Who Are We?

In my high school years, every Friday night, as I headed out the door for the adventures that awaited me, my dad would remind me of something important with these words: “Remember who you are.” He was saying; remember that you are a McConnell. What you say and do reflects on this family and our name. You are more than an individual. You are a part of something much bigger and important.

 

As Christians and as the Church of our culture: we do well to be asked, who are we?

The church of the latter half of the 20^th Century is viewed in many ways.

·       It is a club. What unites us is our interest in and friendship with a group of people. That is nice but is not seen as necessary and especially attractive by those outside of the church.

·       It is a group who needs me. Well, really, what they need is my money to meet their budget and my time to serve on some inconsequential committee that functions only to keep the church afloat.

·       A cult that wants to control my mind and my life.

·       A political action group with one agenda to promote.

·       A militia group that exists with the intention of overthrowing the government.

 

This is who the Bible says we are:

1 Peter 2:9-10 (NIV)

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

We are a special people not because of what we have done or who we are, but because of what Jesus has done for us and in us.

·       We have been called out of the darkness and we need to stay out of the darkness and in the light.

·       We are the people of God. We have been adopted into the family of God. We need to remember who we are.

·       We have received mercy. God’s mercy has changed who we are.

 

This is what Jesus had to say about it.

 

Matthew 5:11-16 (NIV)
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.  “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.  “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

·       Many people will treat us differently, even rudely, because we are people who have been touched by God and changed.

·       It is a good thing. It is a clear sign we have been adopted into God’s family.

·       We are the salt of the world. Salt flavors and preserves. Salt is a necessity of life and is powerful and useful. Without flavor we are useless.

·       We are the light of the world. With the discovery of electricity and the incandescent light bulb, we have lost sight of the fact that we live in a very dark world. When we see the darkness of the world at work in our midst, we are surprised.

·       We bring the light of God’s love, mercy, grace and salvation into the world. The light of God we carry makes the works of darkness seeable.

 

With all of that said, the church must ask: Is that who we are, because that is who we are supposed to be?

 

Copyright © 2014, William T. McConnell, All Rights Reserved