Foundations of our Faith: Identity

Foundations of our Faith  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  37:52
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What is the believer's identity? And what does it mean?

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(Note: to view the video of this teaching, click here: https://youtu.be/p0k9Q_aHw3U)
Shabbat shalom, everyone. Thanks for coming today. Welcome all of our fellowship family, and welcome to our guests. If you’re joining us online, welcome to you as well. I hope and pray everyone is having a blessed Sabbath thus far today. Let’s open with a word of prayer.
Today I will be kicking off a new sermon series. Now as you’ve probably noticed, Jeff and I usually alternate teaching week to week, so we’re taking turns now and starting off a new series that we’re calling “Foundations of our Faith.” Normally I would take a verse like Hebrews 6:1 and say that we don’t need to continually re-lay the foundation. Right? That’s what it says, anyway.

1Therefore leaving the basic teaching of the Messiah, let us move on toward maturity—not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of trust in God, 2of teaching about immersions, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

However, as a newly formed, young fellowship community, I believe it is necessary that we lay out our foundations at this time. If we’re going to build a fellowship community, and if we’re going to work together to impact our community - and by that I mean not just those here, but also those around us - then we need to have a solid foundation on which to stand. We need to be in unity, and building a house on the Rock. Amein?
So today, I will introduce this teaching series, “Foundations of our Faith” with the topic of identity.

Defining Identity

Like any good topical study, it helps if we all understand the terms we’ll be using from the get-go. Communication only works if we all speak the same language, after all.
So identity. Identity is, in very simple terms, the “self.” It is the very essence of personhood. In theological terms, this touches the topic of ontology, but I won’t get into the weeds that deep for today. In psychological terms, our identity is our sense of self. How we understand who and what we are. My identity is how much “me” I am. That seems simple and straightforward enough, right?
Yet we are witnessing a major problem, both in society and in the ekklesia, the Church today. The problem is that of a lost sense of identity. Popular Messianic teachers have produced numerous teachings and articles and books on the matter. Everyone seems to have an opinion as to what our identity is or should be as Torah-Observant believers. So perhaps I’ll just add my voice to the mix. We have a crisis of identity, and we can see it in how fractured the Pronomian / Torah movement is. It used to be Messianic; then Hebrew Roots; then Torah Observant; then Torah Pursuant. We have some British Israelism, some Black Hebrew Israelism. We have people who want to be considered Hebraic, others that want to be considered Jews, and others who want to be distanced from both of those terms. And why? For what purpose? Because in attaching ourselves to something else, we give ourselves an identity, something tangible.
But it isn’t just those of us in the movement that suffer from a case of lost identity. No, society at large is suffering. Both in and outside of the Church. We see it in the news all the time, right? Gender identity. Racial identity. We hear of people “identifying” as one thing or another. These are symptoms of a larger problem. The problem being, simply put, that people don’t know who they are.
Our identity is who and what we are; how we see ourselves, and how we present ourselves to others. This obviously affects every area of our lives. People often take things personally these days. A disagreement over politics or theology is taken as a personal offense. And why is that? It is because we have taken our political views and our pet doctrines, and we have absorbed them into our conception of self. We view our political party; our personal take on the Festival calendar; our preferred way to pronounce the Divine Name; our convictions regarding how old the planet is (or even what shape it is); we have taken our views on these things (and more) and have internalized them. We have embedded our thoughts and opinions so deeply into how we see ourselves, that anyone disagreeing with our views is treated as an assailant. Because anyone who disagrees with our views, must be disagreeing with our core identity itself.
We’ll come back to a little of this in a bit, but for now, let’s look at two primary categories for determining our identity. Or perhaps I should say, the two facets of our identity.

Individual Identity

To begin our Biblical analysis about identity, perhaps we should kick this whole thing off with Genesis. Begin with the beginning. Everyone okay with that?

26Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness! Let them rule over the fish of the sea, over the flying creatures of the sky, over the livestock, over the whole earth, and over every crawling creature that crawls on the land.” 27God created humankind in His image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them. 28God blessed them and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the land, and conquer it. Rule over the fish of the sea, the flying creatures of the sky, and over every animal that crawls on the land.”

