Can I see some I.D.?
5 minute read
I am currently reading the book All the Light We Cannot See (shoutout to my WWII historical fiction besties). In the ¾ of the novel I’ve read thus far, they say the word ramparts at least 100x. Confession: I do not know what the word ramparts means beyond recalling the line from The Star Spangled Banner “Oh the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming” and honestly as I write that I’m a little unsure that’s even how it goes.
(Is that how it goes? She whispers to the audience.)
ANYWHO, much like I’m not even Googling whether those are the correct lyrics, I lazily didn’t look up what the word ramparts means in the 100x I’ve read it because a) it is physically impossible to do anything with your strength while lying in a comfortable bed in winter time but hold your book until it collapses on your body and you fall asleep.
And b) Context clues helped me determine ramparts had something to do with the sea, and I envisioned it being big cement builds along a cliffside to sort of hold the shore in and protect it from the raging seas.
I *just now* looked it up, and while I’m mostly correct, there’s more to a rampart. It’s better than what I thought it was, guys!
Le Google defines them as, “a defensive wall of a castle or walled city, having a broad top with a walkway and typically a stone parapet.” Further googling reveals a parapet is a fancy word for (Fancy Nancy, anyone?) a petite wall to prevent someone from falling off or climbing over.
So in sum, I deduced a rampart to be a protective, cement wall - mostly true. But I missed the really good stuff - it’s also got a walkway and it is likely decorated with the 90 degree block angles along said walkway reminiscent of a castle.
Do you ever do this?
You sort of go along like you know what something is because you’ve heard it so often, but really, you’ve never actually sat down to study what it means?
I don’t know about you, but this is pretty much the way I feel when someone (even me!) says, “My/your identity is in Christ.” I sorta know what that means because I’ve heard it so often, said it so often, but I really do not totally understand.
Maybe some of you feel the same way, so whaddya say we unpack it to get a better understanding?
Let’s start with what the word IDENTITY means.
According to the Webster’s Dictionary my PaPa gave me before I left for college (because I am a descendent of Abraham and of wordsmiths y’all!), it is defined as:
Sameness of character in different instances
Sameness in all that constitutes the objective reality of a thing: oneness
The distinguishing character or personality of an individual: individuality
So the first two definitions have my brain kind of hurting, but it seems to me identity is something that is consistent in making up the character of a person. It is also the distinguishing personality of a person. In sum, our identity is the consistent thing that makes us who we are.
Now that we (I) better understand the word identity, what are some things we tend to place our identity in, or asked another way, what (or who) is the consistent thing we think makes us who we are?
Could it be your… children, family history, spouse, career, finances, philanthropy, friend groups, church home, community group, assets, failures, likeability, approval ratings, poor reviews, popularity, skillset, country club membership, accolades, credentials, personality, zip code, school district, reputation, body/figure, workout regimen, mistakes, IG following, client list, home decor… the list goes on.
Sure, we can be grateful for and learn from these things (good and bad!), and of course they are pieces of who we are, but when we start to make any one of them our identity - we’re on shaky ground.
So how do you know if/when you’re making one of these things your identity? Top of mind, I think of the show Dance Moms because well, it’s highly entertaining, and it’s an easy target. Those mommas are 10000000% finding their identity in their children’s successes, and Abby Lee (or whatever her name is) so obviously finds her identity in bossing those children around and making the parents earn her approval.
It’s entertaining to watch because it’s so cringeworthy, and there’s a reason it’s cringeworthy! It’s because you and I can both watch and know something is not right. Their identity is clearly placed in the wrong spot, and here’s the litmus test to know whether yours is too:
If even the thought of something being removed (in this case, a mother’s child being the best on the dance team) makes you absolutely lose your mind, it means you’re currently placing your identity in that thing.
We’ve all done it, btw. If you don’t think you have, ask someone close to you. I can almost guarantee they can needle it right out.
Ouchie.
So now that we’ve covered what identity means and where we can mistakenly place it, we’ve come to the meat: What does it mean to put our identity in Christ?
Asked another way, what does it mean to place the very core of who we are in Christ? To make HIM the consistent thing that makes us who we are?
I cannot tell you how often something I’m curious about or wrestling with becomes the sermon topic and/or something illuminated in God’s word, and this week was no different with Him putting it on my heart to write what it means to say, “My Identity is in Christ.”
