The “BORN” Identity
Open: The title of my message this morning is…”The BORN Identity”. In a recent movie Matt Damon stars as a government secret agent. As the movie opens we see this agent floating on the water, appearing to be dead. A fishing boat happens by and picks him up, unconscious. When he finally comes to, he realizes that he has no idea who he is. He spends the rest of the movie trying to discover his “identity”. (Elaborate)
(I also have Powerpoint slides for those interested. Please contact me at tommyjackson@mac.com)
In our world today many people have done the same thing; they have lost their identity.
This is a very serious matter because when a person looses their identity, they loose their self – worth, their self esteem and their confidence.
When they loose their identity, that causes them to loose their self – worth, their self – esteem and their confidence, they begin to look to others to fill that void.
They are no longer confident in who they are and who God made them to be.
Even Christians can fall into this identity crisis. You see I believe for too long we have looked at bad situations and called them a “sin” issue. I believe the true root of the problem is an identity issue.
Many times before issues become sin issues in our lives, they become “identity” issues.
After the person is in full – blown “identity crisis” the temptation to sin becomes unbearable.
People search for someone to fill the void or “gap” in their lives. That is why Christian husbands leave their wives, and Christian wives leave their husbands because they no longer have a good understanding of their identity in Christ. Satan begins to lie to them and say, “You know you’re not appreciated”, “you deserve better than this”. He begins to appeal to their ego, due to a lack of self – esteem and Godly self – worth. Their confidence is shattered because they cannot see themselves as God sees them, and they begin to believe a lie that something better is on the other side. They are not satisfied or content in who they are or what they are and before long Satan dangles a carrot out before them. This carrot is self-gratification, self – indulgence and profligacy.
It’s the same reason why Christians backslide and turn away from God after they have walked with Him for a while.
They forget who they are and who they belong to.
It’s for this same reason that teenage boys and teenage girls give in to sexual pressure. It’s usually not about the sex; it’s about “acceptance”. You want me, therefore I must be loved. I am loved, therefore I am accepted. I am accepted, therefore, I must be somebody.
But CHURCH what we need is a “BORN Identity”
You say, Pastor, “what is a “BORN Identity”
Well, let me tell you…Jesus told Nicodemus in John Chapter 2, “You must be born again”.
What is the purpose of this being “BORN AGAIN”?
When you are born again, you take on the heart and the mind of Christ. You begin to see yourself like God sees you.
You can take the spiritual blinders off and quit pretending like you have to be perfect. You can quit pretending that you have to live up to everyone’s standard of what you need to be like.
Coming to God isn’t confining…it is liberating! Now you are more free to be you than ever before. You don’t have to follow the latest fads and trends, whims and ideas of people.
You are now free to be who God made you to be. You don’t have to go out and get wasted with your friends to be accepted. You don’t have to wear the same hairstyle or the same brand jeans in order to fit in.
As long as it’s Godly and doesn’t go against the Bible, you are free to be you. Because you have now come to the place of understanding that your identity is in Jesus Christ. Now HE is the one you want to please because he loves you and HE looks with favor upon you!
We must begin to understand who we are in Christ. We must begin to get our approval and our acceptance from Him.
We must quit letting the Devil tell us we are nothing because of the failures of our past or the weaknesses of our present.
We must begin to see ourselves the way God sees us.
We must look at ourselves in the mirror and say “I am loved just like I am”…”I am accepted just like I am”
Am I perfect “NO”. But do I have to be perfect for God to love me “NO”!
I now have a new identity and it is a “BORN IDENTITY”
NOW ALL OF THAT WAS MY INTRODUCTION. NOW I WANT US TO OPEN THE BIBLE AND GET SOME PRACTICAL STEPS TO OBTAINING THIS NEW “BORN IDENTITY”
TEXT: LET ME SET THE SCENE HERE AND ESPLAIN TO YOU WHAT WE ARE ABOUT TO READ.
