What is our identity and purpose? Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections 34

by | Oct 26, 2015 | Podcasts

What is our Identity and Purpose

Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections 34

  • Understanding our Identity–who we are as a people of Faith–is paramount for each of us to grasp
  • Our identity defines who we are–in my line of work, one of the most important aspects of my job is to determine the identity of a decedent and we employ many methods to achieve that end
    • We identify ourselves in many ways
      • Our sex–male and female
      • Our families–what’s in a name
      • Our race–black, white, hispanic, asian, middle eastern
      • Our culture–Jamaican, Egyptian, Country, Latino
      • Our nation–Americans
      • Our careers–Sports, law enforcement, educator, entrepreneur, entertainer, writer
      • Our religion and Faith–Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Catholic, Buddhist, Hindi, Atheist
      • Stuff (the cars we drive, the homes we reside in, the gadgets we own, rich)/Personality (funny, happy, mean, nice, compassionate, scattered)/Appearance (homeless, good looking)
    • Our society forces us to identify ourselves (in various and sundry ways and manners)
      • boy, girl, man, woman, black, white, hispanic, asian, Christian, Catholic, Jewish, officer, teacher, American, successful entrepreneur, average Joe
      • Without these identifying aspects, society has no way of compartmentalizing us and understanding how to deal with us
      • Some aspects of our collective identities we are comfortable with exploiting them, while other aspects we tend to downplay or even hide–and we learn over time how our identities help us or hinder us in this life
        • Men–Women relationships
        • Influence or lack there of due to finances, careers, knowledge and experience base, appearance, demeanor
  • Our identity also defines our purpose in society and in the Faith
  • There was a time when one’s Faith was one of THE central identifiers for all peoples of the world
    • Wars have been fought over religion and Faith
    • People have been martyred and executed because of their Faith
    • People have received proper treatment from society because of their Faith as well as they’ve received lesser treatment from society because of their Faith
    • Often, one’s Faith becomes so infused with culture, race, career and nation, that a people takes on a single identifying trait
      • Hebrews
      • Jews
      • Arabs
      • Asian
  • As a person of Faith, how do we define ourselves–how do we identify ourselves? (I’m not talking about what we call ourselves–but talking about determining who we are as a people of Faith)
    • Important to determine because it determines how we behave, live, function, think, view, aspire
    • What are the things of our Faith that set us apart from any other people on the planet?
Identity

Identity

  • My goal today is to help us figure out our identities as it relates to our Faith–after that, all the other identifying factors of our lives will pale in comparison and even become irrelevant, because our Faith becomes our only defining trait
    • The worse place to be in life is not knowing who or what you are. Because if we aren’t successful in determining our true identity, we will begin to take on the identities of others. We will never be stable and consistent in how we conduct our lives and furthermore, if we get our identities wrong, we might move about our lives improperly.
    • Coming in to this Faith of ours can be very confusing and without a proper grounding and understanding of who and what we are, we will inevitably head off in a half-dozen different directions
      • Christian?
      • Jewish?
      • Christian Jews?
      • How do we function and fit in society; our families; our relationship with Father?
      • How do we communicate our Faith and our lifestyles to others whom we come into contact with? Or should we even bother?
      • What are our responsibilities in the Faith?
      • Where do we go? When do we do? What are we to do?
      • What is our reference point?
      • Who is our model?
      • What is the end-game?
      • Does any of this matter?
Purpose

