God is the Author of My Identity
“I’ve always wanted to be somebody. But now I see I should have been more specific.” – Lily Tomlin
“Who am I?”
One of the great myths of our day is that in your teenage years you figure out who you are and then you live out that identity after you’ve grown up. The truth is quite different. In adolescence we figure out some boundaries of who we might become and then we spend the rest of our adult figuring out who we are. The search for identity is a life-long one. After all there are so many questions about life, about people, about myself that I don’t even know to ask, much less how to answer, until much later in life.
And this is such an important question, isn’t it? Who I am defines so much. Who I am defines how I handle myself on the job. Who I am dictates how I relate to my spouse. Who I am determines how I raise my children, how I speak about others, how I handle difficulty, how I respond to hate… Who I am even defines how I relate to God. So perhaps its rather important for me to get a healthy, balanced view of my own identity.
That’s what I hope we’re going to be able to start on this morning. And this will only be a starting point. But we’ve got to start somewhere.
So let’s begin by asking this, “What has God done to show me my identity?” “What has God done to make known to me who I am?”
First, God created me. With his own hands, God created me. One of the most fundamental gifts of the Judeo-Christian heritage is its primary assumption of God as the creator of humanity. From Genesis 1, the first pages of the Hebrew-Christian cannon, we read:
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27
From the very start, God is identified as the creator. In fact, the title Creator is a powerful title addressing God. We pray to Creator God. This assumption of God’s direct involvement in creation is echoed in the poetry of the Older Testament. From the Psalms and from Jeremiah we hear it:
“Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands.” Psalm 119:73
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Psalm 139:13
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5
“Did not he who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?” Job 31:15
But not only do we acknowledge that God has created each and every one of us, we recognize that God is continually shaping each of us; continually forming and reforming us as elements of His creation. God shapes me. From Jeremiah 18:6 we read God speaking to Israel through the prophet:
“Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.” Jeremiah 18:6
And truly, we are clay in the hands of the Master Potter. God shapes our lives – and this is a continual process isn’t it.
We pretty much never reach a point when God is finished. If we’re breathing, he’s still busy. You never wake up and suddenly realize, “This is it. I’ve become everything God wants me to become. I’m done. I’m a finished project.” And if you do wake up feeling that… get ready. The potter is probably just taking a quick break – to relax before he dives into the really heavy work.
From that incredible resource of theological insight, we read on bumper stickers often, “Be patient, God isn’t finished with me yet.” How true.
God creates me, God shapes me and thirdly God purchases me. Or maybe an even better way to say that would be not God buys me… but instead God buys me back. I was his to begin with and then he purchased me back from the Overlord of Sin and Death.
From the first of Paul’s impassioned letters to the Corinthians we read:
“You are not your own; you were bought at a price.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
And listen to the powerful imagery John the beloved Apostle gives to us in this scene from Revelation:
“Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. And they sang a new song: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.” Revelation 5: 6,9
One of the most important, I would argue essential, concepts of the New Testament to grapple with is the idea of redemption – this buying back That’s the big, fancy, expensive, theological word for what we’re describing… redemption. God redeemed me. Long after I was made, while God was still in the process of shaping me, I went off and sold myself into slavery. You know what I mean… you’ve done the same. While I was growing up and I started giving myself over to another power, another owner – sin. And God choose to pay the ransom that evil held over my head – a blood ransom offered in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
From the words of an unbelievable simple yet unquestionably powerful song: “I am mine no more, I am mine no more, I’ve been bought with blood; I am mine no more.”
So who else could have the privilege, permission, the power, the right to tell me who I am other than God Himself? I conclude that God is the author of my identity. He alone gets to tell me who I am. After all, it is God who created me. It is God who shapes me. It is God who has purchased me and to whom I have given my life. This is a life pledge I’ve taken – God gets to author my identity for me. God gets to tell me who I am. And maybe you too have taken that pledge…
“So you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have been made like him. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. For you are all Christians—you are one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and now all the promises God gave to him belong to you.”
Galatians 3: 26-29 (NLT)
You became part of His family line, all other forms of identity (jew, gentile, slave, free, male, female…) were put in subjection to this identity as part of God’s family – God’s children – Heirs to the promises make to Abraham. A new identity – authored by God himself.
Doesn’t that sound good? I can have an identity that I can entirely trust, entirely rely upon, always claim as true, trustworthy, sound and healthy – because it is an identity that comes from God himself. I know who I am. I know where my priorities really do lie. I know what is important. I know better how to handle the good and the bad of life. I know better how to relate to my friends, better how to live in my marriage, better how to raise my children. I know who I am supposed to be at school. I know how to climb the corporate ladder – all because I know who I am – because I know the author of my identity. Isn’t that appealing? Wouldn’t you like to know who you really are? Wouldn’t that have an incredible, wonderful life-long affect on you?
