Biblical Identity

Humanity's diverse nationalities, ethnicities, and races were intended to be a blessing from God. However, due to sin and rebellion, these differences often result in alienation, hatred, and even violence, becoming one of the most urgent problems facing the world. Cultural divisions are unfortunately common in the church, too. How can Christians embrace God's purposes for diversity and experience renewal and unity as his people? Steven Bryan presents a biblical framework for thinking about cultural identity and experiencing cultural diversity as a positive good that God intended.

In the Known by God Audio Lectures, part of the Biblical Theology for Life series, Brian Rosner explores three biblical angles on the question of personal identity: being made in the image of God, being known by God, and being in Christ. Rosner shows that rather than knowing ourselves, being known by God is the key to personal identity. It gives our fleeting lives significance, provokes in us humility, supplies comfort when things go wrong, and offers clear moral direction for living.

Familiarity and dishonor kill the anointing. The Jews, being the fathers and mothers of the faith, were dishonored and replaced by other church fathers that, along with Emperor Constantine, crafted a religious system that dishonors the Jews and all things Jewish. As a result, the anointing left, and miracles ceased. This distorted religious system affects many Christians until this day.

A great many Jewish holidays and practices, in their earliest understanding, reflect the great innovation of Biblical religion. The Bible emphasized historical events in contrast to nature. Other ancient Near Eastern religions stressed the latter. As Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel noted, in the Jewish tradition, faith is memory. The observances of Jewish holidays and various Jewish practices articulate theological ideas reflective of collective Jewish memory.

Our spiritual enemy is coming after our children, and he doesn’t care who knows it. He wants their minds. He wants their hearts. He wants their beliefs. He wants their lives. Most of all, he wants to stake a claim on their identity. He wants to destroy the foundation of who our children are by letting culture, or even themselves, determine “their truth.” But there is no truth but God’s Word. It is absolute truth that transcends time and cultural advancement.