Category Archives: Identity

Servant or Son

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In Luke 15:11-24, Jesus tells the story of the Prodigal Son. I’m sure most of us are familiar with the story of the youngest son who demanded to receive his inheritance from his father even though his father is still alive. We know that the young man then took the money, went to a foreign country, and squandered his inheritance, ultimately ending up feeding pigs.

The story goes on to say that the son came to a point where he realized that he would be better off as one of his father’s servants than where he was currently. The son begins the journey home, and when his father sees him, he runs to him, embraces him, and has the servants bring sandals, the best robe, and a ring, indicating that the son is restored to his position as his son. It is a beautiful picture of the love of our heavenly Father towards all who make their way back to His Presence.

However, during my recent studies of this parable, I’ve discovered that there is a lot more depth to the story than we normally see: more than space allows in this blog post. I would like to touch on one area, though, that I believe is significant. That is the area concerning the son’s motive for returning home, and his thought process for making that decision.

 In verses 17-19, the Bible says, “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ The son did not feel he was worthy of being a son, so he thought he would offer himself as a hired servant to escape his horrible situation.

At the time of Jesus, there were three levels of servants. One was a bondsman who was a servant who was part of the estate, almost part of the family. This would have been the type of servant Joseph was in Potiphar’s house. The second type of servant was a lower-class servant who was subordinate to the bondsman. They usually did most of the menial and undesirable work. The third type of servant is the hired servant, which is the one the son asked to be.

As a hired servant, the son did not belong to the estate and had no vested interest in his father’s business. He was a casual laborer- a day laborer who lived independently in the local village. His social status was not inferior to that of his father or his brother. He could maintain his pride and independence, and he could possibly even save enough money to pay off the debt he owed his father. In other words, the son was not even considering the possibility of being restored as a son—and he may not have even wanted to be restored; he was only seeking to improve his situation.

However, after the son returns home and the father runs to him and embraces him, the son begins his prepared speech (21). He makes it through the first part of the speech but stops at “Treat me as one of your hired servants.” The father cuts him off and tells the servants to bring the sandals, which represent his position as a son, since servants did not wear sandals. They brought out the best robe, which was probably the father’s robe, indicating to everyone that he was not condemning his son, but fully accepting him and covering him with his grace. They also placed a ring on his finger, which was the family seal, giving the son authority to conduct business. The father was making sure that everyone knew he was not a servant, but that he was fully restored to sonship. “This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.”

I don’t believe the son was fully repentant when he first decided to return to his father. Either because he didn’t feel worthy to be considered a son, or he still wanted to maintain his pride and independence, he was only looking to serve his father to improve his current situation. It wasn’t until after he experienced his father’s grace and felt his embrace that he truly surrendered and entered fully into his role as son.

 After studying this, I couldn’t help but consider my own relationship with our Heavenly Father. I had to ask myself, “Have I truly experienced His embrace and responded to His grace by accepting my position of sonship, and I don’t have to walk in shame (Rom. 8:15-17)? Do I understand that I am fully accepted by Him through the blood of Jesus Christ and protected from condemnation because I am clothed with His robe of righteousness (2 Cor. 5:20-21)? And, do I understand that, as His son, I have been given authority to do the works of Jesus through His name (John 14:12-16)? Or, because of feelings of shame, unworthiness, or pride, do I only see myself as a servant who is merely using God to try to improve my current situation while missing out on the blessings and relationship that can come from sonship?”

How about you? Are you a servant or a son/daughter?

NOTE: If you continue reading the parable to the end, you will notice that the eldest son even struggled with his identity as a son (verses 29-32).

Servant or Friend

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Our church has been reading through the Bible together and I noticed something interesting in the first four verses when we recently read through the book of 1 John. John begins his letter by writing:

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.”

Do you notice how much he talks about his “experience” with Christ? He mentions several times how they saw him, looked upon him, touched him, and how Jesus, who was with the Father, was made manifest to them and now they can have fellowship with the Father through him. And, because of what he experienced, he can now honestly and authoritatively proclaim the truth of eternal life.

I believe the point John was making is that his message of salvation and eternal life is not just theory or religious ideals that may not be different from any other religious teachings. He is stating that his message instead comes from a true life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ. John is making a distinction between religion and a relationship.

John emphasizes this difference several times in his letter when he says, “If we say we have fellowship with Him yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth” (1 John 1:6). Also, “If anyone claims to be in the light but hates his brother, he is still in the darkness” (1 John 2:9). Or “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20).

