My Identity Matters

I bet you can guess tonight what we are going to talk about.....IDENTITY!!! Did you know you have at least 2 identities. I say at least 2 because some of us in here have a whole bunch of identities depending on where we are at or who we are with. I used to be very good at putting on a front for people. I used to pride myself on being able to alter or change my identity based on where I was at or who I was around. Looking back on that now I realize 2 big things that happened because of that.

The first thing is nobody ever knew the real me. Now at the time that was a good thing because the real me was ugly, and depressed, and longing for acceptance. I never thought that I would have wanted anyone knowing the real me. The second big thing that happened was I never really figured out who I was either.

For some of us that doesn’t sound like a big deal especially the first one. But what happens when a crisis happens. What happens when the storms of life become so strong and so terrifying that you actually NEED someone. When you finally get to the point that you realize I can’t do this on my own anymore. When that happens if you have so many identities that you can’t keep them straight what happens. Who can help you?

I want to look at a guy who had 2 identities in scripture. A guy named Job. And the funny thing is each one of us has at least 2 identities. Let’s take a look at Job.

Job 1:1-5

New Living Translation Chapter 1

There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters. 3 He owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 teams of oxen, and 500 female donkeys. He also had many servants. He was, in fact, the richest person in that entire area.

4 Job’s sons would take turns preparing feasts in their homes, and they would also invite their three sisters to celebrate with them. 5 When these celebrations ended—sometimes after several days—Job would purify his children. He would get up early in the morning and offer a burnt offering for each of them. For Job said to himself, “Perhaps my children have sinned and have cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular practice.

So here is Identity 1. Job was rich and famous. We was also a righteous man who cared about his children. I’m sure some people looked up to Job and others hated him but his identity in all their eyes was set. Now let’s look a little farther..

Job 1:6-8

New Living Translation Chapter 1

6 One day the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the LORD, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them. 7 “Where have you come from?” the LORD asked Satan. Satan answered the LORD, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.”

8 Then the LORD asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.”

Job also has a heavenly identity. God the creator of all things calls Job a man of complete integrity. He calls Job “my servant”. To be a servant you need to have close proximity so Job was close to God. I’ll sum up for you what happens next: All of Job’s animals were stolen. All but one of his farmhands were killed. His sheep and shepherds were burned up and killed in a fire. His camels were stolen and his servants killed. And Job’s children were all killed. All this in one day. CRISIS. STORMS. EVERYTHING HE HAD AND EVERYTHING HE LOVED GONE. How does Job respond?

Job 1:20-22

New Living Translation Chapter 1

20 Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. 21 He said,

“I came naked from my mother’s womb,

and I will be naked when I leave.

The LORD gave me what I had,

and the LORD has taken it away.

Praise the name of the LORD!”

22 In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.

Praise the name of the Lord. Through all the things that just happened. Storms and theft, murder, and accidents he was left with nothing. And because he knew who he was he was able to maintain and not fall away from God. In fact I believe because his identity was found in God it made him able to lean and reach for God during hard times.

But was it really 2 identities? You see Job’s earthly identity changed and swayed depending on circumstances right. His identity as a rich man a powerful man famous in the area. All that changed in 1 day. If Job had built his identity on that he would have been crushed. He would have been willing to do anything to get it back.

But Job knew his identity in his Heavenly Father. He knew that he was God’s servant. And he knew who he served.

His GOD GIVEN IDENTITY WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. YOURS IS TOO

Going back to what we talked about when we opened up this series you can’t build your identity on the things in this life. They will fail, collapse, cease to exist.

And let me clue you in on something....when those things fail here is what the enemy will whisper in your ear....

Things will never be the same..they’ll never be as good as they were....you will never be as good as you were....nobody cares about you....YOU DONT MATTER.

If that were the case we would be in trouble. But we have a heavenly identity just like Job. Bought and paid for with the blood of Christ. His sacrifice, his suffering, his death burial and resurrection gives us a heavenly identity.

Here is what God says about us.

2 Cor 3:16-18

New Living Translation Chapter 3

16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

He says through Christ we are free. Not free like democracy free but free from guilt, shame, bondage, and chains that weigh us down.

Eph 2:8-10

New Living Translation Chapter 2

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago

We are God’s masterpiece. We are created new in Christ. He has a PLAN for us. YOU HAVE A PURPOSE. YOU MATTER.

Along with those things Paul writes this in 7

New Living Translation Chapter 1

7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

In Christ, you are powerful, full of love, and self control. You don’t have to be afraid or timid or shy. It’s time to come into your identity. The real you. Your Heavenly Identity.