What's Your Identity?

I read and listened to Hebrews several times this week. One of the times going through it, I made a list of how believers are described throughout the book. Take a look:

-        those who are to inherit salvation

-        those who are sanctified ("...for both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified all have one Source..." - see how closely He identifies with us!)

-        brothers ("...He is not ashamed to call them 'brothers'.")

-        the offspring of Abraham (Love the context of this one: "for surely it is not angels that He helps; He helps the offspring of Abraham." Human beings. He especially cares for human beings.)

-        you who share in a heavenly calling

-        His house

-        those who listened/we who have believed

-        all who obey Him

-        those who through faith and patience inherit the promises

-        those who draw near to God through Him ("He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them." The faithful love of Jesus for us is this strong and this good!)

-        those who are called

-        those who are eagerly waiting for Him 

-        those who are being sanctified ("...by a single sacrifice, He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified." Doesn't that put courage back into your heart?!)

-        My righteous one

-        those who have faith and preserve their souls

-        the firstborn who are enrolled in Heaven

I was blown away. Incredible. I don't really think of myself in all these terms, but these are God-given statements about our identity and hope. If you are a child of God, this is already who you are. This is the character of everyone who belongs to God (whether they are maturely reflecting it at the moment or not). Brothers and sisters, by the grace of God, choose to believe this and to step into this - your true identity - today in the face of your own thoughts and feelings, which may be communicating very opposite things to you. Take God at His word and open your heart to Him. He is the unchangeable God, and it is impossible for Him to lie (Heb.6). He means all of these things that He says about us: this is who we are.

And, reader, if the burdens and darkness of life are heavy now and you doubt about His willingness and ability to be and do these things in or for you personally, hurting friend, please read through Hebrews yourself. Look for what it says about the nature and ways of God. You will find a gentle, faithful God who has provided a perfect, sympathetic High Priest and who sits on a throne of grace offering mercy and help. I had to make a list of that too. And together "let us draw near" to this God.

"Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the Great Shepherd of the sheep, but the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." (Heb.13:20)

Peace

Peace

Peace is what happens when the burden of life is borne by someone greater than us, so that, although we are small, we are sure of being cared for. Like being under a truly good, benevolent government. "Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end." Peace happens when everything shifts into perspective in relation to You, remembering that You are in control and that You are full of love and grace, very strong, and for us. The heaviness may not go away, but it doesn't crush in quite the same way because we realize that You take complete responsibility for the world and for our lives and that we are precious to you. We can rest because everything is being taken care of. This is peace for tortured minds and hurting hearts. We don't have to figure it out. We don't have to manufacture the strength to make it through all by ourselves. We don't have to perform to get Your attention. You are already present, already gracious, already strong, already good, already in control, and already at work to bring about Your wise purposes. In the end, You have promised that the whole world will experience peace. Until then, let the lives of Your children be filled with peace and act as signposts pointing to You, the Prince of Peace. Teach us to enter into Your rest and peace, to take full advantage of it. You are the God of peace: i.e., You know who You are and what exactly it is that You are doing, and You are pleased with that. You invite us to share in Your peace by faith, putting our trust in You and Your constant, caring control. Help us accept Your invitation, aka, give us peace. 

(This post is #6 of 6 personal meditations on God's names and character. Here are the links to Great Physician, Inscrutable, Immanuel, Steadfast and Grace.)

Grace

Grace

Grace. It's how You are. It's Your posture toward people. The way You treat them. By nature, You are inclined to be kind to undeserving people: that is grace. Grace is the way You relate to us. We are going to chronically fall short, and You know that and are inclined in the deepest part of Your being to be generous towards us. Beyond that, You always remember that we are dust, and You know that life falls heavy on us, and You offer help to us. As our God, You are constantly calling us to impossible things and putting us into situations that are too complex, too painful, too overwhelming, and too big for us (You Yourself are too big for us.). But every time You call us to the impossible, You offer us grace: the supernatural enabling to follow through on every good endeavor that You have purposed for us. It is supernatural help though it often comes in the most ordinary of ways. And at the end of the day, it is going to be You Yourself who comes to us and is Enough for us at every turn: that is grace. And it is how You are toward Your own. 

(This post is #5 of 6 personal meditations on God's names and character. Here are the links to Great Physician, Inscrutable, Immanuel, and Steadfast.)

Steadfast in Love

Steadfast in Love

Steadfast in Your love. Covenant faithfulness. Sworn loyalty. Not subject to circumstance or whim. Unrelenting care. We human beings are so fickle. We don't have a natural metric for steadfastness, and it's hard for us to register the implications of Your being the God of steadfast love: the sheer goodness and safety and security of it. But this is who You are and You treat Your people with steadfast love. We will never experience cruelty, neglect, manipulation, injustice, coldness, stereotyping, impatience, betrayal, lies, or unkindness at Your hands. "All the paths of I Am are steadfast love and faithfulness." Thank You. As I experience Your love, cause me to know and to trust it. Let me in turn be steadied and secured by it. You are for me: now and forever. Nothing can change that: it is a steadfast, unshakable, unchangeable reality. It is as sure as Your own existence and power. 

(This post is #4 of 6 personal meditations on God's names and character. Here are the links to Great Physician, Inscrutable, and Immanuel.)

Immanuel

Immanuel

Immanuel. Here. The Present God, the God who has always chosen to live in the midst of His people. Our Immanuel. All that it means to have You here with us. All that it means to have You here with me. O God - my God - thank You. Your omnipresence is one of my favorite things about You. Despite my own finiteness and my sinful bids for independence that often draw me away from savoring Your presence and being present with You in every moment of my daily life, I can truly say that I'm delighted by Your ubiquitousness that allows us to have constant interaction with You. Beyond Your companionship (which is the jewel of life), Your strength, authority, wealth, gladness, wisdom, love, and grace are such treasures that You have generously given me access to at every point. All that You are, You are here and now with me. This is amazing and praise-inducing. You are Immanuel, the God who incarnates, the One who draws near. I love You, and here and now I come to rest under the shadow of Your wings. 

(This is #3 of 6 personal meditations on God's names and character. Here are the links to Great Physician and Inscrutable.)