Imagine waking up one morning, pouring a cup of coffee, and sitting down at the table. You take out your smartphone or iPad to check how your online investments performed over the last 24 hours. You’ve made it a habit to check regularly on these funds. After all, you have worked hard to build up this wealth. It represents your blood, toil and sweat over the years. You type in your security passwords and the balance of your funds pops up on the screen. These funds should someday allow you to retire in comfort. What you see causes a shock wave to your entire nervous system. Instead of the large amount of money you were expecting to see, the balance pops up as $0.00.
The words, “It can’t be true!” run through your head. On further inquiry, you find out it is absolutely true and there is nothing you can do about it. You have been the victim of identity theft. A clever thief working online stole your identity and your passwords. Using this information, they went on to steal your investments.
More Serious Theft
This happens far more than people think. But it is not the worst kind of identity theft.
This more nefarious kind of identity theft takes place when a person is robbed of knowing who they really are before God. Ever since the fall of our first parents, each member of the human race has run the risk of having their identity stolen and never having it returned to them. Losing sight of who they are in God’s eyes, they also lose sight of God who longs to repair the broken relationship.
How may you recover your true identity before God? The following truths will certainly help.
To begin with, one truth that may help you recover your true identity is to realize that you have great worth and value before God. In truth, you have so much value before God that He sent his only Son to come to earth and die in your place. “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)). There couldn’t be a higher price God could pay to redeem you.
It might seem impossible that God could love you so much. If this is how you feel, look to the cross. By faith see the love of the One dying there. He did no wrong. He did no evil. On the contrary, no man ever did the good that He did. No man ever loved others like He did. Truly, the love that brought Him to die is far greater than any other love known to man.
Underestimating God
When we live at a distance from God, it is easy to underestimate His goodness and power. It is easy to say God would never love us so much that He would give His Son to die for us. Underestimating God is a huge reason why millions of souls are reluctant to come to the Savior.
You need Jesus Christ because sin is a problem way too big for you to deal with on your own. Because you are a sinner, you need the Savior. You need a Savior who can wash away your sins. “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:1818Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18)). You also need a Savior whose power is great. “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear” (Isaiah 59:11Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: (Isaiah 59:1)).
Such a Savior is Jesus Christ the Lord. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).
Sin steals a sense of what we really are, what our true identity is, before God. If people were only willing to accept how much damage sin actually does they would not hesitate to turn from it and ask for God’s forgiveness. “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:77In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7)).
Ultimate Consequences
The ultimate lost opportunity is when a person dies in their sins, because then it will be forever too late to do anything about it. Hell is the final consequence of never turning to God and accepting His view of us as sinners and His gift of salvation. “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:1717The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. (Psalm 9:17)).
Human beings who reject God’s grace and truth will not be the only ones in hell. The devil and a great multitude of fallen angels, or demons, will also be there. “Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:4141Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: (Matthew 25:41)). That’s pretty miserable company to keep.
God doesn’t desire that any man or woman end up in hell. “The Lord is not ... willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Instead, He wants them to repent of their sins. “God ... now commandeth all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:3030And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: (Acts 17:30)).
If you want evidence that God wants you to turn to Him, here it is — Christ’s death on the cross. His death can bring sinners who have wandered far away back to God. “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:1818For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (1 Peter 3:18)).
Not until a person humbles themselves, repents of their sins, and says to God, “I am a sinner for whom Christ died,” will they begin to know their true identity. Until the moment they do so, they will be believing a falsehood about themselves.
Sinners who come to Him in repentance and faith become one of His children and enter into His family. “Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:2626For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26)).
This is what they were meant to be! A son or daughter of the living God! This is God’s will for them if they would only believe it. “As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:1212But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12)).
Becoming one of His children through faith in Christ, they are entitled to receive an inheritance. How wonderful life in heaven will be! People in heaven will keep company with the Lord Jesus and with the angels of God. Joy will be the everlasting portion of all who come to Christ.
Come to Christ and find your identity in Him. He would love to hear a message such as this one being spoken from your heart: “I am a sinner for whom You died. Make me one of Your children that I might be with You forever.”