Identity Theft

“Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” 1 Peter 2:10

Have you experienced identity theft?

I'm not talking about the kind where someone gains access to money or credit cards.  I'm talking about real identity theft—the kind where someone tries to steal your real identity—who you are.

So, who are you, the real you, and why would anyone want to steal that?

If you identify as a Christian, then first and foremost you are a Christian.  Mother, father, brother, sister, doctor, lawyer, mailman . . . those descriptions are all secondary.  The verse above in 1 Peter tells us that when we belong to God, that is our identity.  We are His.  We belong to Him.  We are Christian.

We can't compartmentalize our identity or put it in a pocket and pull it out when we need it.  It is much more than that.  It is the very fabric of who we are.

But you ask, "How could somebody steal that?"

The Holy Bible tells us in John 10:10, "The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life."

The devil cannot snatch you out of God's hand (Isaiah 43:13), but he will do his best to deceive you into thinking that Christianity is just a segment or part of who you are rather than the whole of you.  That's real identity theft.

But what if you don't know or believe in Jesus?  The passage above in 1 Peter 2:10 gives us the answer.  There is really nothing to steal because you have no identity as a people.  To put it another way, Ephesians 2:11-13 says, "Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called 'uncircumcised heathens' by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ."

Knowing that we can have our identity in Jesus and He in us, giving us His mercy and a rich and satisfying life, that's real joy.

Goodnight, Runners.