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A New Season
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"A New Season"

"Identity" (Relational Truth: part 5)

          The LORD God speaks through the Prophet Isaiah, "Rise up in splendor! Your light has come" (Is. 60:1). Each new day I have to choose to rise up in the 'splendor' of my true identity as child of God, as son or daughter of the Father. I have to choose to live in freedom. The root meaning of the word, splendor, is "to shine". I 'shine' as I hold fast to the word of life, the word of truth which is "a light for my path" (Psalm 119:105). Authentic Christian faith always stands in the bright light of relational truth.

          Each of us who has been baptized has put on Jesus Christ, the light of the world: "God is light" (1John1:5). I have been called "out of darkness into his wonderful light" (1Pet. 2:9). God is wonderful light. The word, wonderful, means 'astonishing'. Who am I? I am "light in the Lord" (Eph. 5:8). I am a child of the God of astonishing light. Truly, "In him we live and move, and have our being" (Acts 17:28)--and our true identity!

          The world, the flesh and the devil specialize in "identity theft". This is why I must "put on the armor of light" (Rom.13:12)  everyday to remain rooted firmly in my true identity as child of God: "The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him" (1John3:1). In the movie The Passion of the Christ in the scene of the "Garden of Gethsemane", the script has Satan speaking at Jesus and questioning him:

Satan: "Do you really believe that one man can bear the full burden of sin? No one man can carry this burden, I tell you. It is far too heavy. Saving their souls is too costly. No one. Ever, No. Never.

Jesus: "Father, you can do all things. If it is possible, let this chalice pass from me. But let your will be done, not mine.

Satan: Who is your father? Who are you?

The Enemy engages 'psychological warfare' in an attempt to cast seeds of doubt within Jesus, attacking his relationship with the Father, Jesus' own identity and his sense of mission--the Father's will for him in the world (a mission of obedient love). One can sense oppression, lies, never, discouragement and despair in the words of the Enemy. One is reminded of the serpent's attack in another garden--the Garden of Eden--where he struck at the relationship of Adam and Eve with the Father and, hence, struck at their true identity.

          In John 1:19-25 the Jews from Jerusalem send priests, Levites and pharisees to John the Baptist, and they grill him with seven questions: "Who are you?"; "What are you then?"; "Are you Elijah?"; "Are you the Prophet?"; "Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?"; "What do you have to say for yourself?"; and "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?" John answers each of these questions with humility, honesty and truth. He is a man of God who is rooted in the Word of God and who witnesses to Jesus. Anyone who rejects the false identity that the world tries to impose upon him, and who chooses instead to walk in integrity as a child of God, can expect to be challenged and opposed by the world.  

Questions:

1)   Am I aware of the ways that the world, the flesh and the devil strike at my true identity?

2)   What spiritual tools do I exercise when I am being attacked by oppression, lies, 'never', discouragement, or fear?

Scriptures:

Any scripture from the text; John 1:9-12; John 12:36; John 12:46; 2 Co. 4:6

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