Who am I? And how do I live from that place of secure identity?
Your whole person and identity may feel sometimes like it is being tossed up into the air as you engage in a new culture and role in cross-cultural ministry. You're faced with new ideas, concepts, expectations and positions, even with a new language, new traditions, and new social rules. How do you handle all of the stress being placed on your very identity?
"For in it [the gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith." - Romans 1:17
The righteousness of God is actually an interesting term, since it has a couple of different meanings. After doing a little bit more study, I saw that the word denotes a concept of relationship, and this is characteristic to how God acts towards his people! It is also often used as a word for ethical uprightness throughout Scriptures (Balz and Schneider 326). The concept belongs to the doctrine of salvation rather than ethics in Paul’s letters though, for it is often paired with faith and is a gift of God from the sacrifice of Jesus.
This is a reference to "that righteousness or right standing which is ours by faith" (Morris 70).
Good News!
The gospel is the righteousness of God that has been revealed to us! And not only do we see his righteousness and wonder at it. We actually participating in it by faith. So we do not have to be ashamed of proclaiming the gospel nor afraid of losing our identity in a new culture, for God's power and righteousness are present and directed right at salvation, which you have received. This righteousness is only available through faith in Jesus, and it is absolutely at the core of your very identity as a Christian, a bearer of his name.
Rest in knowing who's you are, and who you are.
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