Who Am I?

1 John 4:17

Herein our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgement because as He is so are we in this world

Who am I? Am I defined by what I do (accountant, artist, student, mother, and so on)? Or am I in essence the things I have achieved (honors, a record holder, a winner, and so on)? Is my life solely a product of the things I have done right or am I defined by the things I have done wrong? What do others think of me? Am I all of those things or none of those things?

How I identify myself determines how I approach life. If I am what I do, I will always need more to achieve in order to find value in life. If I am what others say, I will always try to impress people instead of pleasing my heavenly Father. Yet if I listen to what God says on who I Am and embrace His identity in me, I will find the freedom to live out His entire plan for my life.

God through His word calls us:

1. His children - 1 John 3:1 "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him." 3 John 4 "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."

2. Beloved - 2 Thessalonians 2:16 "Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace..." Psalms 103:11 "For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him..."

3. Holy, Blameless and Righteous - Ephesians 1:4 "...just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love..." Ephesians 4:24 "...and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness."

4. Free from curses, condemnation and death - John 8:36 "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."  Romans 8:1 "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."‎

5. Restored - 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." 

6. Perfect through His grace and mercy of Jesus Christ - 2 Corinthians 12:9 "And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."‎" Matthew 5:48 "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." 

7. Chosen - Ephesians 1:11 "In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will..." Matthew 22:14 "For many are called, but few are chosen." Luke 18:7 "And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?‎"  John 15:19 "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."

8. Rich - 2 Corinthians 8:9 "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich."‎

9. Healed - 1 Peter 2:24 "...who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed." Isaiah 53:4-5 "Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed."

If we see ourselves the way God sees us, we will walk with confidence because we trust the One who answers the question: Who am I?             

                                                       

Blessings.

-- Kelvin Mutuma.

(2/11/14 Sunday Service Morning Exhortation, Teaching Transformation Ministry.)

Brother Kelvin is a vibrant youth and leader of the teens at Teaching Transformation Ministry. We are located along the Thika-Ruai Flyover Junction (at the Thika Rd./Bypass Intersection), next to Eastgate Restaurant.