Last week, I challenged you to embrace the identity God has for you. Our identity is not because of anything we have done or will do (good or bad), but everything that Christ has done, which means that we can rely entirely on Him despite our shortcomings and failures! When it comes to identity, there is a lot of power in a name. If you were given a name based on things that were true about you, what would your name be? I never minded my name, “John.” It’s a familiar, but very traditional name with Biblical origins. The name John is derived from the Hebrew “Yohanan,” meaning “graced by God.” Throughout Scripture, the concept of identity or naming is very important to God. Naming demonstrates authority and it also reveals intimacy and happens in the context of relationships.
Proverbs 22:1 (NIV)
A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.
So, What… for This Week?
You may not have a cool name like John, or maybe you see yourself through the lens of negative names that were placed on you from people in your past, but God is in the habit of RENAMING His people! He has a way of tearing down our own concocted identities because He offers us a greater identity. I have to be reminded (often) that the Bible tells us that we were fearfully and wonderfully made, seen, known, loved, children of God, predestined, adopted, not forgotten, no longer orphans, filled with the Spirit, full of Christ, united with Christ, one spirit with the Lord, chosen, accepted, loved, forgiven, not forsaken, reconciled, free from condemnation, a new creation, complete in Christ, holy, blameless, without a single fault, secure, heirs, free, no longer slaves, transformed, renewed, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, salt, light, not your own, bought with a price, created in the image of God, baptized into Christ, honored, raised with Christ, dead to sin, alive to God, part of the body, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, the bride of Christ, renamed. How about YOU?