More Important to Know Who You Are Than What You’re Talking About: RRE 16
Religion Ruins Everything Daily 9.26.16
[48] The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” [49] Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. [50] Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. [51] Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” [52] The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ [53] Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” [54] Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ [55] But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. [56] Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” [57] So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” [58] Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” [59] So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
John 8:48–59 ESV
As we learn how Jesus talked to people, we see Jesus had a strong sense of identity. He knew what He was, what He was about, and where He was going.
“I was sent by God, I’m out to glorify Him, not myself.”
It’s important that we know who we are in Christ. Our mission and calling isn’t so important as who we are in Him. To raise up the reputation of Christ among people is our goal. As we grow in faith in Jesus and what He has done, we grow in our confidence of who we are in Him.
It’s easy to know how to talk about your hometown and where you live now. It is probably easy to talk about how long you are going to live where you are and your surrounding neighborhood. That’s because you have a strong identity of where you are.
Jesus spent so much time with the Father that He had unshakable confidence in who He was. He knew He was the son of God all of the way to the cross. Even there, Jesus called God His father.
Growing in our faith and closeness to Christ will help us in every aspect of our lives. That closeness becomes obvious to others and grows in their lives too.