New Identity

Have you ever asked yourself the question, "who am I?" If you haven't asked it you've probably heard someone else say, "I'm trying to figure out who I am."  So much of ones life is about figuring out "who they are", investing both time and resources to come up with something we are comfortable with or can at least tolerate.  Years go by and you realize that's not who you are at all.  Have you ever heard someone say after divorcing their spouse of 30 years, "that's just not who I am anymore, I've changed".  The pursuit of our identity can become a life time travel expose, with documented journaling to support your adventure.  People live there entire life without being satisfied with who they are. 


The church today has found themselves struggling with their identity.  We have become a people that are more concerned about how people see us vs. who we are.  The Bible is very clear that our identity is not wrapped up in what people see, that's old covenant doctrine.  Jesus in Matthew 5 begins to unfold the new covenant, the new life we have in Christ.  Jesus hits a cord when he says in vs. 20 "For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."  The question that might follow this statement is, "than who can be saved?"  This is the very point Jesus is making, you can't fulfill the righteous requirements of the law.  No matter what standard you put up for yourselves you will never measure up.  Jesus was preparing them for the greatest illumination of revelation known to mankind, He was their righteousness.  It was no longer about them being righteousness; where they failed He was going to succeed. Our Identity is no longer in what we do, but rather what He did. 


Can someone say, "Thank you Jesus!!!"


More to come...
Warren