MY Promise = My Identity

If you were to ask me “what are the biggest issues facing teenagers today?”  My answer would be: the same issues everybody is facing all of the time, IDENTITY and INTIMACY.  We’ll tackle Intimacy another time.  Today, lets focus on Identity.

Without looking too far, you can see that people are struggling with who they are.  How do people define or view themselves?  Most “Adults” introduce themselves or ask for introduction based on their career?

“Hi, I’m Jeff.  Nice to meet your stranger.  What do you do?”  As if your identity (or mine) is based on what you do to earn a paycheck.

When I asked teenagers recently what metric they used to identify themselves, their responses included:

how they spend their time 

how they feel 

what they’re called (names, nicknames, taunts and teases) 

things they are skilled at 

things they simply like to do

All of it is so fluid and changing.  Just because I can throw a perfect spiral to a receiver 40 yards down the field today, doesn’t mean I’ll be able to tomorrow.

The idea that I feel lovey-dovey with my wife this morning does not guarantee we won’t be passively / aggressively giving each other the silent treatment tonight.

The issue for everybody becomes, on what foundation do I place my identity that will not be changed by time or taken from me by circumstance?

If we go to scripture, we can see that God introduces himself very consistently.  (Forgive the forthcoming crude paraphrases.)

Genesis 6:11 - 21 - “Hey Noah, I’m God. I’m gonna destroy everything.  I promise I’ll save you and start over with you and your family.  Now, here’s what I want you to do…”

Genesis 12:1 - 3 - “Hey Abram, I’m God.  Leave everything and everybody you know behind, and go to where I’ll guide you. I promise to make you a great nation that will bless the world, and I promise to bless those who are good to you and curse anybody who’s bad to you.”

Genesis 26:1 - 5 - “Hey Issac, I’m God.  I know this famine looks bad, but don’t go to Egypt.  Stick with me and don’t leave the land I promised your Dad.  I promise to take care of you and bless you.”

Genesis 28:13 - 15 - “Hey Jacob, I’m God.  The place you fell asleep tonight is going to belong to you and your descendants.  And you’re family is gonna be huge.  I’m with you now, and I’m going to stay with you until I’ve done everything I’ve promised you and your father and your grandfather.”

Exodus 3:4 - 12 - “Hey Moses, I’m God. I’ve seen what’s been happening to my people in Egypt, and I promise to deliver them from their oppressors.  Beyond that, I promise to take you to a rich and fruitful land that will become your very own.  You’ll take Egypt’s riches on the way out, and I promise I’ll be with you the whole time.  I guarantee that Pharaoh won’t like it, but I promise my power will compel him, and I will give you the ability to do miracles and mighty works.  Moses, I promise, this is what you were Made for.  I’ll show you what you need to do, and I’ll help you.”

You can explore God’s other introductions of himself throughout the rest of Scripture on your own.  It’s interesting that Moses wrote each of these first verbal introductions of God to include a promise.  Even as God handed down the ten commandments, he couldn’t help throwing in a promise.

Ephesians 6:1-3 - Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  "Honor your father and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise), "that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land." (ESV)

So how must we, as believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Identify ourselves?

In Tim Keller’s amazing book, “THE MEANING OF MARRIAGE” he spends a chapter explaining  that the Essence of marriage (the thing that a marriage couldn’t exist apart from) is the vows or promises we make.  The promise we make to the God as we respond to the preacher is to not be identified any longer by our upbringing, our status or our temperament.  Instead we are committing to be a servant to our new spouse, and that no matter the circumstances, remain committed to this person we wish to spend our lives with.

“From now on, I am identified by this promise: to be yours”

When we begin to understand the depth of our sin, the untrustworthiness of our deceptive hearts, and a need to repent, the Gospel begins to shine in the darkness.  As the cross of Jesus Christ begins to shine, and offer hope and assurance and PROMISE, we are moved to respond.

Our response can not only be a sinner’s prayer to escape the fires of Hell.  It must also be a commitment to a life of repentance and forgiveness.

What is the commitment to God that you are living out today?