Selective Identity

When God looks at you or me, He sees His Son Jesus Christ by selective identity, for He chose us in Him, and He chose Him to be our Substitute and also our Advocate and Mediator.

Much ado was once made of identity theft, though not as much is heard about it recently.
1. Criminals steal your name, identifying number, or credit card number for crimes.
2. The term identity theft was coined in 1964 as personal numbers gained importance.
3. There is no value in thinking even one more minute about identity theft. Who cares!
4. There is also mistaken identity, where human error causes temporary good or bad.
5. For the sake of this study, there is no theft involved, and there is no mistake in it.
6. Yet, the Bible clearly states that God selectively sees you in and as His Son Jesus.
7. From out perspective, it is like identity theft, for we neither deserved nor earned it.
When holy God Jehovah looks at the elect, He sees His Son’s righteousness and merit.
1. If you realize His holiness, you do not want God to see your character or conduct.
2. Isaiah knew he was doomed in the presence of God … before intervention (Is 6:1-7).
3. The Flood and other horrific judgments on men were of sinners no worse than you.
4. Hell was created for sinners just like you and me, yet we will not see it for a second.
5. To a great degree, your personal identity as a sinner is lost to be seen as God’s son.
6. God does not see or remember your sins; He sees His Son’s death and righteousness.
7. A poor metaphor: when you pull your license to get into heaven, it has Jesus’ picture.
The transferred identity and character is mainly legal phase, but includes other phases.
1. It is Jesus’ death on the cross by terms of the everlasting covenant that covers you.
2. His life, death, and intercessory life are legal aspects of satisfying the justice of God.
3. But you were predestinated to it in eternity, and future glorification depends on it.
4. We are the sons of God today by election, adoption, regeneration, and conversion.
5. Communion is the perfect, God-ordained ordinance to remember the great transfer.
6. The chosen texts could be and have been developed more fully, but accept simplicity.
Your name is written in the book of life of the Lamb slain, His Son (Rev 20:15; 13:8).
1. If it were not, your future is the lake of fire, for the books of works condemn you.
2. The book is named after the Lamb of God … Jesus the Son of God and your Savior.
3. All facts about your wicked character and conduct will be overridden by Another’s.
4. For much more about the Lamb’s book of life and our eternal life by it, see … here.
The unity with believers Jesus prayed for before dying is very tight (John 17:20-24).
1. Though the emphasis of His prayer was practical unity, it reflects us as God’s sons.
2. For much more about this incredible prayer and its emphasis of unity … see here.
Imputation of two Adams is soteriological truth, but see the identity (Rom 5:12-19).
1. God has by infinite wisdom viewed every conceived person in their head Adam.
2. By this selective identity – imputation – every person is guilty to die for Eden’s sin.
3. But for the elect, God sees Jesus the Second Adam obeying for their righteousness.
4. For much more about this glorious imputation and transferred identity, see … here.
By God’s glorious, sovereign choice, we in Christ are no longer condemned (Rom 8:1).
1. Look backward to Paul’s desperation and deliverance through Jesus (Rom 7:24-25).
2. Look forward to his teaching of a new law of Spirit and life in Christ (Rom 8:2-4).
His predestinating purpose was for you to be among Jesus’ many brethren (Rom 8:29).
1. God had planned your new identity as a son of God before creation (Rom 8:28-31).
2. Never forget it depends on the death of Jesus for your new identity (Rom 8:32-34).
3. For much more about our predestinate position in Jesus Christ for salvation … here.
God chose and elected us to be in Christ, Whom He made everything for us (I Co 1:30).
1. By nature and conduct, we are foolish, weak, base, and nothing … but new identities.
2. God put us in Christ Jesus, and He made Christ our perfect stand-in for us in virtue.
3. For much more about this fabulous text describing our position in Christ … here.
The Lamb of God died and shed His blood to fulfill the Passover perfectly (I Cor 5:7).
1. God told Israel … the death angel will pass over and not kill when I see the blood.
