August 27, 2025 • 25 mins
YOUR IDENTITY IS BASED ON?
"Identity signifies relationship." Your origin determines your identity. We're not products of evolution but creations of a divine, intelligent God. When you know WHO made you, you'll understand WHO you are. Have you discovered your true identity in Christ?
Chapter Markers
- 0:00 Identity as a Personal Choice
- 5:14 How We Identify Ourselves Socially
- 10:19 Identity in Christ: Biblical Foundation
- 15:52 Identity Signifies Relationship with God
- 19:50 Christ-likeness: Characteristics of True Identity
- 23:34 Purpose: The Third Dimension of Identity
•⁃25:27 Cultivating Authentic Identity in Christ
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You.
Knowing your identity is apersonal choice.
It's a personal matter.
I cannot identify who you are,I cannot tell you what you
should be or what you should do.
That is something that you haveto take it to God.
Sometimes come across somebody,a stranger.
They ask you who are you Like?
(00:21):
If you're in a businessnetworking event where you're
trying to introduce yourself, attimes we introduce ourselves
based on our professionalbackground.
When you're in a church setting, we introduce ourselves based
on our ministry.
Or I'm a pastor.
When you are with your friends,you identify yourself based on
what you love to do.
Or I love to play soccer, right?
(00:42):
So we identify ourselves basedon what we associate with.
Sometimes it could be oureducation, our success, our
status, our race.
And the new identification inour world today, in our culture,
is our preferences.
And these preferences are notauthentic, they are not factual,
(01:03):
they are not based on nature,they are not facts, like, for
example, when you identifyyourself based on your
background, your profession.
They are factual.
You can say, oh, somebody asksyou who are you, pastor Edith,
you can tell them that, oh, I amfrom, I'm originally from
Uganda, but I am a Canadiancitizen, right?
So that is a fact that youidentify yourself based on a
(01:23):
location.
But now we live in a worldwhere people identify themselves
based on preferences and thesepreferences sometimes they are
delusions, they're not factual,like, for example, we live in a
world now people, when you asksomebody who you are, oh, I am
lgbt, I am, I am heterosexual orI am this and that these are
all ways that we identifyourselves based on our sexual
(01:44):
preferences, based on our genderpreferences, that are not based
on truth.
But when we look into the Bible,our identity number one is in
Christ, meaning that we don'tobtain or create or cultivate or
conform our identity outside ofthe scripture or outside of
Christ.
We build and establish a firmidentity based from the
(02:04):
scripture or outside of Christ.
We build and establish a firmidentity based from the
scripture in Christ Jesus.
So, when you are outside ofChrist, there's no way you can
identify yourself based on whatthe Bible states.
So, like I was saying, thatidentity is personal, human
identity can come to an end.
All of these ways that you andI we identify ourselves based on
(02:25):
race, based on status I am fromUganda, I am rich, I am
da-da-da At the end of the day,all of these things are going to
come to an end.
When you die, no one is goingto remember who you are, but
God's identity endures.
God's identity is everlasting.
I like to study a particularword so that you and I can have
(02:47):
a clear description of whatwe're talking about.
I know, yes, I mentioned theword identity a lot, but do we
know what it actually means?
Do we know the actualdefinition?
Because when you know whatsomething is, you're able to
build upon it.
You're able now to describeyourself based on what you know.
If I look up the root word foridentity, it a word from latin,
because most of our englishwords originate from french and
(03:10):
latin, and it's so powerful thatthe word identity is from a
latin word meaning I, then I,then it's.
It means same same quality ofbeing identical.
I'm like wow.
So when we use the wordidentity, we are pretty much
saying that what makes you thesame, what makes you identical
(03:32):
to something?
That is why, at times, we, ashuman being, we can place our
identity in categories.
All of you guys are from Uganda.
That is your geographicallocation, that's how you can
identify yourself, right?
So pretty much all of you guysare from the same place.
(03:53):
So I realized that most timesour identity can be common and
our identity can also bepersonal.
We, as believers, we all sharecertain common identities,
meaning that we are actually thesame.
So the way I view myself shouldbe the way I should view my
(04:14):
pastor.
The way my pastor view me isthe way my pastor should view
another minister, another member, because our identity is the
same, especially in the body ofChrist.
Identity again in Englishdefinition, it also means the
fact of being who you are, whoyou are, and there are various
(04:35):
ways you and I, we can identifyourselves, and it also entails
certain characteristics that weplace on ourselves.
If you and I study the scripture, for us the word identity is
not actually in the Bible, butwe're able now to derive our
identity from the scripture whenwe look at these two phrases.
(04:56):
When you have time, you're ableto identify certain things that
God says about you based onthese two phrases, to make life
easier for you.
Number one whenever you seethat phrase, you are, you are.
That's one.
Number two we are.
So sometimes, when you readthis identical statement in the
Bible, you are.
(05:16):
It's personalized because you.
It's addressing you as anindividual, we is addressing us,
that we all share.
We all share that sameness.
From the latin word identitymeans sameness, that we all have
a common identity.
So, child of god, look into thescripture of these two phrase
you are and we are.
