Finding True Identity in Christ's Love and Grace
Summary
### Summary
In today's sermon, we delved into the theme of identity, particularly focusing on how Christians should perceive themselves in light of God's Word. Drawing from 1 Peter 2:12, we explored the experiences of early Christians who were persecuted and exiled for their faith. Despite being labeled as evildoers by the Gentiles, their true identity was rooted in their relationship with Jesus Christ. This led us to question our own identity and how we are perceived by others versus how God sees us.
We discussed various ways people identify themselves and others—through personality, cultural background, social media profiles, performance, appearance, and opinions of others. However, these identifiers can often be misleading and superficial. Instead, we should focus on how God identifies us. As believers, we are living stones, part of a spiritual house with Jesus as the cornerstone. This means that our true identity is found in being a part of God's family, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation.
We also touched on the importance of aligning our lives with Jesus Christ, the cornerstone. If our foundation is not aligned with Him, our spiritual house will be unstable. This alignment helps us to live out our true identity, showing forth the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. We are called to be different, to stand out, and to reflect the love and truth of Jesus in our lives.
In conclusion, our identity should not be based on what others say about us or even on our past mistakes. Instead, it should be rooted in what God says about us. We are His chosen people, and our lives should reflect that truth. This understanding should lead us to a deeper commitment to live in alignment with Christ, showing the world the transformative power of His love and grace.
### Key Takeaways
1. True Identity in Christ: Our true identity is not defined by societal labels or personal achievements but by our relationship with Jesus Christ. As believers, we are living stones in God's spiritual house, with Jesus as our cornerstone. This identity is unshakeable and eternal. [14:33]
2. Alignment with Jesus: Just as a house must be built on a solid foundation, our lives must be aligned with Jesus Christ. If we are not in line with Him, our spiritual house will be unstable. Regular self-examination and alignment with Christ are crucial for a strong spiritual life. [28:25]
3. Royal Priesthood: As Christians, we are part of a royal priesthood, meaning we have direct access to God and are called to represent Him to the world. This royal status is not about earthly wealth or power but about our spiritual authority and responsibility. [33:29]
4. Living Out Our Identity: Our identity in Christ should be evident in our daily lives. We are called to show forth the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. This means living in a way that reflects God's love, truth, and grace to those around us. [34:49]
5. Rejecting False Identities: We must reject the false identities imposed on us by society, past mistakes, or even our own misconceptions. Instead, we should embrace the identity God has given us as His chosen people. This requires a continual renewal of our minds through God's Word. [37:24]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[01:46] - Introduction to 1 Peter 2:12
[03:40] - Personal and Cultural Identity
[06:50] - Social Media and Performance-Based Identity
[09:24] - Misjudging Others
[12:01] - Faults and Intellect
[15:06] - God's Perspective on Identity
[18:33] - Living Stones and Spiritual House
[22:08] - Direct Access to God
[25:13] - Unique Placement in God's House
[27:09] - Jesus as the Cornerstone
[30:53] - Stumbling Over Jesus
[32:57] - Royal Priesthood and Holy Nation
[34:49] - Purpose of Our Identity
[37:06] - Embracing Our True Identity
[38:16] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. 1 Peter 2:12 - "Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation."
2. 1 Peter 2:4-5 - "To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."
3. 1 Peter 2:9 - "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light."
#### Observation Questions
1. What were the early Christians experiencing according to 1 Peter 2:12, and how were they perceived by others? [01:46]
2. How does 1 Peter 2:4-5 describe believers in relation to Jesus Christ?
3. What titles and roles are given to believers in 1 Peter 2:9, and what is their purpose?
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the concept of being "living stones" in 1 Peter 2:4-5 help us understand our identity in Christ? [19:51]
2. What does it mean to be part of a "royal priesthood" as described in 1 Peter 2:9, and how does this affect our relationship with God and others? [33:29]
3. How can aligning our lives with Jesus, the cornerstone, stabilize our spiritual house according to the sermon? [28:25]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt misjudged or labeled by others. How did you respond, and how might understanding your true identity in Christ change your response in the future? [02:45]
2. In what ways can you regularly align your life with Jesus to ensure your spiritual house remains stable? Consider practical steps you can take this week. [28:25]
3. How can you live out your identity as part of a "royal priesthood" in your daily interactions? Think of specific actions you can take to represent God to those around you. [33:29]
4. Identify one false identity you have believed about yourself. How can you reject this false identity and embrace the truth of what God says about you? [37:24]
5. How can you show forth the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light in your workplace or community? Share one specific way you plan to do this. [34:49]
6. Think of a person or group who might be misjudged or labeled unfairly. How can you extend grace and reflect God's love to them this week? [09:24]
7. What steps can you take to ensure that your identity is rooted in Christ and not in societal labels or personal achievements? [14:33]
Devotional
Day 1: True Identity in Christ
Our true identity is not defined by societal labels or personal achievements but by our relationship with Jesus Christ. As believers, we are living stones in God's spiritual house, with Jesus as our cornerstone. This identity is unshakeable and eternal. In a world where identity is often tied to external factors like career, social status, or appearance, it is crucial to remember that our worth and identity come from being children of God. This understanding provides a stable foundation that cannot be shaken by life's challenges or the opinions of others. [14:33]
1 Peter 2:4-5 (ESV): "As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."
Reflection: In what ways have you allowed societal labels or personal achievements to define your identity? How can you shift your focus to see yourself as God sees you?
