Freedom of Religion, Not Freedom from Religion!
October 18, 2024
Remember Who You Are
April 28, 2023
When I was a teenager and I’d leave home or be away from my parents, they would always say to me: “Remember who you are, boy! Remember who you are…”
Did my parents think the minute I was out of their sight I would forget my name or where I lived? No. They wanted me to be careful about the things I said and did. To uphold the family name and remember everything they, and I, stood for.
There’s a lot of confusion about what Christians stand for in our culture today, and I believe it’s because too many have forgotten who they are.
Romans 8 reminds us.
Who are you? Verse 1 tells you that you are “in Christ.”
Therefore, there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus.Romans 8:1
The Bible gives several word pictures to help you understand this: a vine joined to its branches, a head joined to its body, a husband and wife joined in marriage—so you are joined to Christ.
Just as you cannot become unborn physically, you cannot become unborn spiritually. You have been born again—your spirit is made out of the same stuff as Christ. And because you are in Him, you are not condemned.
Who are you? Verses 9-10 tell you that you are “alive in the Spirit.”
You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit… If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.Romans 8:9-10
You are no longer dead in the flesh but alive in the Holy Spirit. You’ve switched teams.
Every spring is baseball season, and in the off-season, a lot of players get traded. But being on a new team is about more than just a new uniform. It’s about changing allegiance and realigning your efforts so they’re moving in a new direction.
The team that once was yours is no longer. How would it look if you ran onto the field when your team was batting and started throwing players out? It would be clear you had forgotten who you are. If you are in Christ, you no longer “play” for the flesh, but for the Spirit.
Finally, who are you? Verse 14 tells you that you are “a child of God.”
For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons and daughters of God.Romans 8:14
To be a child of God is an intimate thing. Later in verse 15 we’re told to call God “Abba,” which doesn’t just mean Father. It means Daddy… Papa. The one who cares for me and calls me His own. I am not a slave, I am a son… forever.
Our world is so confused about identity today. That’s why it’s so important, no matter where you go, no matter who you’re with, that you remember who you are—and live like it.
