Who Am I? Putting The Pieces Together

Who Am I? Putting The Pieces Together

Who Am I? How do we answer that essential question? People like short simple answers even when the question(s) is complex. And the Who Am I? question is not a simple one. Answering it is like putting a puzzle together. No single piece gives the entire picture. But when the pieces are properly combined they show a full, accurate image.

Who Am I? – Reference Points

What is a valley? Could you answer that question without referencing a mountain or high ground? Some things are best understood in their relationships to other things. Essential reference points define and refine our understanding. That’s how it is with our Who Am I? question.
God is the first point of reference. One’s belief about Him determines all other things. Some people think God is dead or that He is/was a myth. That thinking will have logical, predictable outcomes. But if the underlying premise is wrong then the consequential choices will have questionable value.
Others accept God’s reality. Is God eternal? Did He create all that is? Is He all-powerful? Accepting those reference points will lead to an entirely different set of choices and predictable outcomes. And if God is, then all things are defined in terms of their relationship to Him. That includes you and me!
So my condition is the second point of reference. We assess our condition based on our beliefs about God. If one believes God isn’t, then I’m OK, you’re OK, and everybody else is OK. There are no problems and life is:

Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die!

And we do have more contemporary settings of that questionable ‘wisdom’…

You only go around once. Go for the gusto!

And then there’s the hedonist’s credo…

If it feels good, do it!

Those are the quick, simple answers to a complicated question. And as much as one might wish they were true, deep down we know they are not. These ideas are based on a faulty premise. We even have something we’ve all experienced in one way or another that proves my point. It’s called the morning after. So the reality of my condition lies in the other view of God.
God is perfect, eternal, and holy. I am imperfect, temporal, and sinful. In short, I am not OK because I am broken. And even when we grudgingly recognize our brokenness we try to blame it on God. But that is the oldest game in human history. And history is our third point of reference.

Who Am I? A History

Kintsukuroi artistry – click HERE for details

Everything God made was perfect – including Man. But Man’s choice to sin, and God’s righteous judgment of that sin, changed everything. God confronted Adam and Eve about their choice of disobedience. Adam’s reply was: It was the fault of the woman You gave me. Eve’s response was to blame the serpent. Neither took responsibility. And both sought to blame God for the problem by citing His creations and gifts as the source of sin. But it’s God’s response to all that which helps us answer our Who Am I? question.
The Father saw Man’s broken condition. He made forgiveness possible. In essence, God did what only He could do and said…

There is a way to put the pieces back together!

And that is what the Biblical record is all about. It shows us that God has been at work since the Garden of Eden to give back to Man that which we lost to sin. He is still working today. God still mends broken lives. And every Kintsukuroi artist is imitating the work of God when they take broken pottery and put it back together with molten gold. It is possible to effectively deal with broken lives! And lives that are mended, like that mended pottery, are far greater treasures than they could possibly have been in their original condition.
History shows us broken people who were transformed by the redeeming power of God. Their tragedies were turned into treasure. And their treasure, God Himself, allowed them to triumph in this life and in the next. That’s part of what Jesus meant (John 10:10) when He said,

I am come that they may have life, and that more abundantly.

A broken life is not abundant life. So the truth of the Biblical record is that God loves people in their brokenness. And it’s also true that He loves us too much to leave us in that condition. That’s why Jesus took on human form. God’s forgiveness of our sin is found in Jesus Christ.

Who Am I? Putting The Pieces Together

The reason for the opening paragraphs is pretty simple. First, it’s a reminder to believers of God’s love and goodness to us. Second, many have an incorrect image of our loving Father. To them He just gets in the way of whatever feels good – too many rules, etc.
The final, inescapable truth is: God is good. It sounds so simple and yet it is often a hard thing to hold on to. In His goodness God made a way to forgive sin. But if that’s all there was then when we are forgiven we should immediately be taken to heaven. God’s goodness demands a purpose for living. And that is the abundant life He gives us through the transforming power of His Spirit.
And transformation comes to the mind. We must recognize God is good. We do not think as He does. And since Divine Goodness cannot lie, we must take His Word to define ourselves and our purposes. Until we do we will suffer from a paralyzing identity crisis. So taking God’s true thoughts to replace our faulty ones is a big step to realizing God’s gift of abundant life.
So I offer you a 26-part reminder of His truth about you, me, all believers, and HIMSELF! And if believer doesn’t describe you, and you see in what follows a life and relationship and purpose you’d like to live, know it can be yours. He can beautifully arrange the pieces of any broken life!

Soli Deo Gloria! 

