Our Identity in Jesus

The other day my wife Marilyn blessed me by buying me some new work boots.  For those of you who don’t know me I am always doing something.  I am almost always doing something whether working in the yard or on some project.  This has been my practice for years.  Several years ago Marilyn bought me a really nice comfortable pair of work boots. I have worn them so much so that they are worn out.  When I tried on the new pair of work boots they fitted nicely and they looked good. As I began to focus on how they looked I was thinking about not working in them but wearing them with my jeans and other casual clothes.  They made me look fashionable and manly.  Then I got to thinking that if I just wear them to look good I would still need another pair of work boots because I still have lots of work to do.  Then it hit me!  Some of us view our identity in Jesus much the same way as I was viewing the use of my work boots.  This identity that we have in Jesus is a working identity.  It is not the kind of identity that God gave us just to make us look good.  It is the type of identity that allows us to glorify our Savior as we live for Him and serve Him.  Our identity is given us for the purpose of building the kingdom.  That sounds like work to me! Unfortunately some of us, by way of practice, have taken our identity in Jesus to make ourselves look good.  Think about the life that Christ to which has called us.  He called us to a life of worship.  We worship Him in words of thanksgiving and songs of praise.  We worship Him by the way in which we walk in obedience and live out our identity in Him.  He called us to a life on mission.  We reach out to others and use all things given us by Jesus to bring loss sinners to Christ.  He called us to the work of discipleship whereby we nurture and train others to become transformed into the image of Jesus.  He called us to a life of intercession whereby through prayer we constantly intercede on behalf of our nation, state, communities, families and the people around us so that our Savior might accomplish His will through His people in the environment where He placed us (get this) to work.  He’s called us to community whereby we connect with each other in such a way that the world would know that we are His disciples by the love we show for one another.  He’s called us to a life of service and gave each one of us at least one spiritual gift to contribute to the edification of the body.  There is still more but you get the picture.  From what I see this new identity we have in Jesus that we call Christianity is a working identity.  Jesus said this in Matthew 5:16.  “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”  It seems to me that the light He made us to be, shines bright as we work from Him, for Him, through the strength that He supplies.  Our identity in Jesus is a working Identity.  We don’t have to work to receive His love, forgiveness or mercy.  He gives that to us unconditionally and so much more.   Jesus also said this in John 9:4. “We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.” 

Work boots are designed for working. They are good for digging in the yard and building things. They are good for working in bad weather and rugged environments.  Work boots are designed for just that, working!  Our identity in Christ Jesus is a glorious, beautiful, working identity that God gave us for building the kingdom, working in rugged and adverse environments. It does make us look good as we walk in it as we should but in reality it is a working identity.  Therefore instead of just trying to look good and even be good, (those are important too), we must be about the mission of reaching the loss, discipling the saved, worshipping our Father & Savior, and fulfilling the work to which Christ has called all of us.  Jesus gave us this wonderful understanding about this working identity we have in Him.  He said this through our brother Paul in Ephesians 2:10. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”  So as you have put on Christ Jesus, Get To Work!

What Do You Think?
Rev. Lawrence Robinson