Five Defining Truths About Ourselves
- Tobias Wade
- Dec 31, 2024
- 9 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus. – 2 Timothy 1:1 NASB
Paul writes these words from prison having likely realised that escape is impossible and that his death is imminent. [i] Timothy is likely coming to the same realisation. In addition to continuing to instruct and teach Timothy, Paul is also seeking to strengthen his faith. [ii]
Timothy is experiencing a difficult season, one of impending loss and transition, which could negatively impact his faith. We too can experience difficult seasons in our lives. Seasons of loss, transition, or hardship can last briefly, while others make us wonder if they will ever end or if this is the new status quo for our lives. How we approach these seasons is crucial, as it can significantly influence our faith, either positively or negatively.
In my early twenties, I worked in Brisbane’s central business district. It rarely rains in Brisbane, so umbrellas are not a necessity. At this time, I did not own one. One day, a massive downpour hit as I headed to work.
Suddenly needing an umbrella, I searched several shops only to discover that they were all sold out. I was not the only one who suddenly needing an umbrella. Eventually, I found one, it was small and overpriced, and it seemed marked up due to demand.
A strongly grounded identity is essential to navigating life's challenges. Just as I found myself unprepared for the rain, we can find ourselves unprepared for life's challenges without a strong identity in Christ. Much like an umbrella, we don't realise how important an identity firmly founded in Christ is until life's challenges arise.
When Paul introduces himself, he emphasizes five defining truths about ourselves that guide us through life's challenges: we possess an identity, a calling, and consequently a purpose; we are under God's providence; and we hold the promise of life in Jesus.
Picture an umbrella. At the top is our identity, the shaft below symbolizes our calling and purpose, and the handle signifies God's providence that we cling to. The promise of life in Jesus dwells within us as we continue to grasp the umbrella.
I want you to keep this image in mind as we explore each aspect of this umbrella and these five defining truths about ourselves.
Identity - I Am in Christ and He is in Me
Paul's identity, like ours, is grounded in our belief in Jesus.
As I mentioned before, our identity is like the top of an umbrella. Unfortunately, our identity is often grounded in everything that sits within the shaft of the umbrella. Our calling and purpose. Our roles and responsibilities. Our past, present and future. Our achievements and future goals.
But what do we do if our identity in Christ isn't at the top of the umbrella? What happens if we lose the roles or responsibilities that define our identity? Or if our past haunts us, our sense of achievement is waning, or our future remains uncertain?
Without the top of the umbrella, a strongly grounded identity in Jesus, we are just holding the handle and shaft of an umbrella with nothing to protect us from getting drenched.
As Christians, how do we establish a strongly grounded identity in Jesus? By remembering who we are in Him and what He has done for us.
In Jesus, we are loved, valued, cared for and enough. You can find some positive affirmation statements and bible verses to help you with this here.
When we remember that we are in Christ and He is in us, challenges in life seem easier. Here are three positive affirmation statements and bible verses that can help us through life’s challenges and help ground our identity in Jesus.
My Past May Haunt Me, But He Has Overcome My Past Mistakes
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their wrongdoings against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. – 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 NASB
My Present Circumstances May Seem Daunting, But He is Active in Them
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. – Romans 8:28 NASB
My Future Might Seem Bleak, But His Second Coming Defines My Future
Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope set on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. – 1 John 3:2-3 NASB
Calling - I Am Called by Christ, and My Calling Comes from Him
God called Paul to be an apostle following his call to salvation by Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. Similarly, each of us is called by God to various roles and responsibilities, some temporary and others lasting a lifetime.
Paul’s purpose as an apostle was to spread the Gospel to the gentiles, and to teach and instruct them on Christian living. In addition to being an apostle, Paul was also called to be a tent maker, which served as the means by which he supported himself and his ministry. This highlights and important principle: our calling is how we fulfil our purpose.
Our various roles and responsibilities represent our calling in life. For example, I am a husband, a father, a doctor, and a pastor with various ministries. These are all areas of my life that I am called to and live out my purpose in.
But if we define our identity by our calling instead of God, we set ourselves up to fail.
For example, if I am called to teach, and the person I teach does not want to learn, I could think this reflects on my calling as a teacher, and not their unwillingness to learn. My calling is sperate from my identity. It defines what I do, not who I am. If someone is not willing to learn, it does not define my identity because my identity is grounded in Jesus.
Having a strong identity grounded in Jesus allows us to live out our calling with purpose. It is our identity that defines our calling, not the other way around. If one is a father, that is a significant responsibility; if one is a Christian father that re-defines the role entirely. Because it highlights a greater purpose and mission in life, which includes teaching others, including one’s children, the teachings of Jesus and how to live them out in their lives.