In short, John is saying that a true follower of Jesus Christ is not merely one who says he is or who performs religious activities or duties. Instead, a true follower of Jesus Christ is one who had a tangible encounter with Jesus that brought about a real transformation in his life. We could even add that, in the verses listed above, John states that if there is no transformation in the person’s life, there is no real relationship with Christ.

Of course, this is God’s desire for each of us. He does not want us just to know ABOUT Him: to obtain information about Him and then try to live out that knowledge in our lives through “good works” in our own strength. This is what all other religions focus on. Instead, God wants us to KNOW Him intimately. He wants us to have such a deep relationship with Him that we can hear His heart, experience His Presence and love, and know His will for our lives. In other words, we can have an encounter with Jesus Christ similar to what John was referring to in this letter. And it is through these encounters that our lives are transformed.

Jesus alludes to this in John 15:15 when He tells His disciples, “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you” (ESV). The Greek word for servant used here is doulos which means someone in bondage, a slave who is obedient but does not have any rights or will of their own. They just do what they are told to do. The word for friend, though, is philos which refers to an acquaintance, a beloved associate or trusted confidant, someone who is held in a close bond of personal affection, a companion.

Jesus is saying that the disciples’ relationship with Him is moving from a slave where they just do what they are told to do without knowing or understanding the reason for it, to one of a close friend: a companion with whom He shares His thoughts and desires. Even as a friend, though, we are still required to obey His commands (John 15:14). The difference, however, is that as a servant we obey out of duty or obligation, while as a friend, we know the Master’s heart and we obey out of love for Him. The picture presented here is that the servant represents religion—those who have information about God and obey Him out of duty. The friend, on the other hand, has had an encounter with God and experienced His love and grace. His life is being transformed and he obeys God’s commands because he loves God and because of the transformation that is taking place in his life.

 So, the question is, how can we move from being a servant to becoming a friend of God? I would recommend two things: First, follow God’s advice in Ps. 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.” When you pray, don’t do all the talking. Set some time aside to just be still. Quiet your heart and mind and allow the Spirit of God to speak to you. You’ll be amazed how much God wants to share His heart with you.

Second, allow Him to fill you more with the Holy Spirit. In John 16:13-15, Jesus teaches us that the Holy Spirit will reveal Jesus to us and guide us into a deeper understanding of the truth. This is connected to the first point of being still in our prayer time. When we quiet our hearts before God, we are allowing His Holy Spirit to “saturate” us like a tea bag in water. The more time we spend in His presence, the more His Spirit works in us and transforms us more and more into His image. We become like Him as we build that relationship with Him.

So, which one are you? Are you a servant or a friend? Are you religious or are you in a relationship? Are you merely saying that you are a follower of Jesus, or have you had a real encounter with Him that has transformed your life? If you conclude that you are more a servant than a friend, I encourage you to “Be still” and allow the Holy Spirit to bring you into a true experience with the glory of God.

According To Your Bend

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On our Saturday evening Bible Study, we have been watching the videos from the Walking the Text Teaching Series with Brad Gray. In one of the recent videos, Brad Gray taught from Prov. 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” He brought out some interesting points in the lesson that I want to share with you.

First, Gray clarified a possible misconception about Proverbs that many people may have. He mentioned that Proverbs are not promises. Instead, they are wisdom statements that, if we follow them, we can expect a certain outcome, but we cannot guarantee they will happen. For instance, if we are wise and follow God’s commandments (instructions), we should experience peace, blessings, and a good life. If, however, we are foolish, lazy, or mean, we can expect a life that is not so pleasant or blessed. The Proverbs are just good advice that directs us to be wise in the decisions we make and not foolish.

This is also true with this proverb about training our children. I have heard many people claim this as a promise. If we train our sons or daughters in the things of God, even if they stray from the Lord, we have the promise that our child will one day return to God. However, as mentioned above, this is a wisdom statement, not a promise. It is not something that we can stand on as a guarantee.

However, Gray did provide a way of understanding this proverb that will help us apply it to our lives more effectively. He mentioned two levels of interpretation of the proverb. The first level is a general application. This is the overall goal of teaching all our children the ways of God: teaching them about His love, how to understand His grace and salvation, teaching them how to read and study the Bible, and how to pray. If we are faithful in leading them into a relationship with Jesus Christ through our teaching and our example, there is a good chance that they will not stray from that path.

