Theological Commentary: Click Here
Discipleship Focus:
- Identity: Our true identity comes from the Father. Only when our identity comes from God can we be obedient in ways that satisfy our person to our core.
Identity is a funny thing, isn’t it? In fact, identity can really get us into
trouble when it gets misplaced. If I
identify with the wrong things, my behavior can change to produce a poor
result. If my identity is coming from
things that are unhealthy, I will have rhythms and patterns in my life that are
equally unhealthy.
That’s actually what Paul is talking about here in this passage
with respect to the Jews. Some of them
were getting their identity not from God but from their lineage. They believed that because they were the
offspring of Abraham that they could do no wrong and God would be forced into
loving them simple because of their genealogy.
They weren’t getting their identity from God, they were preventing
relationship with God by focusing on the wrong thing!
The same thing can be true with Christians. It is easy for us to judge other people or
other denominational practices. It is
easy for us to focus on the wrong things – things like the instruments we play,
the format of the service, or the version of the Bible that we read. It is easy for us even to look down upon the
Jews because we at least acknowledge Christ!
But there’s a problem in that. If
a loving God who looked down upon sinners like us wants to be in a relationship
with God, could we be so judgmental if our identity was really coming from Him?
No, in the end we have to take this identity question
seriously. If our identity is coming
from God, we will be obedient to His ways, of course. But if our identity is coming from Him then
we will not feel the need to judge others and look down upon them. If our identity is coming from God then we
will be humbled by our salvation and look upon others in love rather than
judgment and condemnation.
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