What really baffles my mind isthat you are, we are.
(05:39):
It's not in the past.
I like, what like?
When I look it up.
It didn't say you were or wewere.
It says you are, meaning thatit is present and it is also
future, so that your identity inchrist is not based on your
past.
Your identity is now and itcontinues.
That's why I said that god'sidentity endures and it's
(06:01):
everlasting.
Man's identity will end for,for example, now you and I,
we're all in Canada.
Now, if somebody asks you whoyou are based on, how you define
yourself based on yourgeographical location, you'd be
like you know what?
I'm a born-blood Canadian,because now you're in a new
place.
You see that identity of fromyou're from Uganda, have us
(06:22):
passed, but when it comes to theidentity of God, it endures and
is everlasting.
It is present and is alsofuture.
Let's do a case study aboutJesus Christ.
There are two powerful words ofwho Jesus identified himself.
Number one son of God, son ofman.
(06:43):
Do you know why Jesus Christidentified himself as the son of
God, son of man?
Do you know why Jesus Christidentified himself as the son of
God and son of man?
What we see here is divine andhuman identity, because Jesus
was both divine and human.
All of the things that I'vesaid previously how we identify
ourselves based on ourprofession, our background, our
occupation, these are all socialconstructs.
(07:05):
These are all human ways weidentify ourselves.
But the focus should actuallybe how do we identify ourselves
divinely?
Because Jesus was both man andGod.
That is why he is called theSon of God.
That's how he identifieshimself, and he's also called
the Son of man because he livesin both worlds.
(07:26):
Now, identity signifiesrelationship.
For you to know who you are,you need to know your origin.
For you to know who you are,you need to know your origin.
And our divine origin starts inthe book of Genesis, because
identity signifies arelationship.
(07:47):
For you to know who you are,you need to know the source of
who you are.
You need to know who made you,because you didn't make yourself
.
The Bible says in Genesis 1,verse 26,.
Then God said Let us make manin our image, according to our
likeness.
(08:08):
So identity in this casesignifies our relationship with
our maker.
I am not a monkey, I am not ahip Like the way evolution
defines who we are as humanbeings, our existence, how we
emerge.
That is not true.
We are from a divine,intelligent, powerful being
(08:31):
called god.
And that's what the book ofgenesis states that you and I,
we are from god.
Because it says god said let usmake man.
The old trinity, god the father, god the son, god, the holy
spirit, all of them participatedin the creation of you and I,
(08:52):
which shows that we have asignificant relationship with
God.
So our identity signifies ourrelationship.
There's another scripture thatsays in 2 Corinthians 5, verse
17,.
Just to highlight that ouridentity signifies our
relationship.
It says, therefore, if anyoneis in Christ, that's powerful.
(09:12):
So if anyone is in Christ,meaning that for you to identify
yourself, you have to be inChrist, you have to have a
relationship with you.
Now I'm taking you guys to howdo we see ourselves divinely?
We have to be in Christ.
If you're out of Christ, youcannot have this mindset of who
(09:33):
you are.
But when you are in Christ,you're able to have this new
identity.
But you have to have a personalrelationship with Jesus Christ.
That is why salvation is very,very key.
When you're saved, you are anew person.
When you're saved, you are newperson when you receive, you are
born again, a spiritual birthand you become part of the
(09:54):
divine family of god.
So identity signifiesrelationship.
You and I, we have to be inchrist.
And also ephesians, chapter 1,verse 4 to 6, I'll focus on
verse 5.
It says having predestined usto adoption as sons by Jesus
(10:14):
Christ himself.
Again, our identity signifiesour relationship.
Here we see that we are adoptedsons and daughters of God.
So if you want to identifyyourself, identify yourself
based on your relationship withGod.
Tell yourself you know what Iam a daughter of God, I am a
proud daughter of God.
I am on your relationship withGod.
Tell yourself you know what Iam a daughter of God, I am a
proud daughter of God.
I am a proud son of God.
If we have the LGBT community,they use the word pride.
(10:38):
That is the same language thatthe enemy use Pride.
Why can we be proud that weknow God?
God said if you're going toboast, don't boast in your
wisdom, don't boast in yourstrength.
Don't boast in your wisdom,don't boast in your strength,
don't boast in your resources.
Boast that you know me.
So, child of God, you shouldboast that you know what.
Brahim, madam Carol, pastorEdith, I am.
I am a born-blood child of God.
I am a daughter of God, I am ason of God.
(10:59):
We should be proud of thatidentity in Christ, based on our
relationship.
And look what it says in 1Peter 2, verse 9.
But you are a chosen generation, you are a people.
You are a people Relationshipwith each other, relationship to
our world, and you are a holynation.
(11:20):
You are a special people.
The next point is identitysignifies specific
characteristics of resemblance,that is, christ-likeness.
Like I said, identity signifiesspecific characteristics.
Sometimes you identify yourselfoh, I am a man of integrity, I
(11:43):
am a man of honesty, I am a manof courage.
You're actually telling peoplewho you are based on your
character, with or without it.
