Who...or What?

"That which is born of the flesh is flesh , and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit ." John 3:6 NASB

The identity of the believer is more than a name, more than a legal endowment. Rather, it is a radical, comprehensive change of constitution. That just means we've been completely re-made, and not of the same stuff, either. In the beginning of John's Gospel, he says that those who believe in Jesus would become children of God, born not of flesh, but of God. Then a few chapters later, he quotes Jesus as saying that those born of the Spirit (or of God) actually become spirit beings.

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I know it's my fault, and I know if I'd invest the time and energy, I might be able to put a dent in the problem, but my dog, Biscuit, a sort-of Terrier-Chihuahua mix, thinks she's a person. I wondered why she never wanted to sleep in her dog bed, why she obsessively hangs around the kitchen during the daily lunch-making pandemonium, looking up as if to say, "No mustard on my sandwich, please..." and why she refuses to stay in the back yard for more than about fifteen minutes, but instead crawls through one of her escape tunnels and walks all the way around to the front door to scratch...or rather, knock, to be let in.

However, looking at her now, curled up on the couch instead of in her bed, it hits me...she thinks she's one of us. It's not that she's an unintelligent or rebellious dog; it's that she's just unaware that she is a dog at all. She's not being stubborn when she hesitates to get into her bed at night, she's just confused. Somehow, I should probably figure out a way to teach Biscuit who...or more accurately, what, she is.

That's also one of the greatest barriers I find in teaching people who they are in Christ. When many people hear that they are righteous, holy, powerful, perfect, complete, etc., they bristle with discomfort, and often object, "That's really not me!" Understandable, but we must see that our identity is not subject to feeling, understanding, or behavior, but that it exists at the most basic level...the level of substance; not just who we are, but what we are.

The identity of the believer is more than a name, more than a legal endowment. Rather, it is a radical, comprehensive change of constitution. That just means we've been completely re-made, and not of the same stuff, either. In the beginning of John's Gospel, he says that those who believe in Jesus would become children of God, born not of flesh, but of God. Then a few chapters later, he quotes Jesus as saying that those born of the Spirit (or of God) actually become spirit beings.

Now please don't get goofy here. We still have bodies and minds, and they're very important...our bodies are how we demonstrate the power of the Spirit, how we love each other, and how we connect to the world around us. In addition, our minds are how we experience both God and this life. However, our minds and bodies are natural. Everyone born of men has those things, but what we have become in the new birth is something fundamentally different.

We have been remade of a new substance, God's Spirit, also called the life of God and the divine nature in scripture. Moreover, it's important to reiterate that God's Spirit is not just something we've been "given." Rather, we've literally been born of the Spirit. When you're born of a dog, you are a dog; born of a cat, a cat; born of a caribou, a caribou; (I just like the word caribou, don't you?) born of the Spirit of God...the implications are huge. You are a spirit, and not just any spirit. Once again, 1 Corinthians 6:17 says that he who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

Without that understanding, seeing yourself as God sees you will be very difficult. Before you can see yourself for who you are, you must first know what you are.

References: 2 Corinthians 5, John 1, John 3, 1 Corinthians 6