Purpose

  • Assuming an identity comes with (1) responsibilities; and (2) benefits
    • We tend to focus many on the responsibilities
    • Responsibilities
      • live up to the name
      • be obedient to the One whose name and identity we’ve been given
    • Benefits
      • reign with Yahovah for all eternity
      • power and authority that comes from the Most High
      • peace and assurance
  • Where do we find our identity?
    • The church?
    • A religious organization ?
    • A denomination ?
    • A religious personality or teacher or leader?
    • The Internet?
    • The Bible?
  • And then once we find our identity, what do we do with it?
  • The best place to begin any endeavor is to start from the beginning–hit the default button of our Faith
    • Genesis and the Creation of the world and most importantly–the creation of man and woman–Genesis 1:26-28
      • Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created Him: male and female He created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
    • Why was man created in the first place? What was man’s purpose? Does that purpose still remain today?
      • We have been made to be Yahovah’s children–of His Family
        • When we have children, they are created in our image
        • Adam was created in the image of Yahovah and the line goes on and Father is in a way reproducing Himself (although at a very basic level)
        • Father wanted a family
        • This earth was made for us–Yahovah’s family–to reside on
    • Did the Creator assign man an identity at creation? A purpose? What did He have in mind?
      • Children of Yahovah
        • Y’shua said–“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love they neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you, that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven…” (Matthew 5:43, 44)
          • This children thing did not just start with Y’shua
        • To reproduce and perpetuate the line of Yahovah in the earth
          • Physically
          • Spiritually
        • To worship and praise the Creator of the Universe
          • For thou shalt worship no other god: for Yahovah, whose name is Jealous (Shem Kannaw), is a jealous God.”
            • Shem Kannaw=demanding exclusive service
  • Has man’s identity changed?
    • Yes. Sin changed everything
    • Instead of being children of Yahovah, we became children of hasatan
      • “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)
        • We lost our identity
  • Can man ever get back the identity he lost?
    • Indeed we can
  • Yahovah provided a means for us to retrieve that identity
    • But He had stipulations and requirements
    • There was a process that man had to go through in order to re-establish His identity
  • He selected for Himself a people who would set the stage for bringing mankind back to their former identity
  • Y’shua provided for us the means to retrieve our lost identities
    • KJV  Genesis 17:1 ¶ And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. 1  2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.  3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,  4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.1  5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.1  6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.  7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.  8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.1  (Gen 17:1-8 KJV)
    • Genesis 28:13–And behold, Yahovah stood above it and said, “I am Yahovah, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac, the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants.” (Speaking here about Jacob)
  • Through Avraham, we had the potential to re-establish our lost identities–but again, there were stipulations and requirements–we had to obey Yahovah (which we failed to do in the Garden) and keep Yahovah’s covenant
    • Exodus 19:5–Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine (NAS)
    • Deuteronomy 7:6–For you are a holy people to Yahovah your God; Yahovah your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth (NAS)
  • We can see from these two verses a snippet of what our identities would be assuming we met the requirements set forth by Yahovah
    • Special possessions of the Most High
    • A holy people–a set apart people
  • Those stipulations and requirements have never changed despite what some would have us believe
  • And despite the stipulations and requirements posed to us in order that we may regain our original identities, there was that nasty problem of sin that had to be dealt with
    • Sin hinders our ability to keep Yahovah’s covenant and obey Him
      • The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick (wicked); who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9 ESV)
    • Sin places an impenetrable barrier/schism between us and Father–
      • Father wants a relationship with us–man–
        • But such a relationship is impossible because of sin
        • Yahovah requires holiness
  • Sin prevents us from having that true relationship with Father–despite our keeping his covenant and obeying his commandments. Our hearts are corrupted and incapable conforming to the ways of Yahovah
    • KJV  Deuteronomy 5:29 O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever! (Deu 5:29 KJV)
    • Because of sin–man’s natural inclination is to oppose Father
    • For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. (Romans 8:7)
  • Sin results in death
    • Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world…(Romans 5:12 NAS)
    • For the wages of sin is death…(Romans 6:23 KJV)
  • So looking at this thing we have an interesting dilemma
    • Yahovah created us to be His children and gave us that identity in the Garden
    • Yahovah wanted a family and wanted His creation to worship Him and be His special creation
    • We sinned and lost that identity
    • We became incapable of having a true relationship with the Creator of the universe
    • Yahovah reached down and sought to re-establish that relationship through the lineage of Avraham
    • Yahovah provided the stipulations and requirements to re-establish that relationship and restore our identities
    • But sin had to be dealt with in order to fully restore our identities and provide a means for us to have a true relationship with Father
  • How to fix the problem once and for all and fully restore our identity
    • Y’shua was sent to fully repair and restore that relationship and lost identity
    • His teachings and sacrifice repaired the schism between Father and us by once and for all addressing the sin issue
      • He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. (Hebrews 1:3 ESV)
      • Titus 2:14–who gave Himself for us (talking about Y’shua Messiah) that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds (NAS)
      • …but the gift of God is eternal life through Y’shua haMashiyach (Romans 6:23)
  • Y’shua dealt with the sin problem and thus fully restored our identities
  • What is our identity?
    • Galatians 3:25-29–But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus (Messiah Y’shua). For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ (Messiah). There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Messiah Y’shua).  (KJV)
    • I Peter 2:9–But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for Yahovah’s own possession that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (NAS)
    • Ephesians 2:10–For we are His workmanship, created in Y’shua Messiah for good works, which Yahovah prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (NAS)
    • 11 ¶ For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 1  12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;  13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;1  14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (Tit 2:11-14 KJV)
    • Matthew 5:14–“You are the light of the world: A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” (NAS)
  • The stipulations and requires remain however. If we don’t adhere to those stipulations and requirements, we can once again lose our identities and purpose
  • What are those requirements and stipulations?
    • They are contained in the Bible–Torah
    • These are house rules
    • Like any relationship, there are rules that must be followed for that relationship to remain a valid one
      • Liken unto a marriage
  • The sin issue has been dealt with…all we need to do now is meet the requirements set forth by Yahovah so that we may retrain that identity and realize our awesome potential as His elect
    • Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. (Revelation 14:12)