So our characteristics is is isensuring that we conform to the
image and likeness of god,christ's likeness.
According to genesis, chapter 1, verse 26, when god said let us
(12:04):
make man, we already definedthat our identity is based on
relationship because we are madefrom god.
Now our identity signifiescertain characteristics, meaning
that we are the image andlikeness of god.
That's another way we canidentify ourselves, based on
specific characteristics, andthat is what we are the image
and likeness of god, christlikeness.
(12:25):
The word holiness does not justmean oh, you don't, you don't,
you don't, you don't dress in aoh, you don't dress in a certain
way, you don't talk in acertain way.
No, the word holiness actuallymeans to be set apart, to be set
apart in righteousness, to beset apart in love, to be set
apart in kindness To you and I.
God is saying that we have tobe holy, meaning that we have to
be special people Specialpeople in our conversation,
(12:46):
special people in our conduct,special people in our
conversation, special people inour conduct, special people in
our way of thinking.
And look what it says now, whenwe identify ourself based on
certain characteristics.
In second corinthians, chapter 5, verse 17, the bible says
therefore, if anyone is inchrist, it is a new creation.
It is a new creation.
All things have passed away,all things have become new.
(13:08):
When you are born again, youare a new person.
You are a new person with a newattitude, with new intentions,
with new mindsets, with newdesires that are godly, with new
ambitions.
Everything is new about you,everything that is new about you
(13:29):
.
They have to be in Christ, theyhave to be aligned with the
word of God, because God issaying I want you to be holy
because I am holy, so you are anew creation With a new way of
thinking, way of speaking, wayof feeling, way of acting, way
of making decisions.
That old man is gone.
(13:57):
And then in 1 Corinthians 6,verse 19, it says Do you know
that your body is the temple ofthe Holy Spirit?
Who is in you?
Wow, that is identity based oncharacteristics, because you are
the temple of the Holy Spirit.
The temple here signifies yourbody, your lifestyle, because
you have God again, the HolySpirit relating with you.
(14:18):
Identity based on relationship,the Holy Spirit inside of you,
the Holy Spirit communing withyou, the Holy Spirit conversing
with you.
But for him to be able to doall these things, to connect
with you, you have to be a holytemple, a holy dwelling, a holy
settlement, a holy house, a holyresidence for this special Holy
(14:43):
Spirit to live in you and toperform the work of God.
And look what it says again youare the temple of the Holy
Spirit whom you have from God,meaning that you are not your
own.
Like I said, we are from God,identity based on our
relationship.
We are not our own.
So you cannot wake up onemorning, oh, identify myself as
(15:05):
a dog.
Are you mad?
God didn't say that you're adog.
You are his image and likeness.
And then the government willsponsor all this demonic
preferences, transitions.
No, that is not so.
That is not so with us asbelievers, amen.
So now, in Ephesians 4-6, I'malmost done it says, just as he
(15:28):
chose us and him before thefoundation of the world, that we
should be holy again,identity-based on
characteristics and withoutblame before him in love.
Jesus summarizes thecommandment into two Love God
and love your neighbor asyourself.
So we should identify ourselvesbased on love.
We should be loving on people.
Paul said that we should owe noone anything except love.
(15:50):
When you live this world, theonly thing that you should owe
people is love, not money, butlove.
So we should identify ourselvesbased on how loving we are, how
loving we are.
And then we should alsoidentify ourselves based on
characteristics that we shouldwalk in the light.
According to 1 Peter 2, verse 9, it says that you may proclaim
(16:14):
the praises of him who calledyou out of darkness into his
marvelous light.
We should walk in the light.
When people see us, they see usas the lamp of the world.
We are the lamp of the world.
And the third point aboutidentity identity signifies
purpose.
Identity signifies purpose.
Look what it says in Genesis,chapter 1, verse 26.
(16:36):
After God has created you and Iin our image and likeness, god
said let them have dominion.
That is purpose.
That, that is purpose.
That is why we are in ministry,that is why we are serving,
because we are God's workmanship, according to Ephesians,
chapter 2, verse 10.
For we are his workmanship, weare his work.
Again, that word that has beencoming up, that in Christ, from
(16:58):
God, his mean that we are notour own, we are God.
That is why, if we want toderive our identity, we have to
start from our maker, and he hasrevealed who we are According
to his word.
So we are God's workmanship.
Created again, look.
Created in Christ Jesus Forgood works.
(17:19):
Like I said, if you want tohave a new identity, you have to
100%, absolutely, be in Christ,absolutely be in Christ,
because there's no other way.
You have to be in Christ.
So we identify ourselves basedon our divine purpose, of having
dominion, of multiplying, ofbeing fruitful, of subduing.
(17:42):
We identify our self-based andour purpose because we are God's
workmanship, created in JesusChrist for good works.
When we go to work, we don'twork as if we're working for our
boss, we work as if we're doingit for the Lord.
I mean, sometimes I don't likegoing to work, but I have to go
to work.
I'm like God, you complain toomuch.
Why don't you just change yourattitude?
(18:04):
Go to work.
Go to work as if you're workingfor me.
