Who am I?
Who am I? It is a universal question of identity. We all struggle with this question – to figure out our identity – our value and what we consider to be valuable. If we start with who am I, and why am I here, then knowing the end (where am I going?) helps us to move forward with purpose. For deep down we all strive for purpose and significance in the life that we live. There are 4 philosophical questions that lay at the foundation of any worldview. Who am I? Where do I come from? Where am I going? How do I know the truth? But many people don’t know how to answer the questions, or if they do, it’s their best guess.
Most people use some form of GPS to navigate to where we want to go. Even then. But no matter what device we use or even if we are ‘old school’ and use a map, knowing the destination is only half of the problem. If we don’t know our starting point, then we are lost and have know way of navigating towards the end goal.
So, where do we start? The Bible starts in Genesis with an interesting statement, “in the beginning God”. Similarly, John’s gospel starts with, “In the beginning was the word”. So, for the Christian the starting point and the destination is God. I come from God, by the grace of God – I get to be with God and along way I get to know God through the work of the Holy Spirit. This is all very deep I know, but as we reflect on 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, we find Paul declaring the earliest recorded version of the gospel message (written before the 4 gospel accounts).
Paul reminds the church that Christ’s mission (his death and resurrection) was for a purpose; and that more than 500 people saw the Jesus in resurrected form, including Paul. Although Paul’s experience happened sometime after Jesus ascension into heaven and his addition to the list of Apostles was unusual, especially for someone who had done so much in his early life to persecute the Christians. But then Paul says an interesting thing. “By the grace of God, I am what I am?”
So much of the New Testament revolved around God’s work in Paul’s life. Once Paul discovered his identity – who he really was – his whole life changed. He knew the power of God’s forgiveness and grace that set him free from his past and gave him access to a future in the presence of God. And because his life had such a dramatic turnaround, he gave all his energy to convince others of their value to God and purpose in life. Along the way he suffered opposition and ridicule…but his conviction that Jesus was the truth and that knowledge of God’s grace empowered him and carried him through.
Paul said, I am what I am, by God’s grace. He was not a self-made man – he gave that up to follow Jesus’ call on his life. He knew who he was, where he had come from and where he was going. How clear are you on your identity and purpose in life? How do you know that you are in the right place, right now? Before Paul encountered Jesus, he knew a lot about God, but his experience of God’s grace and forgiveness changed him forever. Really knowing Jesus is experiential. Jesus wants to walk with you through all the chapters of your life – so that, like Paul, we can declare “I know who I am” by the grace of God.
God bless, Tim Winslade