Well you can. You can get a firm grip on you really are and who you really can be.
What I’m going to do this morning is to remind you of where to look for this identity. I’ll even give you a few suggestions on how to look for this insight.
If God is the Author of My Identity…
Then I need to research my family tree.
I need to do some research to learn about my forefathers and foremothers. Its time to dive into my ancestry to see what I can learn about my own lineage, about those who went before me, about common mistakes those of my bloodline have made, about common strengths we share. I need to research my family tree.
The Apostle Paul commends this family history, the Scriptures to us for this very purpose. From his letter to the Romans:
“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4
The Bible wasn’t created by God to give you one more paperweight on your home desk. Nor is intended solely to serve as a text-book for the theological seminaries of the word. This is the story of God and the stories of his people struggling to recognize Him in them and among them. This is your family history. Learn from it. Learn where our family of faith has grown, learn the lessons of our victories and defeats. Learn where we have consistently failed or let someone else determine our fate.
Learn how God spoke to the people of faith of the past. See how God authored their identity.
People thought Moses was just a murderer who ran away from his crime. God taught Moses that he was a deliver and a liberator. Joshua might of seen himself as just a second-string quarterback having the follow in the footsteps of Troy Aikman or John Elway. But God reveals to Joshua – you are the commander of my armies; the great leader I need for this time! David’s family sees him as the youngest and smallest in a line of sheep-herders. But when others see a shepherd boy, God sees a king. Andrew saw his brother as a fisherman and a bad one at that. But when Jesus sees Peter, he sees the rock of the church and a leader whose name will echo across the earth for time to come. When the church sees Saul they see an enemy. But when Saul sees Jesus, He sees himself as an Apostle who will spend the rest of His life promoting the cause of Christ.
Get into the family history. How can you see what God wants you to be if you don’t know how He thinks, what He’s done or where we as a family have been? How can I go into my neighborhood and live out my identity if I haven’t spent anytime trying to discover who we are?
This week, carve out some time of your unyielding schedule to do some research into the family history you’ve been given in the Scriptures.
Also, If God is the Author of My Identity…
I need to rejoice in the uniqueness of my identity in God.
God authors each of us as a unique story of His love and grace - an exceptional and distinctive chronicle of His presence among humanity. God’s working of His power and His mercy and His nature in your life – in your personality, your talents, your passions, your convictions, your experiences is a special one – one that he will never duplicate exactly. There are no spiritual clones. God works in you and through you in a way in which he will never do so in the life of another.
Paul understood how uniquely and personally God works in our lives. Look at the words from his first letter to the Corinthians:
“But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than all the other apostles, yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.” 1 Corinthians 15:10 (NLT)
“Now there are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but it is the same Holy Spirit who is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service in the church, but it is the same Lord we are serving. There are different ways God works in our lives, but it is the same God who does the work through all of us.” 1 Corinthians 12: 4-6 (NLT)
What I am now it is because God poured out his special favor on me, Paul says. “There are different kinds of gifts… different kinds of service… different ways God works in our lives…” God works in each of our lives differently to create, to shape and to redeem. And this is an going process. Paul tells us in Phillipians 1:6:
“…He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippains 1:6
God started something in you when you were born. And all through your life he has been shaping and growing you, authoring your identity. God has planted some powerful convictions in your life. God has taught some very personal lessons to you through the experiences you’ve lived in His care.
And you know, some of that is what we’re going to try to get at tonight in our Summit. We’re going to try to map out some of the unique understandings and insights and passions that God has given you through your life. I’m sorry I don’t have the fancy words or easy categories to give you to describe to you what we’re doing. But trust me, this isn’t a trick or some weird meta-physical happening. What we’re going to do is simply illustrate the life values God has given uniquely to you. If you’re not planning on joining us, I’d encourage you to reconsider your plans if you can. We’re going to meet tonight at 5:30 here at New Heights. Bring a pencil or a pen you like to write with. And try to be on time…
Rejoice in the uniqueness of your creation and identity before God.
If God is the Author of My Identity…
I must work to reject imposters with their false imitations.
Just as surely as you decide to recognize and concentrate on God as the author of your identity, you’ll discover a number of false identities, a number of imitations being offered to you instead of the Divine identity God has authored for you.
Actor Peter Sellers was famous as one time for his ability and work at literally losing himself in his characters. He would ‘put a character on’ and then apparently would live as that character until the role was finished. As he was walking across a movie lot one afternoon a curious bystander came up and asked him, “Are you Peter Sellers?” To which he replied, “not today I’m not.”
And we can, at times, confuse our identity before God and our roles lived out for God. A role is something I do that draws on the lessons and life of who I am – my identity. My role as a husband is shaped by the identity of who I am. My role as a Spiritual Guide is ground in who I am authored by God. My role as a Father depends entirely on my identity continually being shaped by God.