Maybe that would help.
I'm like wow, that's powerful.
So I changed my mindset.
I'm not going to work trying tomake money for somebody else,
and then they're making all thebig money and then I'm not.
I'm like God.
Help can also identify ourselvesbased on our purpose, according
(18:25):
to 1 Peter 2, verse 9.
Look what it says.
It says for you are a chosengeneration, a royal priesthood,
his own special people.
That that that you may proclaimthe praises.
That you may proclaim thepraises.
That you may proclaim thepraises, child of God.
(18:47):
It is our duty, it is ourresponsibility, it is our
mandate that, wherever we go, weshould declare, we should speak
, we should proclaim the praisesof him.
That is our identity, based onpurpose, proclaiming the praises
of God.
To conclude, let's create ouridentity in Christ based on what
(19:14):
the scripture says about us.
When we create that, the nextstep is to cultivate Because,
yes, we can believe that I am aholy nation, a royal priesthood,
a chosen generation.
You can speak scripture, but doyou truly believe it?
Because our belief affects ourbehavior.
(19:37):
There's no way you can act outsomething you don't truly
believe in.
For you to believe something,you have to have information
about it.
So, now that we know that weare special, that we identify
ourselves based on ourrelationship with God, we
identify ourselves based oncertain characteristics for us
(19:57):
to be holy, to be loving.
We identify ourselves based onour purpose, that we are God's
workmanship.
The next step is do you believethat?
If you believe that you have tocultivate, that you have to
start living, conforming intoyour new reality of being a new
creation, with a different viewof yourself and your fellow
(20:20):
believers?
Acquire and anchor youridentity Based on what God says
about you.
Get it from God and let it berooted in the scripture, because
your circumstances will tellyou otherwise.
Oh, you are a royal priesthood.
Oh, man of God, you don't looknothing like royal man of God.
You don't look nothing like youare special.
(20:41):
Look at where you live.
Look at what you do.
Look at what you do.
Look at the type of job thatyou do.
There's nothing special aboutyou.
We have to dispel those liesand anchor our belief on what
God says about who we are, as itis written in the scripture.
And our identity gives us ourdignity.
We are dignified when we knowwho we are.
(21:07):
Finally, how do you becomeauthentic?
How do you become authentic?
Because, truly, sometimes welive in a world where people are
all faking it.
We are all faking it On socialmedia, in church.
We're not authentic toourselves, but how do we become
authentic to who we are?
Number one is identity.
(21:28):
You have to know who you are.
And then number two isintegrity.
Integrity is actually livingout who you are.
It's you now integrating whatyou believe about yourself, your
mindset, your attitude, yourvalues, your vision, your belief
(21:48):
system, integrating all thesecomponents of what makes you you
, and start living it out If weclaim that this is who we are in
Jesus Christ, not just based onwords, but let it be based on
practice, that I am a child ofGod.
I am adopted.
(22:10):
I am God's workmanship.
Start living that out.
That's when you will know thatyou are authentic in Christ
Jesus.
You don't have to pleaseanybody Because, number one, you
know who you are and you areliving out who you are.
That makes you authentic.
Father God, I thank you, lord,for your word.
(22:32):
Lord, at times we quotescriptures that I am a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood,a special people.
I am a special people.
I am a new creation.
These are all powerfuldescriptions but, lord, help us
(22:58):
to truly believe what we sayabout ourselves based on your
word.
No matter our current situationor our past should not define
who we are.
God, any thoughts or words thatwe have spoken on ourselves.
God, that has made us to believeto who we are, that has made us
to disregard who we are,because Jesus constantly asks
(23:18):
his disciple who do people saythat I am?
Not because he had identitycrisis.
He was just trying to ensurehis disciple have a positive
view of who he is, and then youwere able to reveal to Peter you
are the son of God.
Lord, at times we struggle toknow who we are, but you have
not left us empty.
(23:39):
You have given us yourscripture that has the
revelation of who we are, and wehave just read about them, lord
, that we are made in your imageand likeness.
Sin, our sins, will not definewho we are.
Yes, we do sin, but your gracehas forgiven us.
We are not sinners, but we arethe righteousness of Christ
Jesus.
Lord, I just pray that, movingforward, every member of our
(24:03):
primary ministry ministers, ohGod, that God will just start
seeing ourselves as what youthink of us and believe it and
act it out.
Oh God, with or withoutfavorable circumstances, with or
without money, with or withoutthe human ways that we identify
ourselves.
But, god, we just ask for thatdivine identity right now,
(24:26):
especially for the young peopleat that stage in life.
Oh God, identity crisis in highschool Peer pressure.
Heavenly Father, I just prayspecifically, oh God, that God,
they will conform to what thescripture says about them, that
God, nothing evil will make them, oh God, to consent.
Oh God, they will not consent,oh God, to these sexual
(24:48):
preferences that they see inschool.
They will not consent togangster life.
They will not consent to holyfans life.
Oh God, those lifestyle, oh God, they look so pleasant, they
look so it brings money.
But God.
That is not who they are.
They are righteous, they areholy.
