Who Am I? Part Three
John 3: 16 – 18
In the Gospel of John he refers to himself four times as “one of the disciples, whom Jesus loved”. The four settings in which this reference is made helps our understanding of how unconditional His love for us really is. It is this constant love, not man’s conditional approval, that should give us a sense of dignity and self-worth. You are an object of His love.
Starting today we will see four settings in which He loves us.
He loves us in our dilemmas (John 13: 23).
In the upper room the evening before Christ died on the cross for our sins the disciples were faced with a dilemma. Their world was about to go into eclipse. For three years the twelve had followed Christ. Now it was made clear one of them would betray Him. This is a major dilemma. Their neat little world was coming apart. Even in this crucible of crisis John knew he was “one… whom Jesus loved.”
In our dilemmas we most often have a tendency to question why this is happening to us. The “why me, Lord” complex causes confusion. A better question would be, “Lord, now that this has happened to me, one whom You love, HOW can it be used by You to make me what You want me to be?” This gives a divine interpretation to our dilemmas.
When faced with a dilemma, and we all are at times, those uncomfortable times are classroom times the loving Lord is trying to teach you something. Like everyone I have been in that classroom and must confess I have been tardy at times. Even then I have learned from Him. Stability comes from making a mental adjustment to look at the experience as an “Oh, I see” moment.
Keep in mind. “…we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6: 2). We might not always be able to win a physical victory, but we can always win the spiritual aspect.
Because of your awareness that you are an object of Jesus’ love, you can do as John did and Peter later exhorts us to do and “Cast all your cares (anxiety) on Him because He cares for you” (I Peter 5:7).
Remember, “The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him” (Nahum 1: 7). Heavenly wisdom flowed from the pen of the Psalmist when he wrote “Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him” (Psalm 34: 8).
Who Am I? Part Two
John 3: 16 – 18
Christian psychologist, Lawrence J. Crabb, Jr., describes our spiritual need in this manner: “The basic personal need of each person is to regard himself as a worthwhile human being.” You are that and more. You are a worthwhile spirit being.
We all need to understand our need to believe we are significant. Don’t base your sense of true self-worth on your achievements or what others think of you BUT on what the Word of God says about you. It says you are so important that God loves you. If we base our self-worth on our limited abilities or the fickle approval of others our lives will reflect it in the form of insecurity, anxiety, depression, and fear.
If we base our self-worth on what the Word of God says about us, it will reflect itself in the form of contentment, fulfillment, dignity, and security.
Your entire behavior can be changed by changing your belief about who you are. Answer it in your mind, “Who are you?” “I am one who Jesus loves. I am an awesome spirit being.”
Some of you have been conditioned by a parent or parents to think of yourself as a no-body, a failure.
Some of you have been imprinted by a happening to think of yourself as dirty and unworthy.
I’ve got good news for you — you are not only somebody … You are somebody special.
John freely knew He was loved by Jesus and used that fact to identify himself. Notice in John 13: 23 he referred to himself as “one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.” Make certain you know and can say, “I am one Jesus loves.”
Observe that Jesus loved all the disciples. In light of that John considered it to be the loftiest way to refer to himself. His greatest claim to fame was that Jesus loved him.
Love never advertises itself. It always promotes the love of the one who loves. In this light John was happily advertising the love which Jesus offered him. Jesus does the same for us. He loves you. Do you think of yourself as one whom Jesus loves?
Unless you learn to base your opinion of who you are on the Word of God and not man’s approval you will live and die on an emotional roller coaster. Based on the Word of God you live on an ever-ascending elevating truth.
Who Am I? Part One
John 3: 16 – 18
Do you ever suffer from an identity crisis? How would you respond if someone asked you who you are? Other than your name what would you say?
College students might say “I am a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior.” Or perhaps, “I am a Bulldog,” or “Yellow Jacket,” or “I’m Big Orange,” or “an Owl.”
Perhaps professionals would answer, “I am a computer analyst,” or “I am a business executive,” or “I’m a secretary.”
It may be you would answer with pride, “I am an American”.
John, an apostle of Jesus, identified himself as “one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved” (John 13: 23). Hopefully you can say the same. Jesus is heaven’s proof that you are somebody special.
What a beautiful way to think of yourself. Who are you? I am a person Jesus loves. That should give you a sense of self-worth, dignity, and pride. That makes you somebody — somebody special.
We live in a day when love is so rare. In interpersonal relationships lust has been exchanged for true love. In the parent-child relationship brutality is often expressed instead of love.
This was dramatically indicated in a recent TV documentary in which a 13 year old street-child was asked what kind of a house he would like. He described a mansion. He was then asked what kind of parents he would like in that house. He said he would want parents with adhesive tape over their mouths so they couldn’t yell at him and their hands handcuffed behind their backs so they couldn’t hit him.”
