Reclaiming: 1. Identity
Part 1 of 4
By Rachel Theunissen
Recently I’ve been asked to put together some talks for a local Christian Radio station and thought that I would like to share them with you in the hope that you will find them helpful.
Over the next four weeks, I’m going to look at the different ways we can Reclaim our relationship with God. Today we’ll be looking at Reclaiming our Identity, then reclaiming our well-being, next reclaiming our power and we’ll finish with reclaiming our purpose.
So let’s start with reclaiming our Identity. We can spend a lot of time trying to figure out who we are and where we fit. We use the world’s measures. Looking at other people to tell you who you are and define you, allowing your parents to tell you who you are, or even googling it. If you google the question ‘who am I?’ you get 25 billion 270 million search replies in less than a second! Isn’t that crazy? I can’t even get my head around that number of answers. Without God, we’re groping in the dark for the answers to this question.
The Bible teaches us that we are made in the image of God.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female. – Genesis 1:27
We are now found hidden in Jesus, seen by the Father as righteous because of the price he paid.
…your life is hidden with Christ in God – Colossians 3:3
You may have heard that before but have you allowed that to sink in? It matters how you speak about yourself out loud and in your head because you are an image bearer of God!
Ultimately we’re seeking the answer to the fundamental questions of Am I accepted? Am I secure? And Am I significant?
In Eden Adam and Eve had all these answered through their relationship with God. After the fall the separation from God brought these questions about. We find instead of Acceptance – rejections, instead of Security – fear and anxiety, and instead of Significance – guilt and shame.
The good news is that our relationship with God which was broken in the Garden of Eden has been restored. Jesus lived the perfect life that we couldn’t and restored the relationship for us by taking the punishment we should have faced. These can be read as cold facts, knowledge for your head. But if you allow them to penetrate your heart they will change your life.
The big question is how to get these facts from head to heart? How do you get this to go from facts that you know to a truth that you revel in?
I wish I could tell you there was a magic pill I could give you or a quick fix. The facts change in a moment, that’s justification. But sanctification, becoming more like Jesus takes a lifetime, until we meet him when we are glorified. Given new bodies and continue our eternity in His presence without pain, sickness or sadness.
The best way to start this journey after you have surrendered to Jesus is to invite the Holy Spirit into your life. He is our partner and best friend in this journey called life.
But the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. – John 14:26
My own experience is that I only need to take a step toward Him and he is eager to meet me.
God has chosen us to be temples of His Holy Spirit. When I think of a temple I find the thought abstract and hard to relate to. I relate better to the verses in 2 Corinthians 4:7
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
The thought that we are jars that hold His presence feels more tangible and then I can really picture the description of Psalm 23:5
You anoint my head with oil and my cup overflows.
Who are you? Who am I? A mortal body carrying an immortal Spirit. The dwelling place of the living God, the creator of the universe who wants a relationship with you so much that he will live in your jar of clay and mould you, shape you, and bless you to overflowing. Doesn’t that blow your mind?!
Reclaim your identity by getting to know the one who made you and knows everything about you.
This blog post was first published at www.racheltheunissen.com