They are the virtuous men andwomen in Christ Jesus.
(25:09):
I just pray that, god, you givethem that strong spirit, oh God
, to resist any other falsehuman way of identity.
Oh God, and let them be anchortheir identity in Christ Jesus.
Oh God, we thank you, lord, andwe believe that you have done
this In Jesus' precious powerfulname.
(25:30):
We have prayed Amen.
You.
Knowing your identity is apersonal choice.
It's a personal matter.
I cannot identify who you are,I cannot tell you what you
should be or what you should do.
That is something that you haveto take it to God.
Sometimes come across somebody,a stranger.
They ask you who are you Like?
(00:21):
If you're in a businessnetworking event where you're
trying to introduce yourself, attimes we introduce ourselves
based on our professionalbackground.
When you're in a church setting, we introduce ourselves based
on our ministry.
Or I'm a pastor.
When you are with your friends,you identify yourself based on
what you love to do.
Or I love to play soccer, right?
(00:42):
So we identify ourselves basedon what we associate with.
Sometimes it could be oureducation, our success, our
status, our race.
And the new identification inour world today, in our culture,
is our preferences.
And these preferences are notauthentic, they are not factual,
(01:03):
they are not based on nature,they are not facts, like, for
example, when you identifyyourself based on your
background, your profession.
They are factual.
You can say, oh, somebody asksyou who are you, pastor Edith,
you can tell them that, oh, I amfrom, I'm originally from
Uganda, but I am a Canadiancitizen, right?
So that is a fact that youidentify yourself based on a
(01:23):
location.
But now we live in a worldwhere people identify themselves
based on preferences and thesepreferences sometimes they are
delusions, they're not factual,like, for example, we live in a
world now people, when you asksomebody who you are, oh, I am
lgbt, I am, I am heterosexual orI am this and that these are
all ways that we identifyourselves based on our sexual
(01:44):
preferences, based on our genderpreferences, that are not based
on truth.
But when we look into the Bible,our identity number one is in
Christ, meaning that we don'tobtain or create or cultivate or
conform our identity outside ofthe scripture or outside of
Christ.
We build and establish a firmidentity based from the
(02:04):
scripture or outside of Christ.
We build and establish a firmidentity based from the
scripture in Christ Jesus.
So, when you are outside ofChrist, there's no way you can
identify yourself based on whatthe Bible states.
So, like I was saying, thatidentity is personal, human
identity can come to an end.
All of these ways that you andI we identify ourselves based on
(02:25):
race, based on status I am fromUganda, I am rich, I am
da-da-da At the end of the day,all of these things are going to
come to an end.
When you die, no one is goingto remember who you are, but
God's identity endures.
God's identity is everlasting.
I like to study a particularword so that you and I can have
(02:47):
a clear description of whatwe're talking about.
I know, yes, I mentioned theword identity a lot, but do we
know what it actually means?
Do we know the actualdefinition?
Because when you know whatsomething is, you're able to
build upon it.
You're able now to describeyourself based on what you know.
If I look up the root word foridentity, it a word from latin,
because most of our englishwords originate from french and
(03:10):
latin, and it's so powerful thatthe word identity is from a
latin word meaning I, then I,then it's.
It means same same quality ofbeing identical.
I'm like wow.
So when we use the wordidentity, we are pretty much
saying that what makes you thesame, what makes you identical
(03:32):
to something?
That is why, at times, we, ashuman being, we can place our
identity in categories.
All of you guys are from Uganda.
That is your geographicallocation, that's how you can
identify yourself, right?
So pretty much all of you guysare from the same place.
(03:53):
So I realized that most timesour identity can be common and
our identity can also bepersonal.
We, as believers, we all sharecertain common identities,
meaning that we are actually thesame.
So the way I view myself shouldbe the way I should view my
(04:14):
pastor.
The way my pastor view me isthe way my pastor should view
another minister, another member, because our identity is the
same, especially in the body ofChrist.
Identity again in Englishdefinition, it also means the
fact of being who you are, whoyou are, and there are various
(04:35):
ways you and I, we can identifyourselves, and it also entails
certain characteristics that weplace on ourselves.
If you and I study the scripture, for us the word identity is
not actually in the Bible, butwe're able now to derive our
identity from the scripture whenwe look at these two phrases.
(04:56):
When you have time, you're ableto identify certain things that
God says about you based onthese two phrases, to make life
easier for you.
Number one whenever you seethat phrase, you are, you are.
That's one.
Number two we are.
So sometimes, when you readthis identical statement in the
Bible, you are.
(05:16):
It's personalized because you.
It's addressing you as anindividual, we is addressing us,
that we all share.
We all share that sameness.
From the latin word identitymeans sameness, that we all have
a common identity.
So, child of god, look into thescripture of these two phrase
you are and we are.
What really baffles my mind isthat you are, we are.
(05:39):
It's not in the past.
I like, what like?
When I look it up.
It didn't say you were or wewere.
It says you are, meaning thatit is present and it is also
future, so that your identity inchrist is not based on your
past.
Your identity is now and itcontinues.
That's why I said that god'sidentity endures and it's
(06:01):
everlasting.
