The TMP Podcast
Who Am I? | Paul Walker | Identity Theft
Who am I? It seems that we all are seeking the answer to this question. We are all trying to find security and worth. There are some who find their identity from the outward opinions of others. Some search for their identity by searching inwardly and deciding for themselves who they are. We often find our identities from what we do, what we have, what we want, or even what others think about us. These approaches tend to leave us either crushed by other’s expectations, or endlessly searching within ourselves. But unlike these other approaches, the unique Christian claim is that our identity is not achieved but received. We see this most clearly in Jesus’ own understanding of his identity. In his baptism, Jesus’ identity is received from the Father in the announcement that “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’. In the same way, we receive our identity from God “when we believe in him.” Our identity rooted in Jesus and what He did on the Cross, but it is also rooted in our future with Him, rather than our past or present reality. And as we discover who we are in Jesus — we discover an unchanging firm foundation that is true of us beyond the shifting sands of circumstance and culture.
Who am I? It seems that we all are seeking the answer to this question. We are all trying to find security and worth. There are some who find their identity from the outward opinions of others. Some search for their identity by searching inwardly and deciding for themselves who they are. We often find our identities from what we do, what we have, what we want, or even what others think about us. These approaches tend to leave us either crushed by other’s expectations, or endlessly searching within ourselves. But unlike these other approaches, the unique Christian claim is that our identity is not achieved but received. We see this most clearly in Jesus’ own understanding of his identity. In his baptism, Jesus’ identity is received from the Father in the announcement that “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’. In the same way, we receive our identity from God “when we believe in him.” Our identity rooted in Jesus and what He did on the Cross, but it is also rooted in our future with Him, rather than our past or present reality. And as we discover who we are in Jesus — we discover an unchanging firm foundation that is true of us beyond the shifting sands of circumstance and culture.