Identity in Christ

Identity of a Christian
Who we are and how we should live. Christians have little idea of who they are supposed to be.
We are called not to be self centered nor seek after honor.
Mat 18:1-5 About this time the disciples came to Jesus and asked him who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (2) Jesus called a child over and had the child stand near him. (3) Then he said: I promise you this. If you don't change and become like a child, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven. (4) But if you are as humble as this child, you are the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (5) And when you welcome one of these children because of me, you welcome me.

Mat 20:20-28 Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee, with her sons, doing homage, and asking something of him. (21) And he said to her, What wilt thou? She says to him, Speak the word that these my two sons may sit, one on thy right hand and one on thy left in thy kingdom. (22) And Jesus answering said, Ye know not what ye ask. Can ye drink the cup which *I* am about to drink? They say to him, We are able. (23) And he says to them, Ye shall drink indeed my cup, but to sit on my right hand and on my left, is not mine to give, but to those for whom it is prepared of my Father. (24) And the ten, having heard of it , were indignant about the two brothers. (25) But Jesus having called them to him , said, Ye know that the rulers of the nations exercise lordship over them, and the great exercise authority over them. (26) It shall not be thus amongst you, but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your servant; (27) and whosoever will be first among you, let him be your bondman; (28) as indeed the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Much of the focus on Jesus’ identity is explicit.

Mar 8:27-29 Jesus and his disciples went to the villages near the town of Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them, "What do people say about me?" (28) The disciples answered, "Some say you are John the Baptist or maybe Elijah. Others say you are one of the prophets." (29) Then Jesus asked them, "But who do you say I am?" "You are the Messiah!" Peter replied.

Mar 15:39 A Roman army officer was standing in front of Jesus. When the officer saw how Jesus died, he said, "This man really was the Son of God!"

The primary witness of Jesus identity is not that of humans but of the Father.

Joh 5:30-40 I cannot do anything of myself; as I hear, I judge, and my judgment is righteous, because I do not seek my will, but the will of him that has sent me.
(31) If I bear witness concerning myself, my witness is not true. (32) It is another who bears witness concerning me, and I know that the witness which he bears concerning me is true. (33) Ye have sent unto John, and he has borne witness to the truth. (34) But I do not receive witness from man, but I say this that *ye* might be saved. (35) *He* was the burning and shining lamp, and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. (36) But I have the witness that is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father has given me that I should complete them, the works themselves which I do, bear witness concerning me that the Father has sent me. (37) And the Father who has sent me himself has borne witness concerning me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor have seen his shape, (38) and ye have not his word abiding in you; for whom *he* hath sent, him ye do not believe. (39) Ye search the scriptures, for ye think that in them ye have life eternal, and they it is which bear witness concerning me; (40) and ye will not come to me that ye might have life.

Joh 7:28-29 As Jesus was teaching in the temple, he shouted, "Do you really think you know me and where I came from? I didn't come on my own! The one who sent me is truthful, and you don't know him. (29) But I know the one who sent me, because I came from him."

Identity is a major theme throughout the sermon on the mount.

Blessed are the poor and blessed are the meek both have to do with the rejection of arrogance and the understanding of our need for God. The first beatitude, “Blessed are the poor in spirit is an allusion to Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
The third speaks of the meek. And seems to allude to Psalm 37:11
Psa 37:11 But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.
Two different Greek words are used here but in the original Hebrew these are the same word. This word is often used as a title for God’s people. We are those who need God’s intervention and we know it. Our identity in Christ means that when things are not perfect the first thing we do is come to God in prayer. “Help!” is a very good prayer. When things are good the first thing we do is give thanks to God for the good times.
The other beatitudes deal with our attitude and behavior. “Hungering and thirsting for righteousness” “merciful” “pure in our hearts” “peacemaker”. In the deepest part of our heart their must be honesty, good will and desire for good relations both with God and with people. We are not to be deceiving, malicious, and violating boundaries.
These are lofty goals. We are to desire to achieve them. Can we achieve them? I think Jesus expected us to try. But he did not expect us to do it alone.
How do we make these changes in ourselves? We are going to deceive ourselves into thinking we are doing better than we really are. We can rationalize self aggrandizement. We are the ones in control on the change. So we deceive ourselves. We mean well but we let ourselves off the hook when doing these things seems to hard. Blaise Pascal put it, “Our own interest is again a marvelous instrument for nicely putting out our eyes.”
The Sermon on the Mount is not legalism. The sermon tells people who they are and what they are to do.
Later in the sermon he called them salt of the earth and a light to the world. This is our identity fellow saints as we follow Jesus’ challenge.
Let us seek to understand it and live it.
I’m not sure what to think of this but some philosophers said it was easier to live a virtuous life than to live a vice filled life. Seneca, a Roman philosopher who lived at the time of Christ said, “The road to the happy life is an easy one, The maintenance of all virtues is easy, but it is costly to cultivate the vices.” Was he right?
We are to take on the character of God. He loved his enemies. Are we to do less? We take our identity from God. After all we were made in his image.
The sermon on the mount tells people who they are and what they are to do. Identifying ourselves as Christians is more than believing the right things.
The call to discipleship is clearly a call to a new identity.
Mat 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples: If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me.
The gospel of John focuses on identity perhaps even more than the other three. John uses the word “remain” throughout and it has multiple meanings. John saw the Spirit of God descending and remaining on Jesus. When the to disciples of John asked Jesus where he was staying, what they said literally means, “Where are you remaining?” He remained and they remained with him. Jesus remained in the Samaritan village for two extra days. Jesus remained with his Father and we his disciples are to remain with him too.
Joh 6:27 Don't work for food that spoils. Work for food that gives eternal life. The Son of Man will give you this food, because God the Father has given him the right to do so."
This is the food that remains.
Joh 8:31-32 Jesus therefore said to the Jews who believed him, If ye abide in my word, ye are truly my disciples; (32) and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.

By remaining they find freedom. Jesus’ word remains in them they become disciples, know the truth, and the truth sets them free.