For many years there has been several names synonymous with believers. There are several labels that we have been taught, cultured and have chosen to call ourselves. The main names are:
- A sinner saved by grace
- A servant of God
While the intent of the names may seem innocent, the enemy behind the name is not. Because there is life and death in the power of the tongue, what we call ourselves is important. Even more, who we believe that we are is important.
When I first became born again, calling myself these names and identifying with them did not bother me at all. I was young and everyone else did it, so it seemed right. Over the years as I have been in close counsel with the Lord, I have realized how wrong the popular view can be and how subtle deception imposes itself on God’s people.
Being called a sinner saved by grace or a servant of God on the exterior sounds very godly, for sure I know that’s what I thought. It sounded like a humble statement to make, it even sounded true. I mean, we were in sin and we were saved by grace and we are called by God to serve, SO THEN, what’s wrong with calling ourselves that?
The problem with labelling yourself a name is that where your name is, your identity and mindset will follow. The truth is calling ourselves sinners saved by grace or servants of God is not humility it is ungodly. When I called myself a sinner saved by grace, my mindset was one of weakness and inferiority. I felt as though I had to approach God with caution because He saved me from sin and I constantly needed to be reminded of that. Calling myself a sinner saved by grace also allowed me to keep sin habits and sin patterns in my life for as long as I wanted to because truly I did not believe what Romans 6-8 says that I am dead to sin and that it had no power over me.
Equally, calling myself a servant of God made me approach God like a beggar. The mindset was this, since he saved me from sin and has given me a new life, He died for my sins, the least I can do is serve, serve silently and willingly and serve with gladness because that is what we are duty bound to do. When I viewed myself as a servant, I approached God with no confidence that my prayers will be answered, I never felt like my needs were important to Him or that I had a right to ask of Him anything. Calling myself a servant gave me a mindset where I believed it was ok to work for God and never expect anything from God in return. It cultured me to think that I should not dear ask or expect God to provide and to protect.
Surely this is not humility, this is slavery and it is ungodly. Not only that, it offends God and, for this same reason, Jesus offended the Pharisees.
If Jesus called himself a sinner saved by grace or a servant of God the Pharisees would not have been offended. The scripture says they wanted to kill Him not only for breaking the sabbath but because He called God His Father thereby making himself equal with God (John 5:18).
Jesus never waivered in His Identity, He knew exactly who He was. Even to the point of death, when He was being accused and mocked, it never changed His view of Himself or of the Father. He knew He was the Beloved of the Father, He spoke so often about how much the Father loves Him. He knew He was the Son of God. With this confidence Jesus was able to perform His miracles, prayed without doubt because He knew the Father heard Him (John 11:42). He spoke with authority and He confronted the religious leaders with boldness. He was not afraid of controversy and even in the face of death, He did not give up who He knew He was.
Jesus was able to live out His life on earth with confidence because He knew who He belonged to and Who He was. What is more amazing is that He did not do this for Himself, He did this for us, His church.
Jesus is the patterned Son. He was the one in the bosom of the Father and He has revealed God to us. He revealed God as Father. He never called us a sinner saved by grace or a servant of God.
If that is not what we are then who are we?
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:19 (NIV)
Being saved by grace from sin does not make us sinners, just as failing at something does not make us failures. We are not servants, we are not orphans, we are not beggars, through the life of the Beloved Son, Jesus we were pre-destined before the foundation of the world for adoption to sonship through Jesus THE KING, in accordance with his pleasure and will. (Ephesians 1:5)
Jesus knew who He was, and we should too. If we claim false identity about who we are, we will never function in the way we were destined to. Like us be like Jesus, may we never waiver in our identity, even in the face of death.