The second level of interpretation Gray mentions comes from a closer look at the phrase, “in the way he should go” (emphasis mine). The Hebrew word for “way” means manner, road, conduct, or course. The phrase, then, could be translated as “train up a child according to his manner or course”. I’ve even heard it stated that we should train a child “according to his bend”, i.e., the way he “leans” or is inclined based upon his character or personality.

The point Gray is making is that each child is different. Each one has his own personality, giftings, talents, and ways in which he responds to correction or instruction. Therefore, even though there is a general direction we want all our children to take regarding the things of God, we must understand the differences of each child and make the adjustments necessary to fit their individual needs.

It requires a lot more work, but it is important that we realize that a “cookie-cutter” method of training our children does not work. Each child will respond to the gospel message and God’s love and correction in different ways. They will worship the Lord differently, they will understand Scripture differently, and they will express their love and service to the Lord differently. As parents, we must take the time to understand each child’s personality and character and adjust our training to fit the path that they are walking as they follow Jesus.

In our discussion about the lesson, our Bible Study group mentioned that this would be a good concept to remember when dealing with other members of the Body of Christ. It is important to recognize that we are all different. Our personalities, character, and giftings will influence how we respond to God. Some can be more emotional in their worship and prayer time, while others are more reserved. Some are deep thinkers and love to delve into the difficult aspects of theology while others are not. Some are more spiritually mature while others are not as far along in their walk with the Lord. And some appear to be more in tune with the spirit realm than others.

The point is that we are all different and we are all at different levels in our walk with the Lord. If we could fully understand this and apply it to our relationships with our brothers and sisters in the Lord, it might help us extend more grace and mercy towards each other—and maybe even help avoid conflicts in the church.

If you would like to watch Brad Gray’s teaching on Proverbs 22:6, follow the link below to Walking the Text Teaching Series Episode #75.

Episode 075 – Everyone’s Unique Path

You Have a Purpose

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Anyone who has been around the church at all has undoubtedly heard the stories about Joseph: his dreams, the special coat given to him by his father, his brother’s jealousy that led them to sell him to merchants heading to Egypt, becoming a slave to Potiphar and ending up in prison without reason, his interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams which led to him being exalted to a high position in Egypt, and how he was reconnected to his family and saved them from the famine by bringing them all down to Egypt (You can read these stories in Gen. 37-50).

All the events of Joseph’s life have all the makings for an exciting soap opera—dysfunctional family setting, jealousy, seduction, mystery, revenge, and many other plot twists. However, I think the most interesting thing about Joseph’s life is found in Gen. 45:4-8 when Joseph reveals to his brothers that he is not angry with them for selling him as a slave because everything that happened was a part of God’s plan. He tells them “do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you…. So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God” (Gen. 45:5,8).

God made a promise to Joseph’s great-grandfather Abraham that his descendants would be enslaved in a strange country for 400 years after which He would deliver them and bring them to the promised land of Canaan (Gen. 15:13-16). Joseph was the key to the fulfillment of that promise. Therefore, everything that happened to Joseph—both the good and the bad—was part of God’s plan to get him where he needed to be to fulfill God’s purpose. These events also helped prepare Joseph for the work God was calling him to do. The enslavement, the seduction by Potiphar’s wife, and the wrongful imprisonment all helped build his character and his faith in God because Joseph could see that God was with him through it all (Gen. 39:2-6, 21-23). He could also see that nothing that happened to him was by chance or accident but was all part of God’s purpose for his life.

Many years ago, I attended a leadership seminar during which we were asked to make a timeline of our life. We were to list the major events of our life on a chart—both good and bad. We were then asked to identify the historical and cultural setting into which we were born, our family influence that helped shape our personality and moral sense, and the skills and talents we were born with or that we acquired over the years. Finally, we were asked to look at all the events and experiences of our life to see how God had been working and preparing us for the purpose He has for our life.

Going through this exercise helped me realize that, just as with Joseph, nothing happened to me by chance. God had/has a purpose for my life and everything that happened to me was part of the process of getting me where I needed to be and building my character so that I can fulfill that purpose.

The same is true for you! If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you are a special part of the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:12-31). God never intended for His followers to come to church and just sit, being mere spectators while others do the work of the ministry. He designed each of us to serve according to our gifts (1 Peter 4:10-11). He has a place for you and a role for you to fulfill. Therefore, He is working through the circumstances of your life (good and bad) to prepare you for that role.

I would encourage you to briefly examine your life. List all the events and experiences of your life and look at how God used those experiences to build your character and develop your skills: to shape you into the person you are today. If you do this, you will also recognize that nothing that happened to you was by chance but was all part of God’s plan to bring you to the place you needed to be. And, just like Joseph, you will realize that you have a purpose!

