Dan was walking with a new friend, Rob, from school. They had much in common and were both anticipating the next year of college. Rob asked Dan to come to a youth group meeting at his church the next evening. He did. The meeting was lead by the youth pastor of Rob’s church by the name of Hen which was short for Henry. It was a nick name the youth group applied to Henry but no one knew why.
Dan saw fifteen or so people in the group and he especially noticed Jane across the room. They all had name tags. Jane asked Hen what he was going to talk about. Hen said ‘Identity – your identity in Christ.’ But first we should sing a few songs about that identity. And so they did. Then Hen talked about worshiping the God of identity. Jesus has come so that our identity could be changed. He died and rose again so that anyone who believes on him would be forgiven of their sins and not perish with the rest of the world. Hen talked about the identity change and what it means, being led by the Spirit, being a child of God, being saved, going to heaven. That is your new identity – a child of God. God is your father and you are His child.
Hen then talked about the way people in general get identities, from the outside (job, friends, family, country, etc) and from the inside (thinking, habits, meditation, etc.). But we get our identity from above, from God. God is good, kind, impartial, just and we worship Him and seek to be like Him.
Dan noticed that Jane looked disturbed. Hen seemed to notice as well and asked, What’s wrong Jane? My grandmother died without that identity, I will never see her again. She was a Muslim from birth to death. She was good, kind, impartial but in hell, Jane blurted out.
Hen, somewhat taken aback, responded saying, God is the judge and He judges correctly. Jane replied, I know that but… No buts, Jesus is the way the truth and the life no one comes to the Father but through him. Hen continued.
Dan, although new to the group, was thinking he should say something. He opened his mouth, then hesitated. Hen looking for a way out looked at Dan and said, What is it Dan? Can’t turn back now Dan thought to himself, so he continued.
Here is what I gather from what I have heard. According to your gospel which is supposed to be good news, God created the world and all humans on it, past, present and future. Humans sinned and Jesus came to take the fall for those sins. Anyone who puts their trust in Jesus will have this new identity you are talking about, becoming a child of God. Their identity doesn’t come from out or in but from above, from God. Anyone who does not put their trust in Jesus goes to hell, but God is good, kind, impartial and just because he saves some from hell. The way I understand your gospel, those of other faiths, those of no faith and those that for geographical reasons never hear of Jesus go to hell. Yet you say this God is good, kind, impartial and just. And this is the God you derive your identity from. Perhaps in the context of identity instead asking who am I, one should ask who is God and why should I worship Him?
The room was silent. Even Hen was left without a word and he was sorry he opened the floor to Dan, a new comer. Finally Hen spoke realizing he had to defend his Christian faith in front of his youth group. The scriptures speak to the truth of Christianity and God’s Spirit guides us in the interpretation. We will pray the Spirit reveals God and these truths to you. Let’s pray.
Dan looked around the room and at Jane and smiled and spoke again. Pray as you wish, but what if God really does care for all people and Jesus’ sacrifice was really for all people whether they hear or not? What if Jesus knows all people and how they respond to the light they have? Perhaps the identity question is this. What kind of people would worship a God who sends most of those He created in his image to hell? Maybe a better question is, What kind of people would worship the God of Christianity as it is taught by people like you. Is that the kind of God you want to get your identity from?
Dan was not invited back to the youth group. The youth group’s true identity was showing. Jane, however, pondered Dan’s words.
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