Who are you...?

By: Dr. Greg Quakenbush, Geissler Corp., & Dr. Doug Ford, Production Animal Consultation

In our last installment, we saw that in elementary school, Dr. Doug put it all on the line as he made a unilateral decision to change his name to “Dale”. Billy Dale was Doug’s father as well as his hero. It was no small thing for Doug to fully identify with his dad and what better way than to take his name as his own. Unfortunately, Dr. Doug recalls encountering a fair amount of pressure that came his way from his teacher and parents who did not share his vision for a new identity. We know today that Dr. Doug was ahead of his time because he understood at an early age the value of a good name. A man is measured by the content of his character and name.

“What do you do for a living?” It is interesting that we like to know what others do as an occupation in part to understand who we think they are. Conscientiously or not, we use that information as a ruler to measure or evaluate them.

Today people have many other ways of identifying themselves besides what they do for a living. Sexual orientation or sexual preferences, race, disabilities, native country, financial status, and even combinations of the above are often used to identify oneself or others.

Make no mistake, one’s personal identity is very important. It has a direct effect on how we live out our lives. If I were to ask, “Who are you?” and you said, “A feedlot manager”, or “Democrat” or “A single mom with three kids”, all may be true, but they don’t tell who you are. Most tell me what you do, or your situation, but not who you are.

If our identity and sense of worth is only tied up in some physical attributes, like our work, our looks, our position, our wealth, or our intellect, then what happens if it is suddenly taken away? What’s left? Some would argue that nothing was left and possibly consider life not worth living. When all is stripped away, who we really are is likely all that remains.

Christianity takes a different approach to our identity and value situation and provides a better outcome. In some respects Christianity might be loosely compared to the witness protection program. When we become followers of Jesus Christ we become new individuals. He gives us a new life and a new nature. (2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”) New life brings with it a new identity. “Being a Christian is not just a matter of getting something; it’s a matter of being someone. A new Christian is not simply a person who gets forgiveness, who gets to go to heaven, who gets the Holy Spirit, who gets a new nature. A Christian, in terms of our deepest identity, is a spiritually born child of God, a divine masterpiece, a child of light, a citizen of heaven. It’s not what you do as a Christian that determines who you are; it’s who you are that determines what you do.”1

Looking back to our original story, we see that Dr. Doug loved and admired his father and was determined to be identified with him. In his way of thinking, the best way to do this was to take his dad’s name as his own. His dad represented all that was good and right, and Doug wanted that for himself.

The parallel of Doug’s story regarding the exchanging of who we are in this world for a new identity in Christ is remarkable. In this witness protection style exchange, we get a new identity, a new nature, a new name (saint), as well as a new future. Who we are and what we are cannot be impacted by adversity.

Digging a bit deeper…

As a hopeful new creation in Christ, reflect on the list below regarding your new identity. What follows is absolutely true. It represents what Christ has done for us. Be encouraged, as you consider all that Christ accomplished for us on the cross. It is finished!!

I am a saint (Eph. 1:1; 1 Cor. 1:2; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:2)

I am a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17)

I am a son of God and one in Christ (Gal. 3:26, 28)

I am righteous and holy (Eph. 4:24)

I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3)

I am chosen of God, holy and dearly loved (Col. 3:12; 1 Thess. 1:4)

I am an enemy of the devil (1 Pet. 5:8)

I am born of God, and the evil one – the devil – cannot touch me (1 John 5:18)

I am Christ’s friend (John 15:15)

I am the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13)

I am the light of the world (Matt. 5:14)

I am a child of God (John 1:12)

I am chosen and appointed by Christ to bear His fruit (John 15:16)

I am a joint heir with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him (Rom. 8:17)

I am God’s workmanship – His handiwork – born anew in Christ to do His work (Eph. 2:10).

I am a citizen of heaven, seated in heaven right now (Phil. 3:20; Eph. 2:6)

I am a son of light and not of darkness (1 Thess. 5:5)