The Power of Redeemed IdentitySample

Day 2 - The Importance of Identity

How important is Identity?

It is so important that the first act in a newborn’s life, after emerging out of the womb, is to be given a name – and along with that, an identity. In the majority of cases (for intact families mainly) – the identity comes from the father. If a child receives a mistaken identity in the hospital, many complex problems can follow later in the child’s life, through no fault of their own (more on that later).

Jesus, the very Son of God himself, received public affirmation from his Father in Heaven. You may know the story –

After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. Matthew 3:16 NLT

What happens next is incredibly important; it sets the stage for our contemporary understanding of the bestowal of Identity -

And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17 – NKJV

Note three key points regarding the affirmation and annunciation of Jesus’ identity – and how they relate to us today:

1) It was very public. Looking at the context of Matthew 3, the occasion was a baptism at the Jordan River, with many onlookers gathered. It was therefore an open declaration, made before men, angels, and even the demonic realm. The voice “came from heaven” – it was no doubt too loud to ignore. God was not ashamed to claim His Son before the whole world!

2) This baptism was not only the occasion of public acknowledgement – it was also the impartation of Divine Identity, which is transmitted and imputed via Sonship – the Father/Son connection. God said, “This is my beloved son”… (emphasis added). This is an indispensable and foundational truth that we as New Testament believers must internalize, in order for us to attain the peace, freedom, and victory over sin that God has made available to us. It is also vital for us to note that this impartation of Divine Identity (and affirmation of his Sonship) no doubt made Jesus invulnerable to the enemy’s best efforts to tempt him to sin. In the next chapter, we see the devil saying twice to the Master, “If you are the Son of God…” (emphasis added).

3) Loving, affirmative language was used…let’s look at verse 17 again, in another version:

…and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased and delighted!” - Amplified Bible

This next rendering makes God’s pleasure in His Son emphatically clear –

And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” - New Living Translation

The enemy’s ultimate goal was to get Jesus to fail in his Divine Assignment through committing sin. It is the same goal he has for you and me – separation from the Love and Empowerment of the Father. Jesus completely and confidently conquered the enemy’s schemes by knowing his Divine Identity. The Good News is that we can do the same today – can you say “Amen”?

Prayer:

“Father, help me grow deeper daily in my understanding and embracing of Divine Identity, and therefore learn how to be the Overcomer you designed me to be. Amen”.