Friday, July 30th – True Identity

How we identify ourselves to others in our greetings says a great deal about how we perceive ourselves. Not only do we try to communicate what we feel is important and acceptable to others, we also reveal where we find our worth as a person.

Sometimes it is hard to comprehend and to accept that the man on the other street is your brethren, but the fact of the matter is that it is not doctrine that makes us brethren i.e. brothers and sisters (one family) neither it is theology nor church affiliation but Jesus.

When someone comes to Christ with a contrite heart and ask for forgiveness and accepts the salvation that only Christ can give, such person becomes part of the family and thus a brethren.

What privilege, what love we have. What honour that we should be called Christ’s brethren (brothers and sisters) and Christ Himself called us brethren. It’s one thing to call Jesus our Brother, but it’s another thing for Himself to recognize and honour us as His brethren and that’s who we are, our true identity.

His Resurrection from the dead, made us brethren with Jesus, before while we’re still His enemies, God called us friends, but now He called us brethren, together with Him as His family.

Jesus calls us brethren, 1 John 3:1”See what an incredible quality of love the Father has given (shown, bestowed on) us, that we should (be permitted to) be named and called and counted the children of God. And so we are. The reason that the world does not know (recognize, acknowledge) us is that it does not know (recognize, acknowledge) Him.”

God is the only one who has the right standard to measure the identity He gives to us, and if we have received Christ as our substitute payment for sin, we measure an A+ in God’s book. We can’t earn God’s favour. It’s given to us as a gift, and we simply receive the gift with gratitude.

Furthermore, no one can take our true identity away. You can take away my job. You can take away my role. You can take away my possessions. Technological advances beyond my training can take away my adequacy at work. The marriage of your son or daughter can take away your role as Mom or Dad, and you need to let go. And being inside a prison may take away my physical freedom, but no one and no circumstance can take away my identity that God has given to me by His grace.

Rejoice, you are Jesus’ brother or sister.

.