And the world and all the roles can be a very confusing place if you’re still not sure of who you are. We play so many roles, and play many of them for such a long time and at such a level of sacrifice and commitment. You may be a student for only 12 – 15 years, but you’re a parent for much longer. The role of parent changes tremendously from nursing an infant, to catching a toddler, to training a 6 six year old to coaching an 11 year old, to praying with a 13 year old to letting go of an 18 year old. But you still play a role, as parent, when your child starts the cycle over again becoming parents themselves. It’s a great sacrifice and commitment. But it is still a role. Before you can be a Christian parent, you have to be a Christian. Before you live out your identity in your role in the marriage, you have to come to terms with your identity. And we can very confused, can’t we?
To make matters worse there are all kinds of people, well meaning enough, who will gladly help you decide who you are. The company you work for would like to define your identity. Your friends at school or in the neighborhood would like to let you know who you’ll be – if you’re going to be ‘cool’ or ‘good’ or ‘right.’ Teachers, parents, friends, preachers… there is a constant list of people who think they know best who you should be, how you should live, how you should raise your kids.
“So long as the source of our identity is external—vested in how others judge our performance at work, or how others judge our children’s performance, or how much money we make—we will find ourselves hopelessly flawed, forever short of the ideal.” – Author Melinda Marshall, 1993.
And ask yourself, am I letting someone else tell me who I am? Do I act differently to please different people? Do I change who I am to make others happy? Am I different person in the office than I am at home? Am I different person at school than I am at church?
And there any number of hidden, damaging, intrusive, undermining agendas and messages out there attacking your sense of identity in Christ. From the Proverbs we read:
“Smooth words may hide a wicked heart, just as a pretty glaze covers a common clay pot. People with hate in their hearts may sound pleasant enough, but don’t believe them. Though they pretend to be kind, their hearts are full of all kinds of evil. While their hatred may be concealed by trickery, it will finally come to light for all to see.” Proverbs 26: 23-26 (NLT)
Satan masquerades himself in many ways. He has amazing ways to hide his agendas. He would love to take control of the authorship of your identity, to tell you who you really are – according to his accusing, lying, and hate-filled nature.
We have to reject these imitations, these imposters who would try to remake us in their image.
So if God is going to be the author of my identity I research my family tree, I rejoice in my uniqueness as his creation, I reject any imposters and then, perhaps the most challenging of all,
I refer others to the author himself.
If God is the author of my identity, I want everyone else to meet him for themselves. This is an author who will take on any project; work in any life and who longs for his people to bring him new business. My goal is to tell others about this author who will help them discover the life story they’ve always been looking for.
And the real trick here is not to tell them their life story. You can’t do that. You might have some insights, some ideas, some observations. But you haven’t lived anyone else’s life. You can’t tell them their story…
But you can tell them your own. Refer other people to the author by letting them read the story He has written in your life. Write out what God has done for you and through you and within you. Literally, write it out.
For those of you involved in our Wednesday night study series, “Spiritually Formed” you do have homework to turn in this Wednesday night. I asked you to think about, what is the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and then to write out, what is the message of salvation to which you responded. What is your testimony of deliverance, of rescue?
And this is a challenge for everyone. Put into words what God has put into your life. Write out how God has shaped you, changed you, challenged you, healed you, empowered you, used you, saved you, sent you… If you can’t put into words, you need to. Putting something like that into words forces me to think it through at a more detailed, precise way than I’ve ever done before.
And I think you’ll find this to be true: Once you put this story into words, God will bring you people with whom you can share it. Suddenly you discover people who God is bringing to you to hear what he’s written into your life.
Your life is story of God’s authoring. God wants to share that story. Refer others to the author. He will even help you do this. Look at these words from Hebrews 13:
“May the God of peace…equip you with everything good for doing his will.”
Hebrews 13: 20-21
God will equip you to tell people what he’s done for you. He’s just looking for people who are willing to let him write on their hearts and them make themselves living tablets and testimonies for His love and grace.
From the apostle Paul himself we read,
“You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” 2 Corinthians 3:3
God is the author of my identity.
So I will research my family tree
I will rejoice in my uniqueness as his creation
I will reject any and all imposters or imitations
And I will refer everyone I know to my Divine author.
The story is told that after Abraham Lincoln had been assassinated his body was being marched through a town in memorial to his legacy. As the entourage was making its was through the exceedingly crowded streets of a particular town, a freed slave picked up his very young son and put him up on his shoulders and pointed him towards to the body of the slain leader and said, “Look at him son, he died because he believed you should be free.”
Isn’t that what we do. In the crowded streets of everyday life, we lift people up to point them to the slain and risen leader of our faith who is also the author of the story of our lives – Look at him – he died to set you free.