A lovely teenage street-girl who had run away from home was asked what the youths on the street were looking for answered, somebody to love them.
Aren’t we all? Well here is good news. Jesus loves you.
If you are suffering any kind of identity crisis or are questioning if you are loved, listen very carefully to what I am about to say. You can say, “My body may be broken, my health gone, my frame misshapen, my position in life insignificant, my education limited, my financial resources little, BUT I am an awesome spirit being.”
You may have the good fortune of saying “I am wealthy, healthy, energetic, successful, attractive, and popular, BUT the thing of real importance is I am an awesome spirit being.”
Elevate your concept of who you are. If you have trusted Christ as your Savior, no longer think of yourself as simply a human being. You are an awesome spirit being.”
You have been born again. Born of the Spirit.
You as a Christian have every right to say: “I am an awesome spirit being.” Say it to yourself now. You are because Jesus loves you.
Living and Loving on the Right Side of the Cross – Part Four
Matthew 22: 36 – 40
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”.
Compliance with this command keeps hope alive.
When you think about the force behind the command you have reason for hope. It motivates you to venture in His name. His vacillating disciples became venturous after the resurrection. It set them free to love.
We are reluctant to love for fear of injury. If you dare to love in Jesus’ name you make yourself vulnerable to being hurt. Believe me I know. However, if you don’t love you make yourself sick.
When compelled by Jesus’ great love you venture. I saw a T-shirt with this inscription: “You will never reach second base with one foot on first.”
A classic example of a loving response to hate and brute force is seen in Coventry, England. On the night of November 14, 1940, nearly 500 German bombers attacked the English city of Coventry. Over 600 tons of explosives and thousands of incendiary bombs were dropped.
700,000 homes were destroyed and 400 people killed.
Amid the rubble stood the remains of the formerly beloved beautiful 14th Century Coventry Cathedral.
Having stood in those ruins let me tell you what you would see if you were to visit there. In love, the people of the city have now built a beautiful modern cathedral beside the ruins of the old one. The old walls of the ancient gothic cathedral that still stand are architecturally connected to the new modern structure. There is a large charred wooden cross that stands on the soot blackened stone where the altar once was located. The cross is made of charred beams of the old cathedral. On a table is another smaller cross. It was formed by two twisted spikes used by medieval craftsmen to construct the roof. The spikes had fallen forming a cross.
Since that night an inscription has been carved in the wall reading: “Father, forgive…”
That is what it means to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.
The new cathedral at Coventry has much art. None is more striking than the larger than life sculpture just outside the main entrance. It depicts Michael the archangel, spear in hand, poised triumphantly over a prostrated, manacled dragon. It depicts the ultimate victory of Jesus over evil.
He, the triumphant, resurrected Jesus, the one who commanded us to love is the one who gives us the victory in love.
Bernard of Clairvaux, a 12th Century preacher, asked a question and answered it himself. His question: “Why should we love God?”
His answer: “Because He is God.” Love Him by obeying Him and love others in His name.
Living and Loving on the Right Side of the Cross – Part Three
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22 – 40).
Jesus intended us to operate under the control of our personal will in seeking to love others. It is suitable only when operating in the “Thy will be done” zone.
It is hard to love and rejoice in the Lord when suffering from a case of remoteness.
The Lord God once said of Israel:
“Their heart is far from Me.”
The words don’t relate to physical distance, but to likeness. It is not physical distance, but dissimilarities that cause a sense of remoteness.
Two creatures may be so close together they touch, yet they may be so unalike they are far apart. For example, you and a wild African lion from the Serengeti Plains may be so close you touch, but in your natures you are far apart and that makes you want to get physically further apart.
For this moral unlikeness the Bible uses the word “alienation.” Look in your inner life for evidence of dissimilarities between you and the Lord. Check for:
WRONG ATTITUDES, EVIL THOUGHTS, DISPOSITIONAL FLAWS.
Three facets of our nature are to be involved in loving the Lord.
“Kardia” is the word used. It is a reference to our entire inner nature. It is a term for our personality. Whole-hearted love is the meaning. It is a reference to being enthusiastic about our love for the Lord.
The measure of loving the Lord is to love Him without measure.
“Psyche” is the word for soul. It is a reference to the seat of our will. It means to willfully determine to love the Lord.
“Dianoia” is the word for mind. It relates to our intellect. Love for the Lord is to be knowledgeable. That is what made the difference in the lives of the disciples. After the resurrection they were clued in as to who Jesus was and what His role was.
Albert Sweitzer was asked, “What is wrong with man today?” He replied, “He simply does not think.” Think about it!
Candidly, through the years I have encountered some people I wanted to pray for with a baseball bat. I would like to say I have always been successful in complying with the command to love them, but there have been some times I have struck out. Those occasions have caused me to suffer deferred regret and resolution to knock it out of the park next time.