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)