ACTING UNLIKE YOURSELF

Indiana Jones is the quintessential Halloween hero. The costume requires thirty seconds of prep, and no money. I grab my leather coat, brown fedora, whip, and voila! I’m set to go to our harvest party. He’s basically my alter-ego, but that’s another story.   

I’m not a huge fan of Halloween, except for one aspect of this dark holiday. For a few hours we can pretend to be something we're not. Then at the end of the day, we remove our masks, and return to our true identity. None of my pretending transforms me into Indiana Jones, even if I act like him.

This parallels our identity in Christ. When we say “yes” to Jesus, he gives us a new identity. Second Corinthians 5:17 states, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Regardless of your past, if Jesus is your Lord, you are an entirely new person,. Ephesians 1:4 describes us as “holy and without fault in his eyes,” among a number of other attributes (NLT).

However, sometimes I don’t act like the person God says I am – “holy and without fault.” When that occurs, does my sin change the truth of who God says I am? Absolutely not! Acting differently from my identity, doesn’t turn me into a different person; any more than acting like Indiana Jones makes me Indiana Jones. Who I am, and how I act aren’t the same thing. Certainly, when I “act out,” I expect to experience consequences of my actions, but God doesn’t reject me. 

One of Satan's greatest tactics is undermining our identity in Christ. When he whispers his lies of shame, simply repent and remind him of who God says you are. Only our Creator has the right to define us. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.

Ponder:  

• What aspect of your identity in Christ is most meaningful to you?

• How can you counter Satan when he tries to shame you and attack your identity?

Pursue: For a deeper dive, read Ephesians 1:3-14.

 Dear Father, thank you for giving me a new identity in Christ. Help me to cling to that when Satan attempts to shame me.