Kingdom identities

One day, as I was walking, I began to think about the acorns crunching under my feet and consider the huge oak trees from which they fell. I began to reflect on the fact that these huge oak trees are the result of little acorns becoming what they were always intended to be. What happened to turn that little marble sized acorn into a sixty foot tall oak tree?  Put simply, it died. As long as the acorn remains an acorn it can never become what its DNA says it should be. Only when it loses its identity as an acorn can it become an oak tree. In fact it isn’t long after the acorn dies that any evidence of its existence is gone, replaced by root system that bears no resemblance to the acorn from which it came. 

A tiny acorn doesn’t look much like an oak tree yet all of the information required to become a mighty oak tree is stored in it. Its intended identity is significantly different that it’s initial identity.

Individual believers and local churches are like the acorn, unless they first and continually die to everything they think are and have been they will never become what God intends them to be.

I can guarantee this truth: A single grain of wheat doesn't produce anything unless it is planted in the ground and dies. If it dies, it will produce a lot of grain. ²⁵ Those who love their lives will destroy them, and those who hate their lives in this world will guard them for everlasting life.

John 12:24-25 (God’s Word translation)

In life we can have a number of identities. Father, mother, brother, son, daughter, sister, homemaker, engineer, professional athlete and president are all identities we may have. Some of these are based in achievement while others are inherent. Identities based on achievement are earned and can be changed, diminished or even lost. Inherent identities are descriptive of who we are apart from any earned status or achievement. Our gender is part of our inherent identity. We are born either male or female. We are also either a son or daughter. We didn't earn the status of son or daughter, we were born into it. Likewise there are a number of inherent identities that we have been given as believers. Too often we choose to operate under identities that we no longer have. We tend to live like slaves to fleshly impulses, or living like losers, defeated, as if we had no purpose in life. Maybe we continue to buy into the lie that I am master of my own destiny. Paul speaks to these former identities in his letter to the Church at Rome when he said, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (12:3) He also addresses this in his second letter to the Church at Corinth, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” We have been given brand new identities in Christ. The best thing about these new identities is that they are not earned, they are simply declared. They are gifts!