The Born Indentity

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”