The Church Is Facing An Identity Crisis (Here's What You Can Do)
Jesus preached an absolute fidelity to the truth. We as His followers are told in Ephesians 6 to "gird our loins with truth": wrapping your innermost core with God's word and definitions. Why is this important? Because our innermost core is essentially our identity. If your self-perception is on point and your deepest sense of identity is aligned with the truth of God's word, you will not lose course. You will be able to weather any storm.In case you haven't noticed, there seems to be a little bit of a crazy, waywardness among the world right now. In a fit of lost self-identity, everything now goes as acceptable. Any resistance to this "freedom" is fought with assaults against the identity of the one with an opposing view. Any slew of negative adjectives recently thrown at the Church begins to fill the mind.
The problem is, as a church, we're listening to these assaults on our identity.
In a misguided effort to be relevant, we've become too sensitive to the opinions of the world about us. We're sacrificing some of the core of our identity and what God defines as right and wrong. We have placed parts of our identity in who the world thinks we are, instead of who God says we are.Many believers even think that if they win approval from the world, then they are being relatable and serving Jesus better. The only issue is, I think Jesus may or may not have said something to the effect of knowing you're on His approved course when the world is by and large persecuting you for your beliefs, not silently approving of them. See Matthew 5:10, 2 Timothy 3:12, 1 Peter 4:12-14, etc. Persecution is the sign of doing something right in God's eyes.
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So as an effect, the church can no longer deliver the truth because it too is now struggling with identity. We take our cues on our identity from a world that knows its own so little that it's confused about whether or not it is okay to be male or female. You, chosen warriors, do not drop your spiritual armor and your mantle to the ground. Do not drop it just because of the constant jeering and pressuring about your identity from the world. The world is in such a dire state it does not know how to even spell the word anymore. That is incredibly silly, akin to a ship captain with a working compass changing his course because some wayward boats are continually wandering pressure him to do so.
So, who are we?
Our past does not define us. The thoughts of others do not define who we are. Our own thoughts about ourselves do not even define us. Thoughts, past actions, and the labels given by others are not the elements defining our true identity. Words from a true authority are what defines us. Specifically, the words of Jesus over us. When you acknowledge who Jesus is, He will in turn acknowledge who you are. When you define Jesus as He really is, He defines you as you really are.In the nonessentials, sure be relevant. But in the core, unmovable truths of God, be unrelenting. The world *needs* that in the church, whether they realize it or not. It is the "salt" Jesus calls us to be. Some may brand a swirling, uncontrollable global state of "do whatever you want" sin as fresh and freeing, but it's not. It's actually ancient, and stale. The most overplayed tune of all that just keeps trying to rebrand itself throughout millennia. Galatians 5 calls it repetitive and joyless.
The doctrines of God are eternal, in both time and depth.
Always fresh and original the deeper you delve into them. Jesus offended a lot of people and never traded in His identity to the endless pressure against it everywhere He went, and He never tried to be fresh or cool. He still ended up being the most refreshing, original, and magnetic being to ever walk the earth.
Do not be afraid to be truth, do not be afraid to speak truth.
Jesus came only to heal the sick. Someone can't know if they have cancer until they go see a doctor and become informed. Nor can the world know it too is sick unless someone tells them the truth. A doctor can't heal someone who never comes in for treatment because they're oblivious to their dying condition. And Jesus truly is the one and only great healer.