I am Adopted – Galatians 4:6 –
to be an Ambassador – 2 Corinthians 5:20,
A representative of Almighty God – Genesis 17:1; Revelation 4:8.
And because of the One Who is Alive Forevermore – Revelation 1:18,
I am Bought With A Price – I Corinthians 6:19-20,
By the Bearer of my sins – Isaiah 53:12; I Peter 2:24,
Who IS the Beautiful One – Psalm 27:4, 90:17; Isaiah 28:5.
And in the Beauty of His Holiness…
I am a Child of God – John 1:12; Romans 8:16; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 1:5,
Who is Called According to His Plan – Romans 8:28. and I am…
Complete in the fullness of Christ – Colossians 2:9-10. So I am…
Capable because I can do all things through Christ Who gives me strength – Philippians 4:13. That makes me…
Content to cast all my cares – Psalm 55:22; I Peter 5:7 – on the Chief Cornerstone – Isaiah 28:16; Ephesians 2:20.
I am Delivered from Darkness – Colossians 1:13,
By Heaven’s Daystar – I Peter 1:19 –
And HE is my Defender – Psalm 94:2; 18:22; Romans 11:26…as well as
My Dwelling Place – Psalm 90:1.
Through HIM I am Equipped for Every good work – I Timothy 3:17; Hebrews 13:21, to serve…
Emmanuel, God With Us – Matthew 1:23,
Who is the Everlasting Father – Isaiah 9:6.
I am Forgiven by the One Who is Faithful & True. So I am…
Free – Romans 8:1-2 – to serve the…
Finisher of my faith – Hebrews 12:2. So Who Am I? I am one who is greatly…
Gifted for His service – I Corinthians 12 – by the…
Giver of every good and perfect gift – James 1:17 – and He is my…
Gate – John 10:9 – and my…
Great Physician – John 5:1-9. He is also my
Great High Priest – Hebrews 4:14 – and my…
Good Shepherd – John 10:11. And that means I am an…
Heir of God & a Joint Heir with Jesus Christ – Romans 8:17 – Who is the…
Heir of All Things – Hebrews 1:2. And He is my…
Hiding Place – Psalm 32:7 – and my great…
High Priest forever – Hebrews 6:20. Being an heir means I am also an…
Inheritor of Christ – Ephesians 1:11-17 – Who is the…
I AM of Heaven – John 18:6 – and He is the…
Image of the Invisible God – Colossians 1:15. Jesus is the…
Inhabiter of Eternity – Isaiah 57:15, so I am…
Justified – Romans 5:1 – by…
Jesus, God’s Son – Galatians 4:4; I John 4:9 – Who is the…
Judge of all things – John 5:22; Matthew 25:31-46.
So my Judge and Justifier is also the One Who is my…

