What Defines You?
“What is it that defines you? Is it your career? A relationship? Maybe it’s your family, or your ministry. It could be some cause or movement, or some political affiliation. Or perhaps your main thing is a hobby or a talent you have, or even your house and possessions.” C.J. Mahaney, Living The Cross Centered Life p.13-14
This is a real dilema for every person, in my estimation. I have experienced the failure of defining myself by the wrong things, and often slip back into the trap of doing it again. The most fatalistic mistake was defining myself by my ministry, then my ministry was gone. My identity was wrapped up in what I did, instead of who I was in Christ.
At CLBC we believe in the Gospel as taught in the Holy Bible, summarized as follows:
The good news that Jesus Christ has removed the obstacles of our sin and God’s wrath, through His death, burial, and resurrection, so we may have fellowship with God, by faith, forever. Furthermore, the good news of Jesus Christ, includes the eschatological restoration of all things, everywhere, at their proper time, and to their proper state, for God’s eternal glory and praise, and man’s eternal joy in God. Thus, the true and total Gospel may be distinguished by Its being planned by God the Father, being historically accomplished by God the Son, being freely offered to the world, being applied by the faith of those whom God has freely chosen, and Its goal to bring people gladly to God, in a new heavens and new earth, no longer subject to the futility of sin, but subject to God, and reigning with Christ, eternally.
The Gospel is what defines us, individually, and as a group. And the center of the Gospel is the Cross.
The quote that began this posting, Living The Cross Centered Life, contains much helpful material on the most important thing, that is assumed and overlooked, which we daily need to be reminded of–The Truth of the Cross!
D.A. Carson says, “I fear that the cross, without ever being disowned, is constantly in danger of being dismissed from the central place it must enjoy, by relatively peripheral insights that take on far too much weight. Whenever the periphery is in danger of displacing the center, we are not far removed from idolatry.” (Ibid, p.16)
That is what I think defining myself by my ministry was, idolatry. I was worshiping myself and the work of my hands–it is a sin to do such a thing and it is futile and devastating to one’s life–so don’t go there, and if you are there, get out quickly!
The message of the Cross is near, Jesus died for your sins–this truth defines us as children of God, if we believe it. Anything less than trust in the message of the Cross is trust in yourself or someone or something else, and is idolatry. You will truly be showing that it is what you do or what something else does that is saving you, but it is not, neither are you, the Savior–Jesus is.
Everything, everyone, including you, make a lousy savior, because we degenerate and die. If we want to last, we must put our confidence in the message of the Cross which makes us children of God, according to God’s gracious will.
If you are reading this and find your identity in your job, your family, your home, church, ministry, etc. Stop and think about what Jesus did on the Cross to define you as His child. Jesus said to rejoice, not in that the demons are subject to you, but that your names are written in heaven. What defines you, is not what you do, but who you are in Christ, because of His Cross, please don’ t neglect the substance of your hope and joy. God’s grace be upon all who believe.
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