Beyond The Basics

We hear a lot about identity these days, both in the Church and out of it. “Gender identity” is a term that has made its way into common modern vernacular. Of course, in the Church we hear about our identity in Christ all the time.

Identity is essential to becoming fulfilled human beings. Without identity we are just zombified husks wandering aimlessly from one day to the next with no purpose or mission or goal. There is no common bond that would unite us with the rest of the human race without an identity that would bring meaning to our interactions and relationships with others.

Wow. Is the entire post going to be this depressing? Because if it is, I’m outta here.

Looks like I’ve managed to scare away my own internal dialogue. I better brighten this up a bit!

Over the last handful of years there has been an increase in teaching regarding our identity as sons and daughters of God. And in the midst of a generation that is increasingly marked by their lack of traditional nuclear familial relationships, this is a highly essential emphasis in the body of Christ. I know many lives that have been changed because of the revelation of the identity of God the Father who has adopted us as sons and daughters into His family.

I sense a “but” coming. You said that like there’s a “but” coming.

But.

It seems to me that in many ways that very essential revelation of our sonship has become overemphasized to the exclusion of many other aspects of our identity in Christ. There are many other ways we can identify ourselves as a result of what Jesus did on the cross. We are priests. We are His elect. We are the Bride of Christ. We are the Body of Christ. We are saints. We are holy. We are intercessors. And, of course, we are servants. Here’s what I mean:

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5-11)

Jesus knew exactly who He was. He knew that He is God, and that He is equal with God, and that He could come to earth and throw the weight of His authority around and He would have every right to do so.

But He didn’t do that.

Instead, He set aside that identity and became a servant. Some translations say a “bondservant” which is more like a slave. He chose to become fully dependent on God, when He could have depended on no one, and identify Himself more with what He could do for others rather than with the privilege of the authority that He rightly carried. And therein lies my fear with much of the teaching on sonship these days.

You see, making sonship our primary identity runs the risk of our identity becoming self-focused. Again, don’t get me wrong, I believe our adoption into God’s family is a beautiful and essential revelation. But if we stay there and don’t move on to a deeper understanding of who we are, we run the risk of becoming hyper-focused on our status within the kingdom of God rather than what we can do for others. And that, my friends, is exactly why Jesus rebuked his disciples when they were more concerned about their status than about serving others (Mark 10:35-45; Luke 22:24-27).

How did the apostles view their identity?

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God… (Romans 1:1)

Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus… (1 Corinthians 1:1)

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God… (2 Corinthians 1:1; Ephesians 1:1; Colossians 1:1; 2 Timothy 1:1)

Paul, an apostle… through Jesus Christ and God the Father… (Galatians 1:1)

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus… (Philippians 1:1)

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope… (1 Timothy 1:1)

Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ… (Titus 1:1)

Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus… (Philemon 1)

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ… (James 1:1)

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ… (1 Peter 1:1)

Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ… (2 Peter 1:1)

The elder… (2 John 1; 3 John 1)

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James… (Jude 1)

His servant John… (Revelation 1:1)

There are other ways the apostles identified themselves throughout their letters, of course. But when we introduce ourselves to someone, we very often will lead with the most important information about ourselves. We talk about our family, our career, etc. To the Peter, James, Paul, John and Jude, the most important information about themselves they could convey was that they were apostles and servants through the ministry to which God had called them.

Beloved, let us embrace our identity as sons and daughters of the Father but let us also move forward from that and have this same mind that is ours in Christ Jesus, that we are humble servants of God, called to the ministry of reconciliation. Let us become obedient even to the point of death that in doing so, the name of Jesus Christ will be exalted and lifted up.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments.