Identity in Christ: A 40 Day JourneySample

Introduction

Who are we?

Are we who we think we are or who other people think we are? Are we our inner thoughts and feelings or our spoken words and actions? Are we just a combination of our biology, genetics, and experiences? Are we our family history? Or is all we are determined by our experience in our society? Are we our personalities and preferences? What exactly is our ‘identity’? We hear voices all day telling us who we are. We think we are who people say we are, how they look or don’t look at us. Are we the compliments of our friends or the rebuttals of our enemies? Are we our darkest thoughts or our best moments? Are we our highest school mark or our kindest deed?

Life in this world can be slightly - ok, a lot - confusing. As Christians, we are called to be a part of a kingdom that is 'now' but also 'not yet.' We know something of God's goodness and perfection, but we don't yet see that perfection carried out on this planet. We are strangers and pilgrims on this earth - which can be challenging to wrap our heads around. The Bible gives plenty of examples of people who loved God but faced difficulties and challenges. They glorified God in their faith and their lives. Many of them had first to undergo a renewing of their understanding of identity - who they are - before they could begin to live lives that changed the world. Think of Isaiah and Moses' encounters with God before they started their ministry.

Take a look at how God calls Jeremiah:

"Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.' "

Note the formula of these verses:

1. First, God is personable with Jeremiah and speaks His Word to Him. If we want to know God's voice, we need to know a little about His character. We cannot trust and accept God's words if we don't know who He is. In part one of this devotional, 'Truths about God,' God's nature is discussed.
2. Secondly, God talks about sanctification. This is significant to us as Christians because we are sanctified by the work of Jesus on the cross. In this devotional, we look at the relationship between our identity and our sanctification in two parts: the first, 'Part 2: Foundational Truths', is about the objective work of Jesus and the theological outcome of his death and resurrection. Next, in 'Part 3: 'Truths about Me,' we look at what that means for you as a person - how should the gospel impact the way you think about yourself?
3. Thirdly, God ordains Jeremiah and sends him out in his office as a prophet to the nations. In this devotional, we look at a little of God's general call to Christians and who we are called to be in this world in 'Part 4: Truths about My Purpose'.

Are you ready to dive deeply into what God says about Himself, His Gospel in your life, and what that means for your purpose? Let's pray now to ask Him to prepare your heart for this journey.

Prayer

Lord God, I want to know the truth about who You are and who You say I am. Lead me and guide me in this journey. May Your Word bring clarity to my mind and peace to my heart. Give me faith to lay hold of all You have said about me and Your promises to me. Amen