PROJECT
is Coming
“God made us in His image and never meant for us to mirror anything less than himself.”
A.W. Tozer
Identity Crisis
There is an identity crisis in our modern culture. An identity crisis can be understood as a fundamental uncertainty about one’s sense of self. This crisis can be exacerbated by tensions between personal autonomy, social pressures, and cultural expectations. It impacts everyone regardless of age, ethnicity, or economic status. Even the church is not immune from the identity crisis within our culture.
Living out of the right identity is important, because our identity impacts everything we think, feel, and do. (Identity Conversation #1) The ultimate identity crisis that we experience is not from fitting in with the culture but living out of an identity different that the one God created us for. We were not designed to define our own identity but receive our identity through a relationship with God. Instead, we live out of a corrupted identity, of our own creation.
As believers, we have an even more dramatic identity crisis. God has given us a new identity, a new name, a new spirit, but we continue to live out of our old corrupted identity. Even Paul the apostle, struggled with this identity crisis.
“For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.” Romans 7:15-17
Although, we have been given a new aspirational identity from God in our spirit, the active identity continues to be the corrupted identity in our brain (flesh).
“…to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. “
Ephesians 4:22-24
Redeeming Identity
God’s desire for us is that we put off our old identity so we can put on the new identity that He created for us. This is the only way that we can experience the life for which we were created.
This is not just about changing our behavior, although that will be a result. It is not just learning more theology or gaining more biblical information, though it will require spending time in God’s word. It is not about joining a church community, but good relationships will be helpful.
God is looking for a transformation of our active identity, changing from our old corrupted identity into the new identity that He created us for. This is the redeeming identity process. Putting off the old and living into the new.
At Redeeming Identity, we are focused on helping individual Christians and leaders experience this identity level transformation. The upcoming book, Redeeming Identity, is focused on communicating a biblical understanding of identity and how we can take part with God in this transformation process. We want to help people discover who God has created them to be, so they can fully glorify Him.
The Next Step: HE so I Project
The solution to our identity crisis is to return to the source from which we designed to derive our identity. We were created to be image bearers of God (Genesis 1:27). Our identity was designed to reflect the identity of God Himself. We were supposed to receive our identity from a relationship with God. (What’s in a brand?)
The only way to discover who God created us to be is learn and understand who God is. This is the purpose of the HE so I projects, to help people and leaders learn how God has revealed Himself to us so we can discover our new identity.
HE is… so I can be…
This is not a single event but a journey of transformation, which is represented in the cover art developed for this project. A person walking along a parth out of darkness towards the light. This represents the process of putting off the old corrupted identity (darkness) and progressively moving towards living out of our new identity (light), which is fully realized in eternity.
Each month, starting in April, the HE so I Project will consider one aspect of God, centered on understanding what the revelation of this aspect tells us about Him and the impact to our identity. The project includes multiple aspects, each designed to support this process of knowing and understanding God.
Join us throughout the month of March as we look forward to the start of the HE so I Project. Each week we will share about a different aspect of the HE so I Project, so you are ready to participate when it is started.
You can start your introduction to the HE so I project by visiting the HE so I Project webpage.
We are excited about starting this journey to discover who God is and who He has created us to be and invite you to join a community of believers on the same journey.
