“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Galatians 2:20 (RSV)
When I was a child I remember when my older brother, who was about twelve, got in trouble at school. He was misbehaving and the teacher called him out saying, “Young man, who do you think you are?”
My brother, being the class smart alec, answered the teacher saying his full name, and the whole class burst into laughter. My parents didn’t find it amusing and neither did his teacher, but as an eight year old child, I thought my brother was hilarious.
I never forgot that story and it makes me think about our identity as God sees us. Today’s scripture tells us who we really are, as we walk by faith.
Our identity in Christ can be under attack by the doubts that flood our minds or guilt we feel after failing in some way. Even confessed and forgiven sins of the past, will return to haunt our thoughts and our spiritual self image.
The “accuser of the brethren” who targets every believer during their lives, will do so until Jesus returns, as described in scripture:
“Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.” (Revelation 12:10)
Just when we start to succeed in walking by faith, an accusation is fired at us and asks, “Who do you think you are?” Let’s remember that Hell is terrified of believers who really do know who they are in Christ, and live in their identity as a child of God. We know how the story ends, and the accuser of the brethren will one day be thrown down and defeated.
Whether we need healing or a relationship restored, a new job, or we are answering the call to a new ministry, the enemy is going to challenge us. When our identity in Christ is crippled with doubts, guilt or fear, we can certainly answer who we are not.
We are not the sum of our failures, we are not defined by the tragedies in our past. We are not our medical diagnosis, and we are not forsaken or forgotten, because it is God’s love that defines who we are.
Our water baptism represented our death to the old nature, and our resurrection to a new identity in Christ. Every believer is a new creation in Christ. The strategy of the enemy is to cripple our identity in Christ, but remember what Jesus said to anyone who was crippled. He told them to “Rise up and walk!”
Let’s rise up and walk in the identity of our baptism, alive to the newness Christ offers. We know exactly who we are. We are God’s children, who live by faith in the one who is holding our hand and telling us to stand up and walk.
The question, “Who do you think you are?” is not just a question for mischievous children, it’s a question for all God’s children, because every believer is a child of God.
Next time the accuser asks you who you think you are, this should be your answer:
I am chosen, crucified with Christ, forgiven, resurrected with Him in baptism and living daily by faith in Him who loved me and gave Himself for me…..That’s who we all are.
Lord, help us to rise up and walk in the secure identity as one of your beloved children, not defined by our failures or mistakes, but by your love, forgiveness and eternal sacrifice for us. Amen