Man's identity will end for,for example, now you and I,
we're all in Canada.
Now, if somebody asks you whoyou are based on, how you define
yourself based on yourgeographical location, you'd be
like you know what?
I'm a born-blood Canadian,because now you're in a new
place.
You see that identity of fromyou're from Uganda, have us
(06:22):
passed, but when it comes to theidentity of God, it endures and
is everlasting.
It is present and is alsofuture.
Let's do a case study aboutJesus Christ.
There are two powerful words ofwho Jesus identified himself.
Number one son of God, son ofman.
(06:43):
Do you know why Jesus Christidentified himself as the son of
God, son of man?
Do you know why Jesus Christidentified himself as the son of
God and son of man?
What we see here is divine andhuman identity, because Jesus
was both divine and human.
All of the things that I'vesaid previously how we identify
ourselves based on ourprofession, our background, our
occupation, these are all socialconstructs.
(07:05):
These are all human ways weidentify ourselves.
But the focus should actuallybe how do we identify ourselves
divinely?
Because Jesus was both man andGod.
That is why he is called theSon of God.
That's how he identifieshimself, and he's also called
the Son of man because he livesin both worlds.
(07:26):
Now, identity signifiesrelationship.
For you to know who you are,you need to know your origin.
For you to know who you are,you need to know your origin.
And our divine origin starts inthe book of Genesis, because
identity signifies arelationship.
(07:47):
For you to know who you are,you need to know the source of
who you are.
You need to know who made you,because you didn't make yourself
.
The Bible says in Genesis 1,verse 26,.
Then God said Let us make manin our image, according to our
likeness.
(08:08):
So identity in this casesignifies our relationship with
our maker.
I am not a monkey, I am not ahip Like the way evolution
defines who we are as humanbeings, our existence, how we
emerge.
That is not true.
We are from a divine,intelligent, powerful being
(08:31):
called god.
And that's what the book ofgenesis states that you and I,
we are from god.
Because it says god said let usmake man.
The old trinity, god the father, god the son, god, the holy
spirit, all of them participatedin the creation of you and I,
(08:52):
which shows that we have asignificant relationship with
God.
So our identity signifies ourrelationship.
There's another scripture thatsays in 2 Corinthians 5, verse
17,.
Just to highlight that ouridentity signifies our
relationship.
It says, therefore, if anyoneis in Christ, that's powerful.
(09:12):
So if anyone is in Christ,meaning that for you to identify
yourself, you have to be inChrist, you have to have a
relationship with you.
Now I'm taking you guys to howdo we see ourselves divinely?
We have to be in Christ.
If you're out of Christ, youcannot have this mindset of who
(09:33):
you are.
But when you are in Christ,you're able to have this new
identity.
But you have to have a personalrelationship with Jesus Christ.
That is why salvation is very,very key.
When you're saved, you are anew person.
When you're saved, you are newperson when you receive, you are
born again, a spiritual birthand you become part of the
(09:54):
divine family of god.
So identity signifiesrelationship.
You and I, we have to be inchrist.
And also ephesians, chapter 1,verse 4 to 6, I'll focus on
verse 5.
It says having predestined usto adoption as sons by Jesus
(10:14):
Christ himself.
Again, our identity signifiesour relationship.
Here we see that we are adoptedsons and daughters of God.
So if you want to identifyyourself, identify yourself
based on your relationship withGod.
Tell yourself you know what Iam a daughter of God, I am a
proud daughter of God.
I am on your relationship withGod.
Tell yourself you know what Iam a daughter of God, I am a
proud daughter of God.
I am a proud son of God.
If we have the LGBT community,they use the word pride.
(10:38):
That is the same language thatthe enemy use Pride.
Why can we be proud that weknow God?
God said if you're going toboast, don't boast in your
wisdom, don't boast in yourstrength.
Don't boast in your wisdom,don't boast in your strength,
don't boast in your resources.
Boast that you know me.
So, child of God, you shouldboast that you know what.
Brahim, madam Carol, pastorEdith, I am.
I am a born-blood child of God.
I am a daughter of God, I am ason of God.
(10:59):
We should be proud of thatidentity in Christ, based on our
relationship.
And look what it says in 1Peter 2, verse 9.
But you are a chosen generation, you are a people.
You are a people Relationshipwith each other, relationship to
our world, and you are a holynation.
(11:20):
You are a special people.
The next point is identitysignifies specific
characteristics of resemblance,that is, christ-likeness.
Like I said, identity signifiesspecific characteristics.
Sometimes you identify yourselfoh, I am a man of integrity, I
(11:43):
am a man of honesty, I am a manof courage.
You're actually telling peoplewho you are based on your
character, with or without it.
So our characteristics is is isensuring that we conform to the
image and likeness of god,christ's likeness.
According to genesis, chapter 1, verse 26, when god said let us
(12:04):
make man, we already definedthat our identity is based on
relationship because we are madefrom god.
Now our identity signifiescertain characteristics, meaning
that we are the image andlikeness of god.