Keeper – Jude 1. The Christ Who Keeps me is the…
King Eternal – I Timothy 1:17, which means He alone is the…
King of Kings – Revelation 19:16. So nothing can ever take me from His hand – John 10:28-29. And my King is my…
Kinsman Redeemer – Isaiah 34:1-7; Galatians 4:4-7 – in Whom I am…
Loved – Romans 8:35-39; John 3:16 – by the…
Lover of my soul. And He has made me His…
Living stone – I Peter 2:5 – lifted by the…
Lion of the Tribe of Judah – Revelation 5:5 – out of sin’s miry pit. And now the…
Light of the World – John 8:12 – illumines my mind and the…
Living Bread – John 6:51 – satisfies my soul. So He is the…
Lily in every valley I face – Song of Solomon 2:1 – and NOTHING can separate me from His love – Romans 8:35. So Who Am I? I’m a…
Member of the Body of Christ – I Corinthians 12:18-27. I have the…
Morning Star – Revelation 2:28 – as my…
Mediator – I Timothy 2:5. And He is called…
Merciful – Hebrews 2:17. I am also…
Named by my Father – Ephesians 3:15, and He has put my name on a white stone – Revelation 2:17.
God the Father has written my name in the Lamb’s Book of Life – Revelation 20:15, 21:27, and He has…
Inscribed that name on His hand – Isaiah 49:16 – and promised never to forget it. The One Whose…
Name is above every name – Philippians 2:9, is the One Who calls His sheep by name – John 10:3. So my Shepherd knows my name, I hear His voice, and I will follow Him. But I’m frail, weak, and…
Only human. So the…
Only Begotten Son of God – John 3:16, Who is the…
Only Wise God – I Timothy 1:7, has made me an…
Overcomer – Romans 8:37; Revelation 12:11. But I do not, and cannot, Overcome on my own because apart from Him, I can do nothing – John 15:5. So Who Am I? I am a…
Partaker of grace, HIS grace – Philippians 1:7, and a Partaker in the Divine Nature – 2 Peter 1:4. But that is because the…
Prince of Peace – Isaiah 9:6, the One Scripture calls the…
Pearl of Great Price – Matthew 13:46; I Corinthians 6:20, is my…
Passover – I Corinthians 5:7. And my Passover, Who is the…
Power of God – I Corinthians 1:24, is my…
Potter – Jeremiah 18:6. HE shapes me into a vessel of honor for His glory! It is for His glory that I am…
Redeemed – Galatians 3:14; Psalm 107:2. So the…
Rose of Sharon – Song of Solomon 2:1 – is the…
Ransom for many – Matthew 20:28. And my Great…
Rescuer – Galatians 1:4 – is the…
Rock of my Salvation – Psalm 95:1. Since the…
Resurrection and the Life – John 11:25 – is my…
Righteousness – I Corinthians 1:30; Romans 10:3 – I can boldly say I am…
Saved – Ephesians 2:8, and I am…
Sealed – Ephesians 1:2; I Corinthians 1:22, and…
Sanctified – I Timothy 4:5; I Corinthians 6:11, by the…
Sent One – John 9:4. He is the…
Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever – Hebrews 13:8, and He is the…
Stone that the builders rejected – Matthew 21:42, and that Stone is my…
Shelter – Psalm 61:3, and He is my…
Strong Tower – Proverbs 18:10; the Son of God – John 1:49; the Son of Man – John 1:51; and He is the Sun of Righteousness – Malachi 4:2. I am…
Seated with Him in the heavenlies – Ephesians 2:6, and He is the…
Strength of my life – Psalm 27:1. Even so, I am…
Tested – Psalm 66:10; Isaiah 48:10; Zechariah 13:9; I Peter 1:6-7, and…
Tried like silver – Malachi 3:2. But I am not alone because the…
Tried Stone – Isaiah 28:16, Who was Tested and Tempted in every manner as we are – Hebrews 4:15 – yet He did not sin, is my…
Treasure in this earthen vessel – 2 Corinthians 4:7. He is the…
Truth – John 14:6, and He is the…Testator of our covenant – Hebrews 9:16-17, and the…
Tabernacle of God – Revelation 21:3. And my Tried Treasure IS the…
Temple of Heaven – Revelation 21:22!  And, of this True Light – John 1:9, I am…
Unworthy – Matthew 3:11; Matthew 8:8; Romans 7:18. But, the…
Undefiled One – Hebrews 7:26, is the One Who…
Upholds all things – Hebrews 1:3. And He is my…
Unspeakable Gift – 2 Corinthians 9:15, and He has made me worthy! So, I am a…
Voice . And it is my joy to declare the…
Victorious One – I Corinthians 15:57 , the One Whose Voice is like the sound of many waters – Revelation 1:15. And it is the thunder of His…
Voice that calls me to shew forth the praises of Him Who has called me out of darkness into His marvelous light – I Peter 2:9-10! Who Am I? I am a…
Witness – Acts 1:8; Luke 24:48, who has drunk deeply from the…
Well of Living Water – John 4:14. I know this Water as the…
Way – John 14:6, the Word – John 1:1; Revelation 19:11, and my…
Wonderful Counselor – Isaiah 9:6. And He is the…
Worthy One Who receives glory, honor, and power forever – Revelation 4:11. Because He is Worthy, the Lamb Who was slain – Revelation 5:12; Revelation 13:8, I am…
Exempt – Romans 6:23 –  from sin’s penalty through the blood of our…
Exceeding Great Reward – Genesis 15:1, and the name of our Reward is called…
Excellent – Psalm 8:1, and there is no other name given under heaven whereby we can be saved – Acts 4:12. Who Am I? I am a…
Yearner, for my soul yearns for You – Psalm 63:1, and desires nothing but You because You are…
Yahweh – Exodus 3:15; Isaiah 40:31, and You are the…
Yes, and the Amen – 2 Corinthians 1:20. So my longing and my desire makes me very…
Zealous for the glory of…
Zion’s Light – Psalm 50:2; Revelation 21:3, because He is the…
Zeal of the Lord of Hosts – Isaiah 37:32.
And Q was not forgotten!!! We are not given a…
Q name. So I just have to wonder if the name known only to Him – Revelation 19:12, A name written that no man knew but He Himself, is the one that begins with Q.
There it is. It’s the ABC’s of who I am and Who He Is! I just have to believe that thinking through a list like this each day for 30 days will change a person. Why? Because it is the Living Word of God which has been referenced for you to see each time you go through it. And I challenge you to add to this list as long as you do it from the Word. Because the Word is the power of God to transform minds and transform lives!