"For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to
all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became a Jew, so that I might win
Jews; to those under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under
the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are
without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under
the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I
became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so
that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel,
so that I may become a fellow partaker of it." (1 Corinthians 9:
19-23)
Here in the above passage of Scripture we have the Apostle
Paul willing to "become all things
to all men" so precious souls might be won to Christ. In other words,
Paul was willing to "identify" himself with his fellow man in order
to see them brought to Christ for salvation. The gospel was Paul's life long
passion for the cause of his Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. So what does it
mean to be "identified" with our fellow man for the cause of the
gospel? The word "identified" denotes "one who associates
with." Does this not humble us to think that the very Son of God who left
heaven to come down into our world in the flesh chose to associate or be
identified with sinners. The Scriptures tell us that He sat and ate with
sinners. However, when Jesus did this, identified Himself with sinners, the
religious leaders, the Pharisees had a problem with this. They said to Jesus'
disciples, "Why is your Teacher
eating with the tax collectors and sinners?" (Matt. 9: 11). Later in
Matthew, it was said that Jesus was identified as "a friend of tax collectors and sinners" (Matt. 11: 19;
see also Luke 7: 34). So why was Jesus so willing to be identified with tax
collectors and sinners? The Lord Jesus gives the sobering answer, "It is not those who are healthy who
need a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I
DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,' for I did not come to call the
righteous, but sinners." (Matt. 9: 12-13). Let’s look at three points
on the believer’s two identities.
1. THE LORD JESUS IDENTIFIED HIMSELF WITH US!
In some Christian circles, believers are taught not to associate
with non-believers. Just give them the gospel then leave. Such Christian groups
are known as 'isolationists' because of their legalistic refusal to be
identified with the world in any way. They will use such Scripture texts as 2
Corinthians 6: 17 and 1 John 2: 15, etc. In other words, they take the doctrine
of separation to an extreme. If God wanted us to "not" be of the
world when He saved us. He would have took us out of the world. But then, how
would the great commission be fulfilled (Matt. 28: 19; Mark 16: 15)? The fact is Jesus said, "I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one" (John 17: 15). The truth
is Christ came into the world with such great love for man, who He made in His
own image that He willingly humbled Himself to identify with him, so that man
would be able to identify with God! (see Phil. 2: 7-8; John 3: 16; 2 Cor. 5:
21).
2. THE BELIEVER SHOULD IDENTIFY HIMSELF WITH
CHRIST!
Now there are other Christian groups who go to another
extreme in "identifying" themselves with non-christians by adopting
their lifestyle to try and win them to Christ. They appeal to the Apostle
Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 9: 19-23. What such dear misguided believers don’t
understand is that both the Apostle Paul and Jesus influenced the world by not
allowing the world to influence them! The sad truth is many such Christians don’t
know who they are in Christ, and for the ones who know they should be
identified with Christ are so paralyzed by fear, afraid to be who they are in
Christ lest society deem them as troublemakers and outcasts for not conforming
their lives to its wicked image. Many such saints succumb to peer pressure,
social pressure, materialism, etc. For example: such believers will adopt the
same questionable clothing trends as their peers wear. Not only that, but many
of God’s dear children have also accepted the same tastes in music, social
events and behavior as their ungodly friends revel in. Sadly, many dear
Christians are deluded into believing that the only way to win their unsaved
friends to Christ is by adopting their sinful lifestyle. By doing so, they are
only compromising their true identity in Christ for the trivial identity of
their peers who are of the world.
I remember reading a letter awhile ago by noted author and
speaker, John MacArthur who wrote about a growing trend within the evangelical
Church in using the foul language of the world to show the young people in the
world that Christians can be cool, hip, and in touch with the world. The fact
of the matter is that such non-christians outside the Church lose respect for
such Christians who adopt their lifestyle. In other words, such believers are
sending the wrong message to the unsaved by saying you can come to Christ
without repenting of their sinful life.
3. THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN TWO IDENTITIES!
For many of our young people in the Church today, the
struggle between the two identities is very real. The choice they are faced
with each day is “Do I want to be identified with Christ which may result in
social pressures and some measure of persecution, or will I be identified with
a world that has crucified Christ?” The sad reality of the matter, is that only
a small percentage in the Church actually choose to be identified with Christ,
while the large percent of Christians choose the world to avoid any unnecessary
social persecution by blending in with their peers in the world. Yet, there are
other saints who know better to not adopt the ways of the world, who will use
the excuse in using Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 9: 19-23 as a cloak to lead a
sinful lifestyle. Paul says of such a believer, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this
he will also reap” (Gal. 6: 7).
In order to be truly “identified” with Christ “change” is
necessary. “Therefore if anyone is in
Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have
come” (2 Cor. 5: 17). To put it in other words, Paul is saying ‘now that I
am a Christian, my old way of life has passed away, now I have a new way of
life in Christ Jesus my Lord.’ Dear reader, if you are a Christian struggling
between the two identities: the identity of Christ and the identity of the
world; well, since you are “in” Christ already, then you are identified with
Him. I encourage you to chose to identify yourself with Christ. For He alone is
worthy. Consider Moses in closing, who chose to be identified with Christ and God’s
people: “By faith Moses, when he had
grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing [to be
identified] rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy
the passing pleasures of sin, considering [to be identified with] the reproach
of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the
reward” (Heb. 11:23-26).
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