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Short & Sweet: How do You Identify?

Who

He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created.

Genesis 5:2

 

“How do you identify?” is the hot question of the day.

Everyone is talking about it. It’s trending everywhere. Our nation is embroiled in an identity crisis. Never has identity been more controversial than in the 21st century. Ironically, the question is as old as dirt.

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground.

God formed man from dirt and breathed life into him. He created them male and female. Men and women. Not men or women. Created things have no choice as to what they were created to be.  The sun is not the moon, oranges aren’t apples, lions are not elephants. Men are not women. Straight up. To the point. No choice. Men and women were created. Not self-made, not man-made, but God-made. And Satan twisted God’s plan.

He attacked Eve’s identity.

“For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:5

Satan cast doubt on the goodness of man’s identity. He tempted Eve to believe God held out on her and made her less then she could be. B-list creation.

Eve fell for it—and we’ve been falling for it ever since.

Sin entered the world and everything was skewed, even identity; we are left wondering whose we are and who we are. Not knowing our true identity,  we won’t become what we were created to be, or fulfill our calling in Christ. We will only accomplish all that God has planned for us when we are what He created us to be.

Satan also attacked Jesus’ identity.

Read his words:

 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’?”
5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ …
8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, … 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’?”
Satan thought he could cause Jesus to act apart from the will of God by casting doubt on Jesus’ identity. Instead of acting on Satan’s temptation to prove who He was, Jesus stood firm in His identity. He didn’t need to prove or defend Himself. He knew who He was.

Where can we learn the truth about our identity?

The world cannot be trusted. Friends often lead us astray. Our heart is deceitful above all things. Our identity is found only in Christ. He is the way, the truth and the life.

In Christ we are:
  1. Children of God. John 1:12
  2. Accepted in Christ. Romans 15:7
  3. The image of God. Genesis 1:27
  4. Known by God. Jeremiah 1:5
  5. Chosen by God. 1 Peter 2:9
  6. One in Christ. Galatians 3:28
  7. A temple of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 6:19
  8. Seated at the right hand of God and our life is hidden in Christ. Colossians 3:1-3
  9. Redeemed from our sins. Ephesians 1:7
  10. Restored, strengthened and established. 1 Peter 5:10
 He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created. Genesis 5:2

There is blessing in being who God created us to be. Through Him we learn the truth about our identity so we may walk, live, look, and act like Jesus.

Final Thoughts:

  1. We do not create our identity but discover it. Pray and read God’s word. Take special note of any references to who we are in Christ.
  2. The more we learn about God, the more we learn about who we were created to be. Since we are created in the image of God, we are to be like Him. we can learn more about God by attending a Bible-based church, by doing Bible studies, and by listening to sound Bible-based podcasts.
  3. A picture is worth a thousand words. To see a diagram on how our identity in Christ is formed, click on this link: Identity In Christ

Resources:

If you are struggling with gender identification, there is help and hope! Please click on the link below for  information.

Focus on the Family: Transgenderism Series

For further Bible study information, please click on any of the following links:

To Do-ers List: Study

To Do-ers List: Word in Me

Walking With God

 

Life is sweet!

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