Who are you?
That’s a broad question. Perhaps a narrower but maybe not easier-to-answer question is, “Where do you primarily find your identity?”
Here are some options:
- Spouse
- Parent
- Career
- Wealth
- Status
- Power
- Body
- Sibling
- Child
- Achievements
- Sexuality
- Freedom
- Faith
Every person you know fits into one of those categories.
The problem is, almost all of those identities can be taken from you.
Your spouse can pass away or leave you. Your child, parents, and siblings can and most certainly will, one day die. You can lose your job and your wealth overnight. Your status is always in flux, and likely if you lose your spouse, job, or wealth, you’ll lose your status too.
Your power or influence over others will eventually wane and no matter how much you have, you’ll always want more, as with wealth and status. Your body won’t always look the way it does–gravity is undefeated in that battle–no matter what pop up ads and spam emails say.
Your achievements will dim with time and will become less important. A corrupt government or invading force can axe your freedom. Your sexuality, over time, will impress fewer people and fulfill you less and less, especially in the pursuit of “sexual freedom.”
The single thing identity that can’t be pried away is your faith.
Specifically for Christians, our identity is in Christ.
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1
We are permanently united to the person of Jesus through saving faith in him. This foundation is unshakeable. His promise is unbreakable.
Death cannot strip this away.
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38–39
Jesus has defeated the final enemy. His victory has already been counted and established.
When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
1 Corinthians 15:54
If the Biblical claims and promises of Jesus are true[footnote]A big if for many, to be sure. But nevertheless an if worth exploring.[/footnote] it is the only identity worth building your life upon.
But death takes nothing from the one who already has eternal life.
And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
John 17:3
Don’t build your life on something uncertain. Don’t live for something that will, in the end, merely fade away. Take hold of the promises that Jesus offers, for death claims everything else.