Purpose - I Have Been Created and Given Purpose in Life
Our purpose in life is lived out through our calling, and we live it out because of our identity in Jesus. Our purpose is not what defines our identity; rather, it is our identity that defines our purpose.
Our purpose is given to us by God, and it is to fulfil what we were created to do and commanded to do by Jesus. All of this comes from our identity in Jesus, and living out our purpose is an outpouring of our identity in Him. Our purpose in life can be seen in the following verses:
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvellous light. – 1 Peter 2:9 NASB
The priesthood in the Old Testament was called to be intermediaries between God and others, and as followers of Jesus it is our God given purpose as well. [iii]
“You and I are called to reflect God’s greatness and imitate his character to the world.” – Jordan Raynor, Master of One: Find and Focus on the Work You Were Created to Do. [iv]
We are also called to proclaim the excellencies of God, and the best way to do that is live out our God given purposes. One of which is to love God and to love others.
And He said to him, “‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ Upon these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets.” – Matthew 22:37-40 NASB
Loving God and loving others is the hallmark and foundation of our identity in Jesus. When we love God and love others, we do so as an outpouring of our identity in Jesus.
Another commandment that Jesus gave His disciples and us, was the Great Commission.
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:19-20 NASB
The purpose of a disciple is to learn from their teacher, and then to make more disciples. Otherwise, everything they were taught will be lost. If our identity is founded in being a follower and disciple of Jesus, then the natural outpouring of that identity is to make disciples.
Our calling, our various roles, and responsibilities, are where we live out our God given purposes in life. We have calling and purpose in our lives because it is God’s will for us to do so.
Providence - I Live Under the Providence of God
Paul states that his calling as an Apostle and identity in Jesus are due to God’s will and reflect God’s providence in his life.
God's blessing and provision is abundant and everywhere. The simple fact that we are drawing breath right now reflects God’s providence. That Jesus came and died on the cross and will come again in the future reflects God’s providence.
God's will can be seen through His providence in our lives and reflects the truth that He has a will for our lives, and that we need to obey it.
As Christians we should never forget that it is by God's will that we are alive and that it is God's will that we seek to live throughout our lives.
We should regularly reflect and ask ourselves the question, are we led by God or are we leading ourselves. Because if we are leading ourselves, then we are leading ourselves away from God and walking towards the path of disobedience. If this is the case, we have lost sight of our identity in Jesus, and all sense of our calling and purpose. If God is leading us, then we are under His authority and walking the towards obedience.
Promise - I Have a Promise to Cherish and to Share with Others
The promise of life in Christ Jesus is the result of God's providence and because of it we have the promise of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, empowering and equipping us to live out our purpose. The promise of life in Christ Jesus defines our identity and enables us to fulfil our calling and purpose.
Summary
When we remember each of these five defining truths about ourselves, they ground us and help us through difficult seasons in our lives because they remind us that something greater than ourselves is at work: Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. These five truths strengthened Paul’s faith, and he used them to strengthen Timothy’s faith, and we can use them to strengthen ours as well.
Reflection
Take a moment to think about your various roles and responsibilities in life. For each of them, ask yourself how placing the word Christian in front of them changes how you live out that role or responsibility in your life.
For each of your roles and responsibilities, ask yourself the following:
How can I be an intermediary between God and others?
How can I display the excellencies of God more in my life?
How can I love God and love others more?
How can I make disciples and teach others what God has taught me?
Prayer
Father God, help me to find my identity and purpose in you. Help me to live out your values everyday regardless of my circumstances.
Affirmation
I am in Christ and He is in me.
When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. John 14:20 NLT
Action
Imagine you are at the end of your life, and you are standing before God as He gives an account of your life. What would God have to say about how you lived out your beliefs and values?
What is something that you can do differently today that helps you to live out your beliefs and values? Make sure you follow through.
[i] Stott, John. The Message of 2 Timothy. The Bible Speaks Today. IVP, 2009.
[ii] Moo, Douglas J., and Andreas J. Köstenberger. A Theology of Paul and His Letters: The Gift of the New Realm in Christ. Biblical Theology of the New Testament. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2021.
[iii] Malone, Andrew S. God’s Mediators: A Biblical Theology of Priesthood. New Studies in Biblical Theology 43. London: Apollos, 2017.
[iv] Raynor, Jordan. Master of One: Find and Focus on the Work You Were Created to Do. The Crown Publishing Group, 2020.