A New Identity

""To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ--their Lord and ours."" I Corinthians 1:2

I love nicknames. For some odd reason I rarely call someone by their given name. I usually come up with some title that best describes how I see them now. God also likes to modify names. He changed Abram to Abraham, Saul to Paul and my favorite; Simon to Petros (Cephas)--the Rock. Each new name reflects a tremendous change in that characters life and heart.

If Jesus is your Lord and you have asked Him to forgive your sins, then you too have been given a new name. Whether you know it or not, you are no longer a sinner in God's eyes. You have been "sanctified in Christ Jesus." According to this passage, you have been made holy. You have been consecrated and are now blameless in God's eyes. This is not the result of your good works--but rather in spite of them. You have become pure simply through calling upon "the name of our Lord".

In my travels all over the globe I have seen some beautiful sanctuaries. Some of the grandest cathedrals in the world can be found in Western Europe. Many of the windows in these churches contain stained glass masterpieces. Much of the art in these windows (and throughout these large halls) was created in honor of the saints. This artwork is in tribute to the few that died eons ago and were later venerated to "sainthood" by a small committee of cardinals. This is a grave misinterpretation of the Scriptures.

There is only one in all of creation who determines sainthood. And this mass lottery occurs thousands of times daily--Once someone says these precious words, "Lord Jesus forgive me...", they have been given a new moniker. Just like all the other Christians in the world, in one fell swoop their surname has changed from "Sinner" to "Saint" (Romans 1:7 & 1Cor 6:2). That's right--if you are a believer, you are a saint! Though you may be challenged by sin daily and occasionally stumble, you are no longer a sinner in God's eyes. The Lord has given you a new identity. When God looks down on you--even on the worst of days, he sees His Son Jesus Christ and the perfect work of the cross.

So stop wallowing in your sins. God made you Holy so that you can be holy.

Lord Jesus, please forgive me of my transgressions. I thank You for making me a saint. Help me to truly realize my new identity in You and start living like one. Please help me to nip my sins in the bud and overcome them through your Spirit. When I do fall please give me the strength to confess my sins to You and turn away from them. Thank You for giving me a grace that I do not deserve. I love You Lord. Amen

Mark Mohr