Who Are You?

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In Genesis 25- 35, the biblical narrative focuses on Jacob’s life, and, if you have spent any amount of time in church, I’m sure you have heard some of these stories. You’ve probably heard that Jacob and Esau were twins and at the time of their birth, Esau was born first, but Jacob was grasping Esau’s heel as he was born, thus he was given the name Jacob which comes from a root word that means to seize the heel, circumvent, supplant. The suggestion is that this is a person who will trip someone by the heel, undermine or usurp someone, or deal craftily with them. In Jewish culture, names were very important because a person’s name was a reflection of their character. And, in this case, Jacob definitely lived up to his name.

It was not long after the story of their birth that we are told how, when Esau returns tired and hungry from a trip, Jacob deceives Esau into selling his birthright for a bowl of stew. Later, we also learn how Jacob tricks his aging father, Isaac, into giving him the blessing of the firstborn instead of giving it to Esau, the rightful recipient of the blessing. We know that Esau then becomes so angry that he threatens to kill his brother when their father dies forcing Jacob to flee to his mother’s homeland.

As the story continues, we learn that Jacob meets and falls in love with Rachel, but he must work for her father, Laban, for seven years before he can marry her. When the time comes for them to be married, Laban deceives Jacob and gives Rachel’s older sister, Leah, to him as his wife instead of Rachel. Jacob now must work another seven years for Laban so he can marry Rachel, the one he loves. Jacob is now on the receiving end of lies and deception from his father-in-law, Laban, and ends up working for him for twenty years.

In the end, we read that God blesses Jacob with twelve sons and a daughter, many male and female servants, large flocks of sheep, and many camels and donkeys. Jacob was a very rich man when God told him to return to his homeland. Of course, going back meant he had to meet Esau and he was afraid of what Esau might do. On the way home, one evening Jacob has his famous encounter with a “man” (a messenger from God). He wrestles with him all night until the man blesses him and changes his name from Jacob to Israel. Following this, Jacob meets Esau, and the two brothers are reconciled.

This is a very short synopsis of the events covering these ten chapters, but I wanted to present this overview to share an important point from Jacob’s life. From his birth, Jacob was labeled a heel-grabber, a cheat, a deceiver, or a usurper. In fact, every time someone called his name, he was reminded of this label. Is it possible that having heard it so much as he was growing up, he eventually took on the character of the label he was given? I don’t believe he was called Jacob because he was a deceiver. Instead, I believe he became a deceiver because that is what he was called.

I also believe that having been on the receiving end of deception from Laban, Jacob realized that he needed to change. He no longer wanted to be the old Jacob. But when the time came to make restitution from his past regarding Esau, he struggled with fear and the old manipulator started to rise up (Gen. 32:1-21). It wasn’t until he wrestled with the messenger from God that the old Jacob was finally broken, and his name was changed. When he left, he was no longer Jacob, the deceiver, but he was now Israel, the overcomer (Gen. 32:28).

What about you? Is there a name that you were labeled with? Did you grow up hearing that you were ugly? Worthless? No good? A troublemaker? Have you struggled with fears, anger, addictions, or sins that you could never seem to overcome so you gave up thinking that that is who you are, and you will never change? Have you allowed these labels or thoughts to keep you in bondage to insecurities, feelings of inadequacy, helplessness, and hopelessness? Have you even begun to doubt if God can really love you or if you have any value to the Body of Christ?

Like Jacob, if we hear these labels often enough, we begin to believe them. We believe that is who we are, and that belief affects our behavior—we do what we believe. Therefore, if we have been told that we are worthless, then that is how we will see ourselves, and that is how we will behave. Our lives reflect who we believe we are. We behave like “Jacob” because that is the name we have been given: that is our identity.

However, also like Jacob, that label can change! The Bible tells us that if we surrender our life to Jesus Christ, we are a new creation. Our old life with its names and labels is gone, and we are a totally different person (2 Cor. 5:17). Paul even addresses this in one of his letters to the church at Corinth. After listing several sins such as immorality, greed, idolatry, drunkenness, etc., he adds “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11). What Paul is saying in these letters to the church is that no matter what you were in the past, that is not who you are now. We may have to wrestle in prayer over the old self, fears, sins, or addictions, but once we have surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and been touched by the Spirit of God, we are changed. We are no longer a sinner, but we are now a saint and an overcomer. And if anyone tries to put that old label on us, we can simply tell them, “My name is not Jacob anymore. My name is now Israel!”