Day 2: Alignment with Jesus
Just as a house must be built on a solid foundation, our lives must be aligned with Jesus Christ. If we are not in line with Him, our spiritual house will be unstable. Regular self-examination and alignment with Christ are crucial for a strong spiritual life. This means continually assessing our actions, thoughts, and priorities to ensure they reflect Jesus' teachings and character. When we align ourselves with Christ, we build a life that can withstand trials and reflect His love and truth to the world. [28:25]
Matthew 7:24-25 (ESV): "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock."
Reflection: What areas of your life need realignment with Jesus' teachings? What steps can you take today to begin this process?
Day 3: Royal Priesthood
As Christians, we are part of a royal priesthood, meaning we have direct access to God and are called to represent Him to the world. This royal status is not about earthly wealth or power but about our spiritual authority and responsibility. Being part of a royal priesthood means we are set apart to serve God and others, offering spiritual sacrifices and interceding on behalf of others. It is a high calling that comes with the privilege of intimate relationship with God and the responsibility to live in a way that honors Him. [33:29]
Revelation 1:6 (ESV): "And made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."
Reflection: How can you embrace your role as part of a royal priesthood in your daily life? What specific actions can you take to represent God to those around you?
Day 4: Living Out Our Identity
Our identity in Christ should be evident in our daily lives. We are called to show forth the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. This means living in a way that reflects God's love, truth, and grace to those around us. Our actions, words, and attitudes should be a testament to the transformative power of Jesus in our lives. By living out our true identity, we become a light in a dark world, drawing others to the hope and love found in Christ. [34:49]
Ephesians 5:8-9 (ESV): "For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true)."
Reflection: In what ways can you more intentionally reflect God's love, truth, and grace in your interactions with others today?
Day 5: Rejecting False Identities
We must reject the false identities imposed on us by society, past mistakes, or even our own misconceptions. Instead, we should embrace the identity God has given us as His chosen people. This requires a continual renewal of our minds through God's Word. By immersing ourselves in Scripture and prayer, we can combat the lies and false identities that try to take root in our hearts and minds. Embracing our true identity in Christ frees us to live authentically and confidently as God's beloved children. [37:24]
Romans 12:2 (ESV): "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."
Reflection: What false identities have you been holding onto? How can you use God's Word to renew your mind and embrace your true identity in Christ?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "If you want to be like Jesus here, and you want to stand like Jesus here, you're going to have people that will talk about you, and they're going to identify you in a certain way, even though you are like Jesus here. You are totally pure and loving and honest, but look what he says right here. Look at this verse right here. It says, verse 12, and I lost my place. It says, look, it says, Gentiles means the other nations of the world, but notice what they were doing to these Christians here. It says that whereas they speak against you as what? What were they calling the Christians? Evil doers. They may by your good works which they shall behold. In other words, they see how you act. When they talk about you, they see how you act. And there's only one explanation that they can turn around. They have to turn around and glorify God in the day of visitation here." [02:45] (64 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Now, you realize folks here, okay, people know what your beliefs are, okay? I identify as a, I don't, I pastor a Baptist church, but I tell people here, I am a Christian. I identify as a Christian. Amen? Okay? I have Baptist beliefs here, but I don't call myself a Baptist. You may call yourself a Baptist. Okay? I call myself a Bible believer. I'm a believing Christian, a follower of Jesus Yeshua here. That's what I tell people here. That's what I identify." [03:40] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "You know, people identify different people by their performance here. And I'll get to the scripture here, but some people identify a good basketball player. They say, hey, man, he's a great basketball player here, but he ends up in detention every day. Or a football player, okay? How many agree that? I agree with that. Our concept, and I'm a sports lover, but something's not right here if you can score the most touchdowns and you're in detention every day. Can I get an amen? Okay. But some people identify that person as that way here, okay? They are a performance. They can perform good, okay?" [07:47] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "You know, a lot of times people reject Jesus Christ, for hypocrites and church, think a mouse said amen, okay, but my point is okay here, a lot of people don't see a living Jesus, and Christians align, and they're identified, I'm not a Baptist, I'm not a, I'm not American, I'm not anything, I might have faults, but I identify, I'm a Christian Jesus Christ, a lot of people stumble over that, you know what, a lot of Christians need to repent, today, you know what repentance means folks, preachers included, repentance means a change of mind, which means a change of direction, I don't know about you, we need a change of mind, and change of direction in America, because you know what today, in Christianity today, we're playing church pretty good, we are, we know how to play the facts, amen, put a couple bucks in there, so every once in a while, show up here, but that will never glorify God." [32:08] (66 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Now, you realize folks here, when I see now, God's living in me here, that's exciting. That, that God lives in this house. How many have ever seen that old show, Fix It Up show Saturday morning? This old house, you probably watched that, Aaron. They go in there and they remodel that old house. Well, what Peter's doing, he's identifying these Christians and he's