WHO AM I?
- TRUST.
- FAITH.
- CONFIDENCE.
- COURAGE.
- OBEDIENCE.
Our understanding of who we are goes a long way in determining WHO WE ARE & what we will become.
“Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher;
(The Gospel According to John 3: 2b-3 NASB)
for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
[Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews]
[Nicodemus, a man with questions]
[Nicodemus, a man who came to meet with Jesus under the cover of the dark of night]
“Jesus answered and said to him,
“Truly, truly,
I say to you,
unless one is born again
he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
In one of my college writing classes—ENG 110—in all the sections I am allowed to teach, the main goal we pursue is the question: WHO AM I? Thus, during the course of the semester, students are instructed to write essays, paragraphs, sentences, & words that display for the reading world the answer to this important question. Get this—The evidence cannot come from any outside (library) resource, but the evidence must come from the primary source: from their very lives!
- We each have a foundation—for who we are—laid for us within the context of our family.
- We are born—as a son or as a daughter—possibly to become a brother or sister to a sibling.
- We are given a name—one that identifies us—one we call ourselves—one another uses to call out to us.
- We develop a sense of our own personal identify—as we grow up in age.
Consider for a moment the grammar of Nicodemus’ question & Jesus’ response.
- Nicodemus came to Jesus with his question, and notice, how he asked in the plural form—
“Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; . . .”
Now see how the Savior of the world responded to this educated man.
- Jesus responded to the question from Nicodemus, and notice, how the Son of God replied in the singular form—
“Truly, truly, I say to you,
unless one is born again
he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
As we grow up, we develop a sense of our own personal identify as we grow up in age, but WHO AM I? in my identity with GOD?
Yes, we pursue the question: WHO AM I?
The MOST IMPORTANT question: WHO AM I? IN RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS, GOD’S ONLY SON?
The Creator of the world—Almighty God—sent His only Son to us so that we would pursue the same question in relation to Him.
WHO AM I?—IN THE RELATIONSHIP JESUS CHRIST, THE SAVIOR OFFERS—TO ME?
The apostle Peter preached to the rulers and the Sadducees and to the people, saying:
“And there is salvation in no one else;
(The Acts of the Apostles 4: 12 NASB)
for there is no other name under heaven
that has been given among men
by which we must be saved.”
- Can you close your eyes and see in your mind the place where you were when you came to know Jesus Christ as your Savior?
- Can you remember the exact time when Jesus came into your heart?
- Can you recall the moment when you asked Jesus to save you?
WHO AM I?
This question does not really matter at all in relation to this earth. One day each of us will reach the end of our earthly lives. We will, each one of us, ALL DIE! At that time, we will then go to the place we have individually chosen for our eternity: Heaven OR Hell.
Truly, this is a grievous fear for so many people. To die!
But GOD offers something FAR BETTER FOR EACH PERSON HE HAS CREATED!
ALMIGHTY GOD DESIRES WE (EACH PERSON)—
- COME TO KNOW HIM.
FATHER GOD OFFERS US (EVERY PERSON) THE FREE GIFT OF HIS SALVATION—
- AN OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW HIM THROUGH HIS SON.
JESUS CHRIST DIED UPON THE CROSS & AROSE FROM THE GRAVE TO NEW LIFE!
SO THAT EVERY SINGLE PERSON—
- CAN ACCEPT HIS SON
- CAN RECEIVE THE GIFT OF GOD’S MERCY & AMAZING GRACE.
WHO AM I?
This question does not really have any significance in the context of the family I am born into OR in what I am called when I was born into this world.
WHO AM I?
This only matters in the context of the relationship I have with the SAVIOR—THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD—JESUS CHRIST!
Therefore, I challenge you on this last day of the work week to pause & ask yourself these questions.
- Do I know WHO I AM? in relation to GOD’S SON JESUS?
- If not, then WHY NOT TODAY?
- And if I do know JESUS CHRIST as my SAVIOR, then WHO DO I KNOW WHO WALKS IN LOSTNESS, WHO DOES NOT YET KNOW GOD’S SON JESUS?
- What AM I Doing?—What words AM I Speaking?—AM I Showing God’s love?—to those I know who are lost and Not Going to Heaven when they die?
Get this—The evidence cannot come from any outside resource, but the evidence must come from the primary source: from our very lives!
When arrested, threatened, and warned to be silent about their Savior Jesus, we read in God’s Word, these apostles’ response to the religious leaders and to those present.
“And when they had summoned them,
(The Acts of the Apostles 4: 18-20 NASB)
they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
But Peter and John answered and said to them,
“Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge;
for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”