Article: The Importance of Identity:

Every Christian’s Critical Question

Trinity Christian Church of Greater Philadelphia

By Pastor Daniel Au

In the midst of his ministry, Jesus asked his disciples a series of important questions, “Who do the crowds say I am?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "The Christ of God.” (Luke 9:18-20) In Matthew 6, we see Jesus’ joyful reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.” (v. 17)

Have we soberly and honestly asked ourselves this question, “Who am I?” It’s a question that has been asked by every person throughout human history. Everyone, at one point in his or her life, takes a mental step outside of the routine to try to answer this nagging question of identity and existence. The answer we arrive at in answering “who I am” affects the direction our lives: what our priorities are, what our goals are, how we value ourselves, and how we relate with others.

Some people are too busy to answer the question when it pops into their heads; too busy just existing to answer the question of who exactly is working so hard to exist. Others are afraid of what they’ll find out about themselves when the question is answered because they’ll realize they have no good answer at all. Whatever reasons a person gives to avoid looking at themselves, people continue on to try to make their lives meaningful, defining themselves by their accomplishments and the things they accumulate, but after a while, eventually what they realize is that they’ve become a shadow, only having significance when there’s something to cast an image, but ultimately they find themselves having no substance at all. When that realization hits, it becomes dreadfully frightening.

Jesus knew exactly who he was and what his purpose was. He lived his life as a living display of these facts and here in this passage, he’s checking to see how people have received his message. It’s a critical question and a critical truth that Jesus is getting across to his disciples. They must know who is is in order to follow him. After all, the word disciple literally means “follower,” a person who patterns themselves after the teaching and example of another. You can’t expect a person to draw you a picture of a flower if he’s never seen one before, or sing you a particular melody if she’s never heard it before. We’d just be left in the dark. It’s a good thing that Jesus describes himself saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) It is from his light that allows us to see who we are.

Jesus praises Peter because he was able to see Jesus for who he truly is by what God has shown him. The crowds only recognized that there was something special about him, but they didn’t have the complete picture. Peter himself didn’t realize the full implication of what he said until after Jesus’ death and resurrection, when everything could now be seen against the backdrop of the bigger picture. Once his work of redemption was done, Peter fully realized his own purpose. Likewise, as we are followers of Christ, it is only through the Holy Spirit can we come to know who we really are and when only we realize the significance of the cross of Christ, do we truly understand what we are to do with ourselves. Every Christian should be able to say, “Jesus and the cross defines who I am,” and mean it.

As a Christian, my primary identity is that of being like Christ and my primary motivation is because of the grace received by God through the cross. We all share this new identity as Christians. God gives us secondary characteristics that make us unique, to bring out the distinctiveness and the true beauty found in the diversity of his people. It is for the Christian to take into account their secondary characteristics and how they are to be seen in light of our identity in Christ.

“I am Chinese.” “I am American.” “I’m an ABC.” “I was born overseas.” “I was born in America to immigrant parents.” “I grew up in the inner city.” I grew up affluent in the suburbs.” “I had lousy parents.” “My parents cared for me very much.” “I was born in a Christian family.” “I was born to atheists and never knew of Jesus until my conversion.” “I’m more Chinese in my thinking.” “I can’t understand Chinese people at all!” “I work well with my hands.” “I’m a good observer.” And on and on can the list go. All of these things bring flavor to our Christian life, but in of themselves are not who we are.

Baskin-Robbins has 31 flavors, but we all recognize what they have is ice cream. So we are Christians, and with all the flavors that God has given to us, we have a responsibility to bring in all of these things to show others, in our uniquely God-prepared way (Eph 2:10), who Jesus has made us to be, and how Jesus do the same for you. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am in Christ.” (NASB). We must be unmistakably Christ’s. Others must know who we are through our lives and examples. As ice cream is not mistaken for its flavorings, so we are to be known for who we are. “Who do the crowds say we are?” Let’s hope they are able to say that we are followers of Christ. Do take the time to soberly and honestly ask yourself this question of identity.

In the EM congregation, we are also identifying and developing our own flavor as a body of Christ. “A congregation of Trinity Church.” “A church in the suburbs.” “A church of families and young professionals.” “Made up of many ABCs (American-born Chinese), but also of Hong Kongers, Taiwanese, Mainlanders, and non-Asian Americans.” “A talented and gifted congregation.” “A group of people that have a hard time being vulnerable.” “A people who are seeking for a place to belong.” “A church with families that struggle to be a Christian home and don’t exactly know how.” “Believers that struggle with our faith and our culture.” “Believers who need encouragement in their faith to follow Christ in all areas of our lives.”

For us in the EM, the focus on the Christian family has been a key component of who we are and is a drive for our ministries. And by Christian family, we don’t just mean the households of the families of our church, but the larger family we are as a body of believers bound together by Christ. The lessons to be learned in the Christian home are the same lessons, we realize, that need to be learned in our larger church family. This speaks to the needs in our culture, in our upbringing, to our personal lives. This is particular to the Chinese church because we must transform our understanding and practice of what a Christian family is to be because of how our Chinese culture has defined the family to be for so long outside the light of Scripture.

Who are we exactly? As a member of Trinity church, ask yourself this question and what answer do you come up with? Is it clear to you? Can you express it clearly to others? Can “the crowds” see who we truly are for themselves? What do they take away from observing us?

This isn’t just something that the church leaders come up with and the members are told who they are. All the members must go through this effort, because this is our group identity. We must look plainly at our strengths and weaknesses. We must thank God for the good things, and pray together for His help in our faults. If we’re not interested in answering this question, are we really part of the body at all? If a person doesn’t care who are we, it’s likely because the person has a problem identifying with the we in the first place. We must take that hard look at ourselves so once we know more of who we are, can we better know what we need to correct, what we need to emphasize, where we are going, what we need to do, and how we’re going to do it. With a confidence in who we are, individually and corporately, we will have a greater sense of purpose and a greater sense of joy as we live out our faith in our lives and in the church. God knows who we are. Do we?

May God bless us with strength, discernment and wisdom so we may do great things to add to his glory and to add to our joy. Amen.