of yourself

So many of us believe that we are those labels I mentioned earlier, basing our self-worth on how others see us and on our accomplishments, feeling shame from our past, defining our value based on our looks, or setting unrealistic standards for ourselves. But it doesn’t have to be this way. We need to learn to see ourselves as God sees us.

If we are living only to make sure that others love us, we give them permission to evaluate us based on what we do. We give others the power to determine our self-worth.

Let me repeat, our identity is found in Jesus Christ. It is rooted in His freedom-giving mercy. Our identity is that of a child of God and a joint heir with Jesus Christ. Our spiritual inheritance is one of forgiveness, an intimate relationship with Jesus, and hope of spending all eternity enjoying fellowship with God. It is in this truth that we find unconditional love, security and hope. And none of it is based on what we do, but on what God has already accomplished at the cross.

Stop being self-centered

When our eyes are on ourselves and our inner cravings for approval are found in our own doings, accomplishments, and successes, we have lost sight of the gospel.

Our eyes should be upon that beautiful Savior who suffered and died for us. We must cling to the truth that His love is ours right now, in this very moment, fully, completely, and unalterably. His approval of us is not based upon our performance, our goodness, or our success. It is based upon His undying love for us.

Let go of your past

Your past does not define you. Remember Zacchaeus and Mary Magdalene. Remember the precious blood that was shed on Calvary.

Yes, you may have made mistakes in the past and, yes you may be ashamed of those errors. But it is important to make a distinction between destructive shame and healthy guilt.

Healthy guilt always separates our identity from our behavior and alerts us to the fact that we have done something against our internalised values. Shame, on the other hand, links identity and behaviour, causing you to conclude that you are eternally unworthy and are, therefore, eternally condemned because of your past errors.

Biblical guilt spurs us to confess our sin and experience the love and forgiveness that God has provided for us through Jesus Christ.

1 John 1:9 tells us, “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

After we’ve confessed our sin, feelings of guilt are not from God, but may be from ourselves or from the ‘accuser of the brethren’.

To be continued tomorrow