JESUS IS JUST ABOUT TO START HIS EARTHLY MINISTRY. IN A DISPLAY OF OBEDIENCE AND IDENTIFICATION WITH SINNERS, JESUS HAD A MAN NAMED JOHN BAPTIZE HIM. THAT IS WHERE WE PICK UP THE STORY IN MARK CHAPTER 1 VERSE 9. LISTEN TO WHAT IT SAYS:
At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. (Mark 1:9 NIV)
As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. (Mark 1:10 NIV)
And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."
(Mark 1:11 NIV)
Now notice the three things that God told Jesus, because they are the keys to us having a proper identity.
# 1 – YOU ARE MY SON
® Isn’t it sad in the day that we live in that a lot of Men will have sex with women that they don’t know or barely know, then we the girl or woman gets pregnant, he denies that the child is his.
® Can you imagine how that must make the child feel? Unwanted, unneeded, unappreciated.
® Yet God said to Jesus, “You are my son”
® I don’t deny you, I claim you!
® And once you have a “BORN IDENTITY”, that is the same thing that God says to YOU!
® I don’t deny you…I claim you!
® That is why you must have a “BORN IDENTITY”
The Bible says… in Galatians 3:26 NIV “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus”,
® I want everyone to like me, but if they don’t I realize that my identity is found in what God thinks of me.
# 2 – WHOM I LOVE
® A person who truly loves you will never abandon you. Though miles and time may separate you, their love will always be there.
® That is why the Lord can say to you from Jeremiah 31:3 “…I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness”.
® A person who loves you will look beyond your faults and failures. When they do that, it brings security. When you mess up or make a mistake, you understand that God’s love remains consistent.
You see when we begin to understand His love, we begin to understand our identity.
Satan’s Lie God’s Truth
You are a sinner because
you sometimes sin. You are a saint ( one declared
righteous by GOD ) who sometimes sins.
You get your identity
from what you have done. You get your identity from
what God has done for you.
You get your identity from
what people say about you. You get your identity from
what God says about you
I am accepted...
John 1:12 I am God’s Child
John 15:15 I am Christ’s friend
Romans 5:1 I have been justified
1 Corinthians 6:17 I am united with the Lord, and I am one spirit with Him
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 I have been bought with a price, I belong to God
1 Corinthians 12:27 I am a member of Christ’s body
Ephesians 1:1 I am a saint
Ephesians 1:5 I have been adopted as God’s child
Ephesians 2:18 I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit
Colossians1:14 I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins
Colossians 2:10 I am complete in Christ
I am secure...
Romans 8:1-2 I am free forever from condemnation
Romans 8:28 I am assured that all things work together for good
Romans 8:31-34 I am free from any condemning charges against me
Romans 8:35-39 I cannot be separated from the love of God
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God
Colossians 3:3 I am hidden with Christ in God
Philippians 1:6 I am confident that the good work God has begun in
me will be perfected
Philippians 3:20 I am a citizen of heaven
2 Timothy 1:7 I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power,
love, and a sound mind
Hebrews 4:16 I can find grace and mercy in time of need
1 John 5:18 I am born of God, and the evil one cannot touch me
I am significant...
Matthew 5:13-14 I am the salt and light of the earth
John 15:15 I am a branch of the true vine, an extension of His life
John 15:16 I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit
Acts 1:8 I am a personal witness of Christ’s
1 Corinthians 3:16 I am God’ temple
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 I am a minister of reconciliation for God
2 Corinthians 6:1 I am God’s co-worker ( 1 Corinthians 3:9 )
Ephesians 2:6 I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm
Ephesians 2:10 I am God’s workmanship
Ephesians 3:12 I may approach God with freedom and confidence
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me
" The more you reaffirm who you are in Christ, the more your behavior will begin to reflect your true identity!" (From "Victory over the Darkness" by Dr. Neil Armstrong)
# 3 – WITH YOU I AM WELL PLEASED.
® Most people think that here is NO WAY God could say that about them.
® In some ways that is true, if we just looked at ourselves alone.
® But God looks at us through Christ. That is why we must have a “BORN IDENTITY”
® The Bible says, (Rom 8:1 NIV) Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
Close: I think this scripture sums it all up… (Who are you? What is your identity?)
"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy."
1 Peter 2:9-10
