Identity in Christ
"For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless, when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still like the scum of the world, the refuse of all thing . . . I urge you, then, be imitators of me."
-1 Corinthians 4:8-13; 16 (ESV)
As I am reading 1 Corinthians, I am reminded that the apostle Paul found his sole identity in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 1:21, Gal. 6:14, Acts 20:24, 1 Cor. 2:2) Through placing his identity in Christ Jesus he was able to be content in any and every circumstance. (Phil. 4:11-13) Maybe that doesn't astonish you. Read 2 Corinthians 11. Paul received 39 lashes from the Jews five times, three times he was beaten with rods, stoned once, shipwrecked three times, faced constant danger, and he often went without sleep, food and drink to name a few.
It is just amazing to me to hear Paul boast in becoming the scum of the world and not to complain about being poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless or held in disrepute. A look at many of our churches today definitely reveals that our identity is not even in the same hemisphere as Paul's. We love our nice homes. We love our fashionable clothes. We certainly love to eat. Isn't eating out after church expected? We must live in a safe neighborhood and send our children to safe schools. To Paul, being a follower of Christ was definitely not safe.
I find it strange how Paul's identity in Christ caused him to be reviled and persecuted, while our "identity" in Christ often brings us pats on the back and invitations to hang out at Christian parties. I can't think of the last time that I was truly reviled for being a follower of Christ. When was the last time a group of Christians in America was referred to as the scum of the world? The difference between Paul's identity in Christ and our modern subculture's identity in Christ is that Paul really had his identity in Christ. Our identity is often found in our jobs, friends, accolades, prestige, and individual accomplishments. When our relationships grow weary or when we don't get the promotion is when our lives began to spin out of control. We need to embrace an eternal perspective and view all those things as they are. They are really insignificant in light of Christ. When He becomes our identity those hiccups will not throw our lives off course.
A lifelong struggle for me has been allowing Christ to be my one identity. Ross and Staci King wrote a song about Christ being our identity and security that we sang in church the other week. Ross talked about the struggle it is to truly make Christ our identity, but it is to be a pursuit that we embrace. Personally, I have allowed sports, success, and friends to be my identity. When I perform well I receive temporary praise that makes me feel good for a short period of time. When my cell phone is ringing and people are inviting me to hang out I really feel good. When I get a job promotion or hear nice things being said about me it really changes my mood. I'm not on a mission to stop us from encouraging one another or to put an end to some of the pleasures in life, but I just want those to be so small and insignificant as compared to who Christ is in my life.
Let us embrace Christ as our one identity. Let us be willing to give up safety and comfort for the sake of Christ. A life that finds it's identity in Christ will be radically different from the worlds. I think the reason that so many Christians live in a manner that is pretty similar to non-Christians should cause us to do some rethinking. We must live in a way that causes others to see Christ as our one identity and security. This is not a simple 7-step plan that will allow us to be good to go in six weeks, but a lifelong journey where we die to ourselves everyday. May God grant us the grace and power to live this way.
-1 Corinthians 4:8-13; 16 (ESV)
As I am reading 1 Corinthians, I am reminded that the apostle Paul found his sole identity in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 1:21, Gal. 6:14, Acts 20:24, 1 Cor. 2:2) Through placing his identity in Christ Jesus he was able to be content in any and every circumstance. (Phil. 4:11-13) Maybe that doesn't astonish you. Read 2 Corinthians 11. Paul received 39 lashes from the Jews five times, three times he was beaten with rods, stoned once, shipwrecked three times, faced constant danger, and he often went without sleep, food and drink to name a few.
It is just amazing to me to hear Paul boast in becoming the scum of the world and not to complain about being poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless or held in disrepute. A look at many of our churches today definitely reveals that our identity is not even in the same hemisphere as Paul's. We love our nice homes. We love our fashionable clothes. We certainly love to eat. Isn't eating out after church expected? We must live in a safe neighborhood and send our children to safe schools. To Paul, being a follower of Christ was definitely not safe.
I find it strange how Paul's identity in Christ caused him to be reviled and persecuted, while our "identity" in Christ often brings us pats on the back and invitations to hang out at Christian parties. I can't think of the last time that I was truly reviled for being a follower of Christ. When was the last time a group of Christians in America was referred to as the scum of the world? The difference between Paul's identity in Christ and our modern subculture's identity in Christ is that Paul really had his identity in Christ. Our identity is often found in our jobs, friends, accolades, prestige, and individual accomplishments. When our relationships grow weary or when we don't get the promotion is when our lives began to spin out of control. We need to embrace an eternal perspective and view all those things as they are. They are really insignificant in light of Christ. When He becomes our identity those hiccups will not throw our lives off course.
A lifelong struggle for me has been allowing Christ to be my one identity. Ross and Staci King wrote a song about Christ being our identity and security that we sang in church the other week. Ross talked about the struggle it is to truly make Christ our identity, but it is to be a pursuit that we embrace. Personally, I have allowed sports, success, and friends to be my identity. When I perform well I receive temporary praise that makes me feel good for a short period of time. When my cell phone is ringing and people are inviting me to hang out I really feel good. When I get a job promotion or hear nice things being said about me it really changes my mood. I'm not on a mission to stop us from encouraging one another or to put an end to some of the pleasures in life, but I just want those to be so small and insignificant as compared to who Christ is in my life.
Let us embrace Christ as our one identity. Let us be willing to give up safety and comfort for the sake of Christ. A life that finds it's identity in Christ will be radically different from the worlds. I think the reason that so many Christians live in a manner that is pretty similar to non-Christians should cause us to do some rethinking. We must live in a way that causes others to see Christ as our one identity and security. This is not a simple 7-step plan that will allow us to be good to go in six weeks, but a lifelong journey where we die to ourselves everyday. May God grant us the grace and power to live this way.
posted by billy newhouse at
12:12 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home