2. But when we stand before God, Jesus shed His blood for us, so God will pass over.
3. For much more about Jesus Christ as the great fulfillment of the Passover … here.
At the cross, God put your sins on Jesus; He put His righteousness on you (II Cor 5:21).
1. All your sins were put on Christ, which caused God to forsake Him due to your filth.
2. All Jesus’ perfect obedience was put on you, which achieved perfect reconciliation.
3. Pick your most perverse sin, reverse it to perfect purity … this is how God sees you!
God predestinated us to adoption as His sons by Christ and in the Beloved (Eph 1:4-6).
1. Keep clear that God did the predestinating but it took the death of Jesus to secure it.
2. God accepts us, because He sees us in the Beloved, or He sees His Beloved for us.
3. We were chosen before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blame.
4. For much more about being accepted and adopted by God through Jesus … here.
Paul described a mystery of our identity being in Christ’s like marriage (Eph 5:29-32).
1. There is unity comparable to flesh and bone unity and how two become one flesh.
2. When we marry, the wife takes the identity of the husband, since creation (Gen 5:2).
3. For more about our eternal union with Christ in this incredible way … see here.
Paul very intensely wanted his new identity in Christ and worked for it (Phil 3:8-11).
1. He wanted to be found in Jesus, with Christ’s righteousness rather than his own.
2. He wanted to emulate as many traits of Jesus as possible to be identified with Him.
3. For much more of Paul’s desire to be found in Christ with His righteousness … here.
Our position in Christ is such that we are complete and have need of nothing (Col 2:10).
1. Looking earlier in the chapter, we find the One we are in gloriously divine in a body.
2. Looking at what follows in the chapter, God’s grace to save in Him involves much.
3. For much more about the completeness God sees in us through Jesus Christ … here.
A mediator, advocate, intercessor, counselor, lawyer is One representing us (I Tim 2:5).
1. God hears and sees the perpetual words and work of His Son standing in our place.
2. Jesus is always active to be sure He stands between us and God and represents us.
3. For much more about our Lord Jesus Christ as the lawyer we absolutely need … here.
Selective identity is seen in His selective memory to forget our sins (Heb 8:12; 10:17).
1. The omniscient God chooses to overlook the countless crimes in our criminal files.
2. Even one sin not forgotten or overlooked by God would condemn any soul to hell.
3. The O.T. remembered sins, and you may recall your sins, but God legally does not.
God’s loving gift of adoption makes us sons, an identity the world misses (I John 3:1).
1. God’s gift of adoption includes the Spirit witnessing with our own heart (Gal 4:4-6).
2. God’s love for us by His Spirit in our hearts will never leave us shamed (Rom 5:5).
3. For much more about our adoption as the sons of God from various angles … here.
We are in God and in His Son Jesus; this is the true God and eternal life (I John 5:20).
God will hide your filthy appearance with new clothes (Rev 3:5,18; 4:4; 7:9; 19:8,14).
1. Two kinds of clothes, Christ’s legal righteousness and our practical righteousness.
2. But the latter is only acceptable in God’s sight by the presence of the former. Glory!
In prayer, we do not use our identity, but rather His identity and name (John 16:23-27).
1. How far would a prayer get, if the one praying closed, In my name as the president?
2. Job, David, Isaiah, Peter, and Paul all understood they could not pray in their names.
3. When we pray in the name of Jesus, a privilege of God’s grace, He fully hears us.
As we come to the Lord’s Supper, it is our humble duty to see what His death wrought.
1. We remember His death until He comes for us, for it changed our identity in heaven.
2. He took all our sins on Himself and suffered death and loss of fellowship with God.
3. If it were not for His broken body and shed blood for us, we are totally lost forever.
4. Our husband by His death covered God’s eyes from seeing us as we are (Gen 20:16).
5. If you think to face God in your name or character, you are as foolish as Sarah was.

Sermons2021-04-05T18:33:40-04:00

Selective Identity

When God looks at you or me, He sees His Son Jesus Christ by selective identity, for He chose us in Him, and He chose Him to be our Substitute and also our Advocate and Mediator.

Contact Us