IDENTITY

It seems to me that much of the news these days is about gender and race issues - Blacks, Muslims, Indigenous, homosexuals, males self-identifying as females, or males and females proclaiming they have no gender at all, and so on. Laws are being passed to accommodate the whining from all these self-conscious identifications for acceptance and privilege from the rest of the community. As usual we are seeking to meet symptoms but are not healing causes. Personally I do not think causes can be addressed in this rebellious and self-focused, God hating society we have today. We are beyond that now except for the few individuals that God will call out of this despair. Society today will have nothing to do with causes which point to sin and the need for repentance and submission to the Lord Jesus Christ. And so our society and its leaders go on serving evil and the Evil One as faithful servants of destruction.

 Regarding the focus on gender and race mentioned above, I think the issue is about a search for identity, value and meaning. We all need to know who we are, that we are valued, and that we have a purpose in life. For the Christian all of these needs are clearly addressed if we will listen to the Bible and know our place in Christ. Jesus himself knew who he was, that he was loved by the Father and why he came to earth. "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased" and "I must be about my Father's business." and "I came to seek and to save what was lost".
The quest today for identity, value and meaning is focused on self and not focused on God. No one can find themselves until they find their Creator and Father in Jesus Christ. Our full identity is more than gender, race, temperament, gifting, abilities, family, culture, social status and work. These take on their proper place when we know ourselves in Christ. To search for our identity in these things or anything else apart from God leads to frustration and confusion at best and to moral abandonment, radicalism, and perversion at its worst. God has already pronounced that any search for identity that is not based on seeking Him leads to an abandonment to ourselves with devastating results. (Romans 1).
Believer, my plea is that you will deepen in your understanding of who you are in Christ, of your Father's unconditional love for you, and in your purpose as a believer in Christ. May you analyze this world through Biblical glasses and live in accordance with this enlightened vision. Believer, as I wrote last week, live as the alien you are in Christ and do not try to assimilate with this perishing world. Persecution, marginalization, and mocking are guaranteed along with the promise of eternal life.