That's another way we canidentify ourselves, based on
specific characteristics, andthat is what we are the image
and likeness of god, christlikeness.
(12:25):
The word holiness does not justmean oh, you don't, you don't,
you don't, you don't dress in aoh, you don't dress in a certain
way, you don't talk in acertain way.
No, the word holiness actuallymeans to be set apart, to be set
apart in righteousness, to beset apart in love, to be set
apart in kindness To you and I.
God is saying that we have tobe holy, meaning that we have to
be special people Specialpeople in our conversation,
(12:46):
special people in our conduct,special people in our
conversation, special people inour conduct, special people in
our way of thinking.
And look what it says now, whenwe identify ourself based on
certain characteristics.
In second corinthians, chapter 5, verse 17, the bible says
therefore, if anyone is inchrist, it is a new creation.
It is a new creation.
All things have passed away,all things have become new.
(13:08):
When you are born again, youare a new person.
You are a new person with a newattitude, with new intentions,
with new mindsets, with newdesires that are godly, with new
ambitions.
Everything is new about you,everything that is new about you
(13:29):
.
They have to be in Christ, theyhave to be aligned with the
word of God, because God issaying I want you to be holy
because I am holy, so you are anew creation With a new way of
thinking, way of speaking, wayof feeling, way of acting, way
of making decisions.
That old man is gone.
(13:57):
And then in 1 Corinthians 6,verse 19, it says Do you know
that your body is the temple ofthe Holy Spirit?
Who is in you?
Wow, that is identity based oncharacteristics, because you are
the temple of the Holy Spirit.
The temple here signifies yourbody, your lifestyle, because
you have God again, the HolySpirit relating with you.
(14:18):
Identity based on relationship,the Holy Spirit inside of you,
the Holy Spirit communing withyou, the Holy Spirit conversing
with you.
But for him to be able to doall these things, to connect
with you, you have to be a holytemple, a holy dwelling, a holy
settlement, a holy house, a holyresidence for this special Holy
(14:43):
Spirit to live in you and toperform the work of God.
And look what it says again youare the temple of the Holy
Spirit whom you have from God,meaning that you are not your
own.
Like I said, we are from God,identity based on our
relationship.
We are not our own.
So you cannot wake up onemorning, oh, identify myself as
(15:05):
a dog.
Are you mad?
God didn't say that you're adog.
You are his image and likeness.
And then the government willsponsor all this demonic
preferences, transitions.
No, that is not so.
That is not so with us asbelievers, amen.
So now, in Ephesians 4-6, I'malmost done it says, just as he
(15:28):
chose us and him before thefoundation of the world, that we
should be holy again,identity-based on
characteristics and withoutblame before him in love.
Jesus summarizes thecommandment into two Love God
and love your neighbor asyourself.
So we should identify ourselvesbased on love.
We should be loving on people.
Paul said that we should owe noone anything except love.
(15:50):
When you live this world, theonly thing that you should owe
people is love, not money, butlove.
So we should identify ourselvesbased on how loving we are, how
loving we are.
And then we should alsoidentify ourselves based on
characteristics that we shouldwalk in the light.
According to 1 Peter 2, verse 9, it says that you may proclaim
(16:14):
the praises of him who calledyou out of darkness into his
marvelous light.
We should walk in the light.
When people see us, they see usas the lamp of the world.
We are the lamp of the world.
And the third point aboutidentity identity signifies
purpose.
Identity signifies purpose.
Look what it says in Genesis,chapter 1, verse 26.
(16:36):
After God has created you and Iin our image and likeness, god
said let them have dominion.
That is purpose.
That, that is purpose.
That is why we are in ministry,that is why we are serving,
because we are God's workmanship, according to Ephesians,
chapter 2, verse 10.
For we are his workmanship, weare his work.
Again, that word that has beencoming up, that in Christ, from
(16:58):
God, his mean that we are notour own, we are God.
That is why, if we want toderive our identity, we have to
start from our maker, and he hasrevealed who we are According
to his word.
So we are God's workmanship.
Created again, look.
Created in Christ Jesus Forgood works.
(17:19):
Like I said, if you want tohave a new identity, you have to
100%, absolutely, be in Christ,absolutely be in Christ,
because there's no other way.
You have to be in Christ.
So we identify ourselves basedon our divine purpose, of having
dominion, of multiplying, ofbeing fruitful, of subduing.
(17:42):
We identify our self-based andour purpose because we are God's
workmanship, created in JesusChrist for good works.
When we go to work, we don'twork as if we're working for our
boss, we work as if we're doingit for the Lord.
I mean, sometimes I don't likegoing to work, but I have to go
to work.
I'm like God, you complain toomuch.
Why don't you just change yourattitude?
(18:04):
Go to work.
Go to work as if you're workingfor me.
Maybe that would help.
I'm like wow, that's powerful.
So I changed my mindset.
I'm not going to work trying tomake money for somebody else,
and then they're making all thebig money and then I'm not.
I'm like God.
Help can also identify ourselvesbased on our purpose, according
(18:25):
to 1 Peter 2, verse 9.
Look what it says.
It says for you are a chosengeneration, a royal priesthood,
his own special people.
