공동체와 양육

Do You Know Who You Are? (Rom. 8:17)

2018.10.28P. Jamie Cha

Our true identity does not depend on our achievements, possessions, or labels but on who God says we are in Christ: children of God, redeemed, loved, and made new.

Your true identity is who God says you are

Labels such as student, lawyer, or nationality cannot fully show who we are. The preacher tells how his daughter came home puzzled after a classmate asked her what she was, and how he gave her a card reading Irene Cha, citizen of heaven. Success, money, school, and talent all fade and cannot be relied on. Your true identity is who God says you are.

Like Simba, we must look again at who we are

Simba, the crown prince of Pride Rock, fled into exile after being tricked into believing he caused his father's death, and he forgot who he was. Rafiki led him to a reflecting pool, where at first he saw only his own reflection. When he looked harder, he saw his father Mufasa. Many of us carry guilt, bitterness, and grudges in the same way, either running from our past or being defeated by it. We need to look into God's Word and see ourselves as God sees us.

Our worth does not depend on what we can do

The preacher's son Christian was born with a disability and could not walk or talk until first grade. He once asked his mother why God made him like this. Later, in Mongolia, he said he wanted to serve God, and in Thailand he dedicated himself to be a missionary. He said, who I am is no longer defined by what I can and cannot do. I know I am special, and I am loved.

In Christ we are new creations, not sinners

Once you follow Jesus, the old self is gone and you become a new creation with a new identity. The Bible says you are a child of God, a friend of God, a joint heir with Christ, a saint, redeemed, forgiven, and dearly loved. Jesus frees us from sin and condemnation instantly, not only when we die. The preacher says that you and I are not sinners but saints, though we are still capable of sinning.

Remind ourselves every day who we are

The preacher asks the congregation to stand and declare together who they are in Christ: accepted, loved, significant, redeemed, empowered as ambassadors of Christ, and fearfully and wonderfully made as God's masterpiece. Each declaration is followed by turning to a neighbor and speaking it to them. We are to train ourselves to remember this every day. Do not carry these chains around any longer.

Apply to Life

  • Let us stop carrying guilt and shame that Christ has already set us free from.
  • Let us find our identity in who God says we are, not in our success, possessions, or labels.
  • Let us remind ourselves every day of who we are in Christ.
  • Let us bless and encourage our family and friends by telling them who they are in Christ.

This summary was made automatically from the sermon's captions and may differ from the sermon.

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