I’ve been reading through the Psalms and Psalm 91 really stuck out to me on Monday and Tuesday. I’ve shared that I struggle with the weekly rollercoaster, and coming off of the luxurious holiday break was especially tough for me this week. I found Psalm 91 to be such a balm to my heart and a weapon against the enemy, and maybe you will too!
In verse 4 of my NLT Bible it says,
“He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.”
I absolutely loved this visual, and in praying through the verse I was led to write down from memory what I know to be true of His faithful promises. So I wrote the following down the margin of my prayer journal on Tuesday morning:
He will never leave me or forsake me.
He is for me, what can man do to me?
I am His child with whom He is well pleased.
I wrote about 20 others, but I got stuck on the last one I just typed when I re-read them all. Wait, He didn’t say that about me did he? That verse is about Jesus! And then I did my Mary Clay thing and confessed and apologized for being wrong because that’s kind of my bit, and DO YOU KNOW WHAT GOD DID?
The next day He led me to the sermon from Sunday (we missed church because we were at the farm). Below are the cliff’s notes of the sermon, and here is the full sermon for those interested.
We talked about Matthew 3 and specifically about John the Baptist’s Baptisms vs. Today’s Baptisms. I realize I’m tip-toeing into secondary and tertiary doctrines, but the main point of what we all believe as Christians is that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone - correct? K, let’s keep the main thing the main thing.
In listening to the sermon, I learned that the baptisms by John and those done in today’s services are both symbolic immersions in that neither one is salvific but rather in response to your salvific acceptance of Christ as your Savior. In the case of JtheB, the Baptisms were in anticipation of the coming King (Jesus). Today’s Baptisms, however, are done in identification with our resurrected King.
Baptism symbolizes that we died with Christ, and this means we therefore identify with His death and we identify in His resurrection. Regardless of how your church views baptism, we can all agree that in Galatians 2:20 it says “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
This means we have new life IN CHRIST. Because of, and only because of, Christ.
This new life in Christ is where we find our identity. This is what it means to say, My identity is in Christ. We are essentially saying, the aforementioned litany of old self tendencies and worldly pulls of what makes us who are do not mean anything.
The very crux of who we are is only because of what Christ has done. Christ in me and me in Him is the only consistent thing that makes me who I am.
So God made it pretty dang clear to me what it means to place my identity in Christ, and THEN at the very, very, very last point, our pastor said, “Find your identity in knowing whose you are and how God feels about you.” AND AND AND he then quoted Matthew 3:17, “and behold, a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.’”
And my breath caught in my chest.
And then our pastor said, “God says this to YOU too because of Jesus! He says, ‘You are mine, and because of Jesus, I am so pleased with you.’”
And then I just fell into a puddle of worshipful tears.
But it doesn’t end there! (But wait - there’s more!)
Later that day I decided to print out Psalm 91 and frame it in my office. I googled and copy/pasted the NLT version because that’s the one I’d written all over and fallen in love with in my own Bible, and do you want to KNOW WHAT VERSE 4 SAID IN THIS UPDATED VERSION OF NLT?!!
“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and your RAMPART.”
Y’ALL.
RAMPART?!!!
If there is something about the Lord you only kind of understand - or don’t understand at all!- please, I beg you, dig in. He will reveal it, and I am willing to bet it will be better than you thought it was. He will smother you with it so much you won’t be able to do anything but worship. Don’t settle for “kind of” understanding. Let that curiosity fly with a willing heart and watch Him work. It will bless you!
Father God, you know exactly what we need. You give so freely to the true desires of our hearts, the ones that will bring you glory and bring us peace. Forgive us for not always wanting to be identified with Jesus, Lord. Sometimes we want the world. We want the glory to be on us, not on you. Thank you for being our shield and our rampart, even when we do things like that! Thank you for the gift of Jesus and for what He did for us on the cross. Because of His great sacrifice, you call us your children with whom you are well pleased. What greater love?! In the perfect and holy name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
Suggested Scripture for the Week
Sunday/Monday
Matthew 3
Tuesday
Galatians 2:20
Wednesday
Psalm 91:1-4
Thursday
Psalm 91:5-8
Friday
Psalm 91:9-12
Saturday
Psalm 91:13-16