Defined

Sometimes the most freeing thing is going back to the basics of faith and the core foundation of who we are, who Christ says we are, and Who HE is. Before we can be used out there in the world to set the captives free and bring lost souls into the Kingdom, we must first fully understand our identity in Christ.

I feel like I’ve heard about this “identity” stuff all throughout my life in church and it has been repeated more and more as time goes on. I didn’t fully understand the importance of this word until I completely broke down and gave it to the Lord and He revealed to me that I was still living as if I were my former self. I was letting the world define me. I was still replying to my old name, my old ways, my old titles. When the world called “Hello! Heartbroken? Victim? Lonely?” I would quickly say, “Yes, did you call me?” When the world said, “Hey, insecure, over here!” I would come running as if a friend had called me by my birth name.

When we continue to be defined as a victim, as an orphan, as fatherless, as abandoned, as powerless, as defenseless, whatever it is, we continue to not only live by that title, but we also begin to define everyone else around us by that as well.

When you have been used, abused, and taken advantage of and you keep living with the title of victim, you begin to define everyone else around you as predator, untrustworthy, unsafe.

God not only wants us to understand who we are defined as and Who we are defined by but also how we should define those around us. When you begin to stop saying, for example, “I am a victim of sexual assault” and you start to say “I WAS a victim… But now I am free, I am safe, I am healed by my Savior, and I am clean and courageous and covered in the blood and freedom of Jesus Christ” then we stop defining the people around us as the predator, the backstabber, the one who hurt me, the assaulter, the potential next victimizer, and we instead define them as free, forgiven, a new creation, a son or daughter of God, etc. just as we have begun defining ourselves as new.

We can’t reach the world if we continue to live like it, be defined by it, and answer to its name-calling.

If we want revival in our world, if we want lost souls to be found in Christ, then we must stop replying to the old names and titles of the world and we must begin responding to the beautiful, life-giving names God has given us in Him.

“The nations will see your righteousness. World leaders will be blinded by your glory. And you will be given a new name by the Lord’s own mouth. The Lord will hold you in his hand for all to see—a splendid crown in the hand of God. Never again will you be called ‘The Forsaken City’ or ‘The Desolate Land.’ Your new name will be ‘The City of God’s Delight’ and ‘The Bride of God,’ for the Lord delights in you and will claim you as his bride.” Isaiah 62: 2-4 NLT

“To these the Lord says, ‘If these servants keep My Days of Rest and choose what pleases Me, and hold on to My agreement, I will give them something in My house and within My walls to be remembered. I will give them a name better than that of sons and daughters, a name that will be forever and never be cut off.'” Isaiah 56:4-5 NLV

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT

“Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it.” Revelation 2:17 NLT

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