That that that you may proclaimthe praises.
That you may proclaim thepraises.
That you may proclaim thepraises, child of God.
(18:47):
It is our duty, it is ourresponsibility, it is our
mandate that, wherever we go, weshould declare, we should speak
, we should proclaim the praisesof him.
That is our identity, based onpurpose, proclaiming the praises
of God.
To conclude, let's create ouridentity in Christ based on what
(19:14):
the scripture says about us.
When we create that, the nextstep is to cultivate Because,
yes, we can believe that I am aholy nation, a royal priesthood,
a chosen generation.
You can speak scripture, but doyou truly believe it?
Because our belief affects ourbehavior.
(19:37):
There's no way you can act outsomething you don't truly
believe in.
For you to believe something,you have to have information
about it.
So, now that we know that weare special, that we identify
ourselves based on ourrelationship with God, we
identify ourselves based oncertain characteristics for us
(19:57):
to be holy, to be loving.
We identify ourselves based onour purpose, that we are God's
workmanship.
The next step is do you believethat?
If you believe that you have tocultivate, that you have to
start living, conforming intoyour new reality of being a new
creation, with a different viewof yourself and your fellow
(20:20):
believers?
Acquire and anchor youridentity Based on what God says
about you.
Get it from God and let it berooted in the scripture, because
your circumstances will tellyou otherwise.
Oh, you are a royal priesthood.
Oh, man of God, you don't looknothing like royal man of God.
You don't look nothing like youare special.
(20:41):
Look at where you live.
Look at what you do.
Look at what you do.
Look at the type of job thatyou do.
There's nothing special aboutyou.
We have to dispel those liesand anchor our belief on what
God says about who we are, as itis written in the scripture.
And our identity gives us ourdignity.
We are dignified when we knowwho we are.
(21:07):
Finally, how do you becomeauthentic?
How do you become authentic?
Because, truly, sometimes welive in a world where people are
all faking it.
We are all faking it On socialmedia, in church.
We're not authentic toourselves, but how do we become
authentic to who we are?
Number one is identity.
(21:28):
You have to know who you are.
And then number two isintegrity.
Integrity is actually livingout who you are.
It's you now integrating whatyou believe about yourself, your
mindset, your attitude, yourvalues, your vision, your belief
(21:48):
system, integrating all thesecomponents of what makes you you
, and start living it out If weclaim that this is who we are in
Jesus Christ, not just based onwords, but let it be based on
practice, that I am a child ofGod.
I am adopted.
(22:10):
I am God's workmanship.
Start living that out.
That's when you will know thatyou are authentic in Christ
Jesus.
You don't have to pleaseanybody Because, number one, you
know who you are and you areliving out who you are.
That makes you authentic.
Father God, I thank you, lord,for your word.
(22:32):
Lord, at times we quotescriptures that I am a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood,a special people.
I am a special people.
I am a new creation.
These are all powerfuldescriptions but, lord, help us
(22:58):
to truly believe what we sayabout ourselves based on your
word.
No matter our current situationor our past should not define
who we are.
God, any thoughts or words thatwe have spoken on ourselves.
God, that has made us to believeto who we are, that has made us
to disregard who we are,because Jesus constantly asks
(23:18):
his disciple who do people saythat I am?
Not because he had identitycrisis.
He was just trying to ensurehis disciple have a positive
view of who he is, and then youwere able to reveal to Peter you
are the son of God.
Lord, at times we struggle toknow who we are, but you have
not left us empty.
(23:39):
You have given us yourscripture that has the
revelation of who we are, and wehave just read about them, lord
, that we are made in your imageand likeness.
Sin, our sins, will not definewho we are.
Yes, we do sin, but your gracehas forgiven us.
We are not sinners, but we arethe righteousness of Christ
Jesus.
Lord, I just pray that, movingforward, every member of our
(24:03):
primary ministry ministers, ohGod, that God will just start
seeing ourselves as what youthink of us and believe it and
act it out.
Oh God, with or withoutfavorable circumstances, with or
without money, with or withoutthe human ways that we identify
ourselves.
But, god, we just ask for thatdivine identity right now,
(24:26):
especially for the young peopleat that stage in life.
Oh God, identity crisis in highschool Peer pressure.
Heavenly Father, I just prayspecifically, oh God, that God,
they will conform to what thescripture says about them, that
God, nothing evil will make them, oh God, to consent.
Oh God, they will not consent,oh God, to these sexual
(24:48):
preferences that they see inschool.
They will not consent togangster life.
They will not consent to holyfans life.
Oh God, those lifestyle, oh God, they look so pleasant, they
look so it brings money.
But God.
That is not who they are.
They are righteous, they areholy.
They are the virtuous men andwomen in Christ Jesus.
(25:09):
I just pray that, god, you givethem that strong spirit, oh God
, to resist any other falsehuman way of identity.
Oh God, and let them be anchortheir identity in Christ Jesus.
Oh God, we thank you, lord, andwe believe that you have done
this In Jesus' precious powerfulname.
(25:30):
We have prayed Amen.
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