trying to say here that a stone, now, try to picture this for a second. Try to picture building a house or a temple with stone. And if I go up here out of the rocks and I wish I would have brought a rock and I would have said, grow, grow, grow. Is a rock a living thing? No. But the Bible says, that, that when you come to Jesus, you come to him as a living stone. Somebody that is alive. Now, do you realize folks here, our God is alive and we need to be showing people that we believe, we see ourselves, as God is alive in us, he's working in our hearts, we are his people, and we will act like him, live like him, love like him, help like him." [19:51] (74 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "Now, you understand here, there's a problem here in this particular culture. They were exiles, and they were Christians here, and everybody around them was identifying them as evildoers and calling them names here. And Peter's going to write to them, and he's going to tell them some things, who they really are. He going to let them see who they are. They're not evildoers. They're not bad people here. They are the people of God. They have special privileges. Now, I want you to look at 1 Peter 2 very quickly at verse 4 here. I want you to see here how he's going to encourage these people. We're going to look at verses 4 probably to verse 10 today here, and we're going to see here who God, how we see ourself, identify as ourself, and we're also going to see here how do we identify Christ, how do we see him, and then we're going to see here how do we see what God wants us to do here. Does God want us to cave into the pressures of the way people see here? I don't know about you. I don't want to cave into anything biblically that I stand on. Amen? I don't care what anybody talks about me, says about me, identifies me here. I want to be like Jesus Christ and stand on the word of God on anything here." [16:45] (84 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "You know the good thing about God? When we identify us this way, we can't see it. Brittany, can you see anything? Can you see your faults? Can you see your failures? You can't even see your appearances, right? Okay. Ronnie, you can't see Debbie. And she's about ready to take a fist up beside you. No, I'm just kidding. Okay, okay. But Phil, you can't see anything, right? Okay. Jim, you can't see the sweet lady beside you, right? You can't see anything. Okay, you realize, folks, the only way you see things is not by what people say about you. It's we need to see what God says about us. And when we identify who God says about who we are, then we get an accurate view. What color shirt Brittany's got on, Brittany? What color shirt you got on? Are you holding hands with Nick? I can see it this way from heaven, but can you see it, Nick? You better be able to. Amen. Natalie, I can see a smile back there on your face, right? Can you see your smile?" [15:06] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Now, you realize folks here, you are uniquely placed and made for a reason, you understand here, you're no joke, your life has a purpose, God, when he was building this house here, he said, I want to put a stone here, I want to put a stone here, they may be all different here, but inside of that house, I have different people, that have different talents, but through that, God gets glorified, now, aren't you glad that we're all different here, and God says in this house here, I'm going to put a bunch of different stones, in different places here, different nationalities, different cultures, different personalities, how many realize that we're all totally different, we all come from different backgrounds here, but God says, I want them there, I want them there, I want them to come to me, and I want to live inside of them, and that's what makes Christianity so unique." [24:19] (59 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "Now, you know what, I don't want people to say, I don't want to say, I don't want you to say, I go to pastor Stanley's church, I'm honored as a pastor when you say that, I want you to say, I'm a member of Jesus Christ's church, not the church of Christ, can I get an amen, okay, but my point is okay here, I want you to say here, that my, I'm a house, I'm a house, God lives inside of me, I identify, God's living in me, but I also identify, that I am, in line with Jesus Christ, now let me ask you a question here, can you honestly say right now, that you're in line with Christ, because every once in a while, houses get out of line right, and they shift, the wise man builds his house upon a rock, the foolish man build his house upon a what, and it all came down, you realize folks, there's churches, there's people, there's individuals, that they're out of line, but they can't see it, they can't see it, now there's a problem, if you identify as a Christian, if you're out of line, you may not see it, but other people see it, you understand, if you're living like a hypocrite, and at work, other people see it, and they don't want it, so you need to check yourself, every once in a while, you need to check, ladies." [29:14] (76 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Now, you understand here, there's a problem here in this particular culture. They were exiles, and they were Christians here, and everybody around them was identifying them as evildoers and calling them names here. And Peter's going to write to them, and he's going to tell them some things, who they really are. He going to let them see who they are. They're not evildoers. They're not bad people here. They are the people of God. They have special privileges. Now, I want you to look at 1 Peter 2 very quickly at verse 4 here. I want you to see here how he's going to encourage these people. We're going to look at verses 4 probably to verse 10 today here, and we're going to see here who God, how we see ourself, identify as ourself, and we're also going to see here how do we identify Christ, how do we see him, and then we're going to see here how do we see what God wants us to do here. Does God want us to cave into the pressures of the way people see here? I don't know about you. I don't want to cave into anything biblically that I stand on. Amen? I don't care what anybody talks about me, says about me, identifies me here. I want to be like Jesus Christ and stand on the word of God on anything here." [16:45] (84 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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