How Do You Choose to Identify?

 

Is anyone else absolutely sick of this worldly trend of how you identify and which pronouns you choose to use? Does it make you mad, frustrated, confused, disgusted and appalled?

I recently came across this quote and wanted to share and expound on it a little more.

“In a world full of people who prefer to be called by pronouns, I’ve now decided that I want to be known by adjectives. A few examples would be… saved, redeemed, delivered, rescued, forgiven, justified, born-again, and sanctified.”

This world is sick and it’s not getting any better.

2 Peter 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

The Bible is clear in reminding us that men’s hearts will turn away from God and that they will chase after their own lusts and passions. And isn’t that the truth?

After I read this quote, I decided that I too want to be known by adjectives from now on.

About a year ago, I taught a Ladies Conference on the subject of our identity in Christ, little knowing how perverted the world would become on this very topic.

People want to identify as anything but what God created them to be.

Can I remind you that it doesn’t matter what or who you say you are, it doesn’t matter what or who others say you are, you are who God says you are and no one, not even you, has the right to define you as anything other than who he says you are!

It doesn’t matter what everyone else calls you. It doesn’t even matter what you call yourself. Only the one that gave you life, has the authority to identify you. God is the only one who has the right and the authority to tell you who you are.

Circumstances in your past, what others did to you, what they may have called you, it may have scarred you, but they are not authorized to label you and define you.

You are not defined by your past.

You are not defined by Your behaviour.

You are not defined by Your failures.

You are not defined by Your struggles.

You are not defined by Your feelings.

You are not defined by Your circumstances.

You are not defined by some crazy desire to identify as an animal or plant or another gender.

Your whole identity is rooted in who God says you are!

This whole idea of being able to decide who you are goes totally against Scripture.

When you become a child of God, no longer do you have to wonder who you are, God tells you in His Word, over and over, who you are! His word reveals your identity.

Take a look at this list of some of the things Gods says you are, as one who has put their faith and trust in him and given their life to him?

 

I am a Child of God                             John 1:12         I John 3:1,2      Galatians 3:26

I am Loved                                           1 John 4:19, 4:10, 3:16            Romans 5:8                         John 3:16        Jeremiah 31:3

I am Justified                                       Romans 5:1

I am Redeemed                                   Colossians 1:14

I am Called                                         2 Timothy 1:9

I am Known                                         Psalm 139:1    Jeremiah 1:5                                                                                              Exodus 33:17   1 Corinthians 8:3        

I am a Conqueror                                Romans 8:37

I am Victorious                                    1 Corinthians 15:55-57

I am an Overcomer                             1 John 5:5

I am Rewarded                                    Galatians 6:9   James 1:2        Psalm 37:4

I am Forgiven                                      1 John 1:9        Ephesians 4:32                                                            Psalm 103:11,12                     Colossians 3:13    

I am Saved                                          Romans 10:9,10          2 Corinthians 5:21                                                                         John 5:24         Ephesians 2:8

I am Secure                                         John 10:28,29

I am Free                                             Romans 6:18   Galatians 5:1                                                                                        Romans 8:1,2    John 8:36        

I am an Ambassador                           2 Corinthians 5:20

I am Precious                                      Isaiah 43:4

I am Blessed                                        Psalm 1:1-3    Luke 6:38         Ephesians 3:20                                                                           Ephesians 1:3   Deuteronomy 28:2

I am Created in his image                   Genesis 1:27

I am Gods workmanship                     Ephesians 2:10

I am a Friend of God                           John 15:15

I am Chosen                                        John 15:16       Colossians 3:12    I Peter 2:9.10                                                                      Ephesians 1:3,4

I am a Joint-heir                                  Romans 8:17

I am a new creation                            2 Corinthians 5:17       Ephesians 4:22-24

I am Reconciled                                   2 Corinthians 5:18,19  Romans 5:10,11         

I am Adopted                                      Romans 8:15-17          Galatians 3:26-29                                                                                  Ephesians 1:4-5          

I am Accepted                                     Ephesians 1:6

I am an Heir                                       Galatians 4:6,7

I am a member of God’s family          1 Corinthians 12:27

I am a Saint                                         Ephesians 2:19            Romans 1:7

I am a Citizen                                      Ephesians 2:19            Philippians 3:20

I am Righteous                                    Ephesians 4:24

I am Hidden                                         Colossians 3:3

I am his Sheep                                     Psalm 23         Psalm 100       John 10:14,15

I am Heard                                          Jeremiah 29:12-13                  1 Peter 3:12                                                                             1 John 5:15

I am Gifted                                        1 Peter 4:10,11            Romans 12:4-8

I am Alive                                          Ephesians 2:1,5

I am Clothed in Righteousness        Isaiah 61:10               

I am Provided for                            Philippians 4:19

I am Salt                                          Matthew 5:13

I am Light                                        Matthew 5:14

I am a Branch                                  John 15:5

I am Valuable                                   Matthew 10:31            Luke 12:7

Does this list bring joy to your heart? Do you get excited when you read verses in the Bible that remind you of all God has given you as one of his children?

Once you get saved, you are part of God’s family. You have been adopted into an entirely new family! You are now a joint-heir with Christ!  

Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

We as Christians, should identify with Christ and we should identify with who God made us to be and who he is working, through sanctification in our lives, to be.

You have been created in the image of God.

Genesis 1:27 - So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

This means everything about you physically, your skin colour, hair texture, nose shape, bone structure, has been made in the image of God. You are unique. Even your personality is an expression of God’s creativity. You are not introverted by mistake. Extroverted by mistake. You are who God created you to be.

God gave you your strengths and weaknesses so he can uniquely use you.

You are not a mistake. He didn’t mess up when he assigned you your gender. You are his design. You were created by God. You were made in his image. He makes masterpieces. You are a masterpiece. His workmanship. His creation.

Psalm 139:14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully (unique) made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

Knowing who we are changes how we live. Or at least it should!

Having a rock-solid understanding of your identity in Christ is essential to living your life in the way He intended. 

God wants us to act like who he is calling us to be. Not to act how we feel. Not to act how others feel we should but live out who God wants us to be.

We should live like we’re Redeemed. Saved. Justified. Forgiven. Chosen. Delivered.

Don’t forget who you are and who God calls you to be. The world wants to redefine who we are. They want to label us. They want us to build our own identity apart from God. They don’t care about who we are in Christ. They don’t want God to name us. They want to name themselves.

When we know who we are in Christ, it sets us free. We don’t have to wonder anymore. We don’t have to meet the world’s standards; we have God’s truth speaking over us and telling us who we are!

He sees you as his precious child. Uniquely created to be a member of his family. Loved. Forgiven. Chosen. You don’t have to believe the lies of the world. You are valuable and special to him. He made you in his image and he willingly laid down his life for you. And his plans for you are good.

This world’s corrupt view of man is twisted and warped, but praise God we have his Word to remind us of who we really are.

Don’t use pronouns to describe yourself. Use adjectives. And take them straight out of the pages of Scripture.

 

Who are you?

Saved. Redeemed. Delivered. Forgiven. Loved. Chosen.

 

Break free from the chains of the world’s identity and embrace your God-given identity! By embracing who God says you are, you will begin to see yourself as God sees you.