Value, Identity and Directional Crisis

We live in difficult times.

People scratching to find happiness but failing.

Respect for people is often lost in this race for happiness.

The search leads one to a certain kind of self centered thinking.

Our value has been rooted in ourselves. Our identity has been made confused by our self seeking. Our direction is dictated by our own will.

This is where I think the grand narrative of Scripture helps. Applying Scripture is important and the grand narrative simply provides context to our application.

Grand narrative: segments Scripture (creation, fall, redemption restoration) (Adamic, Noahic, Davidic, Messianic covenants)

These are great ways of providing context to history and to the Bible but I want to offer a different way of looking at God’s work in history. This perspective hopefully will be personal and applicable to us all.

Value

The Bible teaches us that our value is not rooted in ourselves but our culture says differently.

Genesis 1:26–27 ESV

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Key in on “Image Bearing”

Dominion: Image bearing implies exercising dominion and stewardship.

Value

Ability: Image Bearing implies reflecting some of the abilities of our Creator

creativity, love, relationship, justice and mercy

Sanctity: Image bearing demands sanctity of human life

Genesis 9:6 ““Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.”

This verse is just one among many stating the value of human life. It is set above almost everything else.

This section of Scripture occurs after the floodwaters subside and resembles heavily the passage we just looked at, implying that our dominion, ability and value are all tied up into image bearing.

An implicit value is assigned to all humankind regardless of race, ability, age, or gender. At conception value is assigned and it is maintained for eternity.

Value, rooted in our image bearing is tainted at the fall but not altogether lost. Value has been forgotten and perverted but by mankind but we still own the value given us at conception, regardless of our sin nature.

Identity

Our culture says that identity is located in ourselves. We alone decide who we identify as and it is a cardinal sin to question another’s identity. Scripture however, tells us differently.

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Our identity, if we have been regenerated, is in Christ. Through this new identity, we have access to certain privileges.

Titus 3:7 ESV

so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Justification: Our justification is contingent on the regenerating work of Jesus and is crucial to our new identity in Christ.

Romans 8:15 ESV

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

Adoption: Romans 8:15 “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!””

Our adoption is through the work of Jesus on the cross and it is by this work that we are co-heirs with Christ, given access to God.

Community: Because we are adopted, we have entered into a community of believers. We have fellowship centered around our relationship to the God-head.

Identity

Mission: This fellowship is not without a goal. (glorification, replication, sanctification, unification)

Conversation with Johnny being convicted of not introducing myself as a Christian

Direction

Directional change to be like Christ.

The spirit makes the path clear and also gives us the ability to walk the path.

John 16:7–15 (ESV)

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment..........When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me........

The Starting Point: Illuminates the person of Jesus, starting the regenerating relationship. This is done through conviction

Reveal truth: both about God, mankind, Jesus

Declare: the Spirit declares the will of God. We have the power of the Spirit to discern the will of God for our lives

Glorify: The spirit brings glory and invites us to join in with Him in ushering in the glory of Jesus and the Father

1 Corinthians 12:4–11 ESV

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

We have the path initiated and illuminated by knowing the truth by the Spirit and we have the ability to continue on the path by the gifts of the Spirit.

Implications of Value, Identity and Direction

Compassion on: unborn, the lost, those that struggle, those that wrong us

Evangelism: living out our identity in Christ and offering it to others. My conviction reading my evangelism book. I stay angry because I want to live in a nice, clean community and i am convicted of that. I am a citizen of the kingdom before I am a citizen of Huntington.

Adoption: It led Meredith and I to adoption: we can see their value as image bearers and are working so that they come to identity in Christ and pray that they live out the direction of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

Holiness and happiness: 1 Peter 1:16 “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”” Our Identity in Christ justifies us before God but also compels us to holiness