By Dale Weckbacher
2 Corinthians 5:20
Therefore, we are
ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We
plead on Christ’s behalf: “Be reconciled to God.”
(CSB)
While identity theft is not a violent crime like murder,
assault, or rape, it is violent with one’s emotions and finances. There are approximately 15 million U.S. victims
of identity theft annually with losses of $50 billion. (1) In addition to this massive financial cost, the
emotional trauma is also devastating for it is our identity that makes us who
we are. (2) However, there is an identity that identity
thieves cannot steal, and one that Christians, including myself, need to learn
more about to prepare for revival. This
identity is our identity in Christ.
One of the reasons there are few workers for revival or the
harvest of souls for Christ (Matthew
9:37, Luke 10:2) is that it places us on the front lines of spiritual
warfare (John
10:10). The good news is that we are
already on the winning side with the second half of John
10:10 promising us abundant life. However,
not recognizing our Christian identity of victor in Christ results in our being
weak and open for attack.
Peter provides an excellent example of one beginning as weak
due to a lack of understanding of his identity in Christ experiencing
transformation into a courageous soldier for Christ who gave the first
evangelical message, resulting in 3,000 souls coming to Christ. The nation of Israel provides a picture of the
identity transformation process occurring in the lives of Christians after
accepting Jesus as their savior.
1)
Peter – While Jesus, the Son of God could have
selected His disciples from among the religious leaders of his time, he instead
chose ordinary people like Peter, a fisherman by trade. Anyone reading this who has watched the
program “Deadliest Catch” can appreciate the hard work of fishing. The television program also illustrates the
rough edges these individuals have in their lives. While this is the identity those living in
Jesus’ time would have seen in men like Peter, Jesus saw what Peter would
become after encountering Him after His resurrection and receiving the baptism
of the Holy Spirit (Acts
2:1-4). Likewise, we too can become
trapped in our old identity, believing that we do not have what it takes to participate
in revival. However, like Peter,
identity transformation does not occur through our own efforts, but by the
grace of God (Ephesians
2:8) making us good enough to participate and contribute to revival. In addition, those of us who have made Jesus
our savior and experienced salvation from our sins have the power of the Holy
Spirit within us to empower us just as it empowered Peter on the day of
Pentecost (Acts
2).
2)
Israel – While it appears that the
transformation in Peter was instantaneous and due to some magical power, it was
a process that involved three and one-half years of walking with Jesus during His
earthly ministry. Thankfully for Peter,
the process did not take forty years as it did with the nation of Israel. The journey of Israel as recorded in Exodus
through Deuteronomy is symbolic of our life’s journey as Christians. Through the journey of Israel through the
wilderness we see,
a.
The nation of Israel miraculously saved by God
and set free under the leadership of Moses (Exodus
2:1-12:42). At this point, the
people of Israel have salvation from their Egyptian bondage.
b.
The nation of Israel struggling with their new
freedom. As Israel journeys to the
promised land, God takes them the long way through the wilderness instead of
the short way through the land of the Philistines because God knew they were
not ready for war should they encounter it (Exodus
13:17). While God has saved them
from their bondage, they still see themselves as slaves with the security it
provided (Exodus
16:3).
c.
Most in Israel focus on the power of the enemy
instead of the power of God (Numbers
13:26-14:10). The consequences of
this lack of trust in God resulted in everyone, except for Joshua and Caleb,
who was over twenty dying in the wilderness and not entering the “Promised
Land.”
Jesus parting words in Matthew
28:19 are for the Disciples to make disciples of all nations. While Jesus is speaking to the twelve, now
eleven, the implication is that the disciples of the Disciples are to make disciples
as well, multiplying and spreading the message of the Gospel around the
world. What a great illustration of revival
not being due to some program or individual, except for Jesus, but instead a
grassroots effort by people who have had their identity transformed through
time with God in prayer, study of the Word of God, and through the power of the
Holy Spirit in their lives. The question
we all must ask ourselves is will we experience an identity shift like Peter or
fall short in our quest for revival just as Israel lacking trust in God fell
short of entering the “Promised Land.” I
encourage everyone reading this to join me in trusting God and allowing Him to
transform our identities, so we can be ambassadors for Christ and effective
harvesters in revival.
1. identitytheft.info. Identity Theft Victim
Statistics. www.identitytheft.info. [Online] [Cited: May 8, 2018.]
http://www.identitytheft.info/victims.aspx.
2. Weisbaum, Herb.
ID theft can take heavy emotional toll on victims. www.today.com. [Online]
Todsy, November 20, 2014. [Cited: May 8, 2018.]
https://www.today.com/money/id-theft-can-take-heavy-emotional-toll-victims-1D80305639.
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