Who are you? Where do you come from? Who’s your family? What do you do? How would you answer important, personal identity questions like these?

Let’s imagine for a minute that we’re interviewing a very outgoing lady circus performer. We say “hello” and she says something like, “Hi there, I’m Sally Sue from Peru – Peru, Indiana, that is.”

Interestingly, Peru (locally pronounced pee-roo), Indiana was no doubt a great place to call home. Historically, it was the headquarters for the Haganbeck-Wallace Circus Company which was the primary rival to the famous Ringling Brothers Circus in the early 1920s.

Peru has long billed itself as the “circus capital of the world” and has maintained the International Circus Hall of Fame for some considerable time.

However, regarding the imaginary Sally Sue, would being a Peru, Indianian be the sum-total of her identity? The answer is “no” and there is a great reason why!

Many hats – that is, identities, to wear

To start with, our imaginary Sally Sue would be an American—in addition (obviously) to being an Indianian. She and her comrades in circus entertainment would also have identified themselves as performers in one or typically more circus skills… trapeze artist, trick-rider, sharpshooter, clown, exotic animal trainer, ticket seller, tent set-up worker, and/or announcer, etcetera and so on. Circus people often wore many hats when the Big Show went on the road!

Similarly, we each have several or more physical identities or roles in life. We start as infants, then grow into children. Our parents and schoolteachers ideally instruct us how to be ever more responsible children, then adolescents and finally adults—and in due course to be good parents ourselves.

Early on we learn to be chore doers, students of ever more complex fields of study… Hopefully our instruction includes how to be a good sport as well as skilled in a remarkably wide variety of games and endeavors. When old enough to work a part-time job we begin to take on the identity of a worker.

The list of skills with each its own influence on our overall, individual identities and increasing abilities is really quite remarkable.

Now consider our new, spiritual identity

When God calls us out of this present, evil world and into the true, historic Church of God each of us at repentance and baptism begins a new spiritual identity. That and the beginning of a greater depth of spiritual understanding of God’s Word and plan of salvation. If we do our part in prayer and personal Bible study we notably grow in grace and the knowledge of the true God of the Bible (there is a distinct, though sometimes seemingly subtle, difference between the God that traditional Christianity worships, and the true God of the Bible). For that gift of understanding God’s Word, way and future plan for us and all humanity, we ought to be ever thankful!

The apostle Paul was inspired to write: “Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁴ who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, ⁵ to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Galatians 1:3-5).

Our spiritual growth

Through our personal repentance for our sins which are the transgressions of God’s holy, perfect and righteous law… and our acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Master, High Priest in heaven and soon-coming King… God calls or will call us out of this present, evil world and into His historic, true Church of God that Jesus Christ personally built.

Though we’re still the various people that we were physically—through repentance, faith, baptism and the laying on of hands by one of Christ’s true ministers we are or will be therewith invested with God’s Holy Spirit through the process of spiritual conversion. And through that process God gives each of us our new identities in Christ and in His soon-coming Kingdom of God.

Much more yet to come…

Thus…“beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).

That revealing will take place at Christ’s second coming. God speed the day!

– Commentary by Randy Stiver

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