Friday, March 16, 2007
It was a TV show a long time ago, and it was resurrected again recently. The idea must still have some life in it! It's called "To Tell the Truth." Maybe you saw it. Three contestants all tell the panel their name and they all claim to be the same person. The host reads a little background on the person, and then it's up to the panel to try to figure out which one is the real one. The climactic moment comes when the host says, "Will the real Joe Slobotnik please stand up?" They all shift in their chairs, but finally one stands up. The real one!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Will the Real You Please Stand Up?"
For many people, the struggle to identify which person is really them is a deeply personal one; one that rages within us. It's very important that you decide which of three identities is really you. In fact, the identity you choose will determine much of how you make your life choices and whether you feel significant or insignificant.
Identity number one is you, the victim. If you've been hurt, betrayed, maybe abused, abandoned, or neglected, it's possible to live your life thinking of yourself as a victim. Which means you will spend much of your life feeling worthless, depressed, distrusting, maybe negative, or self-pitying. And your relationships, your decisions, your goals will all be shaped by choosing "victim" as your identity.
OK, identity number two is you, the sinner. While the victim focuses on their pain, the sinner focuses on their failures. You're frequently reliving the things you've done that were wrong, maybe very wrong, in some cases. If you decide that the "you" that is going to stand up is you, the sinner, you're also going to feel worthless much of the time, and ashamed and never good enough. You'll accept and you'll expect a little life because you think that's all you deserve. And your shame will cause you to feel, "What's the use?" and that will set you up for more and more mistakes.
But there's a third identity you can choose. It's spelled out in 2 Corinthians 5:17, our word for today from the Word of God. "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" There's an amazing transformation that takes place when a person gives themselves to Jesus Christ. From that moment on they have the right - they have the spiritual power - to live as a new person!
So if you belong to Jesus Christ, the real you is identity number three: new person in Jesus Christ! You don't have to be defined by your past pain. You don't have to be defined by your past sin. You are now defined by your relationship with Jesus. You're a child of God. You're a servant of Christ. You're a make a difference person because you are forgiven, you are clean, and you are free from the shackles and the shame of the past. You're about your future now, not your past! Don't forget who you really are! It's time for the real you to stand up!
And if you've never given yourself to the man who died so you could be forgiven and new; if you're ready to begin your life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ, you need to tell Him that right now. "Jesus, I've been running my own life long enough. I know that's sin. I know You paid for my sin. I turn from that sin to take you with both hands and grab You as my Rescuer from my sin. Beginning today, Jesus, I'm Yours." If that's what you want, then I would love to have you come to our website where you will find a simple pathway there to making sure you have begun your relationship with Jesus Christ. The website is yoursforlife.net. Or I'll be glad to send you my little booklet about this called Yours For Life if you'll just call and ask for it toll free at this number - 877-741-1200.
From today on, your life can be about whose you are defined by your relationship with the Son of God, Jesus Christ the healer, the forgiver of the past, and the author of a new beginning!