There’s a popular western television series called, “Who do you think you are?”. The show is all about investigating the family history of celebrities and famous personalities: the interesting stories, unknown scandals, and heartbreaking tragedies. This search for identity is universal, whether we’re famous or just plain ordinary. If we leave aside our HKID card, our passport, our business cards, and even our resumes, how do we identify ourselves?
Normally, we opt for two ways to define ourselves. The first is history – looking back on where we have been in our life and what we’ve achieved. However, the second is more important: what relationships we have, whether those we are born with or ones we have developed in our history.
The New Testament says that if you’re a Christian, your identity is found primarily in a relationship with Jesus. Through him you’re forgiven, given everlasting life, and a new status as a child of God. This new identity takes priority over everything else. But to be a Christian is not only about a relationship with Jesus, it’s also about relationship with his people. We are redeemed individually, but we are placed in a family of faith to live out the Christian life together.
we are placed in a family of faith to live out the Christian life together
Sometimes we might think, “If Christian faith is about a personal relationship with Jesus, why do I need the local church? I can have church anywhere. I don’t need to go to a building or be with particular people.” We’re inclined to think that faith is a private matter, and that we do church out of convenience, that spending time with other Christians is an optional extra.
The Apostle Paul has a different view. He tells the Ephesians, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Eph. 4:3-5). There is a profound oneness about the Christian life. We work together to love the same Lord. We’re in it together. The Christian life is not private and individual, but public and corporate.
This week, we begin a new sermon series in Ephesians. We’re calling this series, “One God. One People”. Over the next three months, we’ll see that the church is God’s plan to grow us to be fully mature in Jesus Christ. It’s a great opportunity to consider our common identity and how we can help each to follow Jesus. We need one another much more than we realize.
