At times we need to pause and remind ourselves of who we are in Christ. After receiving forgiveness through repentance and faith in Jesus what does the Bible say about who we are? What is our identity? What are we called to do? I’ll share a few that I think are important for us to remember.
In Christ We are Called Friends
No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. -John 15:15, ESV
In Christ We are Called Sons (and Daughters)
For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. -Galatians 3:26, ESV
In Christ We are Called to Serve
26 “It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” -Matthew 20:26-28, ESV
Our identity in Christ is quite peculiar. Consider this. Jesus no longer calls us servants because we know His business, and yet the nature of His business is to serve. We have been given the identity and privilege of sons, daughters, and friends while retaining the attitude and mission of a servant. It is the identity that Jesus himself embodied. It is the identity of a servant-son.
This idea of the servant-son is the very remedy God uses to bridge the gap between the heights of His own holiness and the depths our human depravity. It is the remedy of reconciliation that was carried out by the servant-son, Jesus Christ. It was Jesus Christ, God the Father's only begotten Son, who chose the role of a servant in order that many might be redeemed.
Now as followers of Jesus Christ we share His identity. We carry on the ministry He paid for and perfected. We bridge the gap. It is this divine understanding of who we are that empowers what we are called to do.
With great intention, Jesus has made us into something more in order that we might have more to give. He has brought us high in order to send us low. We are not servants that serve. We are sons that serve. We are daughters that serve. We are friends that serve. We know who we are, and the riches of grace we possess as God's family. Then we give it all away, just like a servant. That's the business of Jesus. That’s our identity in Christ.