There are - quite obviously - so many things that we can extrapolate from these 3 verses. Countless sermons and books have been published on just this passage of Scripture, and to be sure, more will continue to be produced. But for our purposes, we’re going to hone in on the terminology of “image.” Verse 27 says that God created mankind is His image. Whose image? His own. We were created in the image of Yahweh Elohim, amein? That’s huge. But what does that mean? What does it mean to be made in the image of God? In theological terms - in case you’re looking for a homework assignment - you can study up on the imago dei. Don’t worry, it’s just the Latin term for “image of God.” Being made in the image of God does not simply mean you share certain attributes. The image of God is not something possess, but rather, it’s something that we are. Recently, scholars have taken to a new terminology: instead of “image of God” they’re saying mankind was made to be an imager of God, literally one who “bears His image.” In this very passage of Scripture we learn something about our identity, namely, that it is entirely dependent upon God. We are made to bear His image, which means we can only define our own by understanding His. Any attempt to construct an identity apart from Him will ultimately fail. We see the evidence of this in society at large.
That is, after all, what idolatry is: an inverted image. Paul denounces idolatry in Romans 1, saying that man went astray by worshipping creation instead of creator. It’s somewhat the ultimate irony, isn’t it? That man, who was created to bear the image of Yahweh, in turn creates idols to bear the image of creation. The very language itself tells us that. The same Hebrew word, tselem, used in Genesis 1:26 is used elsewhere in the Tanakh (OT) to describe an idol.
So what, then, does it really mean to bear the image of God? What does it entail? Bearing the image of God means being a representative of Him on earth. It means working to enact His plans, to build His Kingdom. Or as NT Wright says, to expand His empire. I like that terminology better. It’s not just a Kingdom with a castle; it’s an entire empire spanning continents. Even the Gospel, in multiple instances in the New Testament, especially in Matthew, is referred to as “Good news of the Kingdom of God.” It’s not just some good news, it’s the Good News of the Kingdom. But how are we to understand what it means to be Kingdom-builders? It sounds Biblical; it sounds right; but what does that look like in our day-to-day lives? When we leave here today, what can we take with us, to begin doing this Kingdom-building work?
For the individual, this means understanding your own personal calling, and that will vary from person to person. Paul uses the analogy of a body - after all, we are the Body of Messiah. It has various parts, all different and performing different functions, but all working together to be whole and healthy. Some us are hands; some are feet, but all are connected and working together. It also means walking in the Spirit, whereby we are enabled and empowered to do the work God has called us to do. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 tells us that there is One Lord, Yeshua, but there are different gifts and callings. Not everyone is supposed to have the same gift, because not everyone has the same calling. Nevertheless, our job is to do Kingdom work. That’s what we were created for. Paul says in Ephesians 2:

For we are His workmanship—created in Messiah Yeshua for good deeds, which God prepared beforehand so we might walk in them.

To recognize and understand your calling, it first takes prayer. A request that God would reveal to you that which He has called you to do. Sometimes though, let’s be honest: this is the hard part. Right? How do you know what God has called you to do? Especially if you’ve never heard Him audibly say it. Well, that’s where the body of Messiah comes in. God works through His people. Ephesians 4 says:

11He Himself gave some to be emissaries, some as prophets, some as proclaimers of the Good News, and some as shepherds and teachers— 12to equip the kedoshim for the work of service, for building up the body of Messiah. 13This will continue until we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of Ben-Elohim—to mature adulthood, to the measure of the stature of Messiah’s fullness. 14As a result, we are no longer to be like children, tossed around by the waves and blown all over by every wind of teaching, by the trickery of men with cunning in deceitful scheming. 15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all ways into Messiah, who is the Head. 16From Him the whole body is fitted and held together by every supporting ligament. The proper working of each individual part produces the body’s growth, for building itself up in love.

Let that sink in: God has called some to be emissaries - or Apostles - and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some shepherds or pastors, as well as teachers. I read this a few weeks back when talking about leadership, but I’m circling back to it because it is crucial here. Verse 12 says the reason for these callings is to “equip” the body. And it is our responsibility to become equipped for the ministry to which we are called. If you’re called to build homes for the homeless, but you don’t know the first thing about construction, then you need to shadow a contractor for a while and learn. This relates to what Jeff spoke about last week: being a disciple of someone is about following them and mimicking their every move. Learning to BE them. There are teachers and pastors and leaders that are so called and appointed, whose job it is to help YOU understand YOUR calling. And more so, to help equip you to fulfill it. This stresses the need for proper leadership and appropriate community. Which leads me to my next point.

Corporate Identity

In addition to our individual identity (that is, we are image-bearers of Yahweh, filled with His Spirit, to build His Kingdom), we also possess a corporate identity. This is where so many Messianic teachers these days get it right, in my opinion, or at least most of it. We share in the collective identity of the people of Adonai. Whether because you were born as a descendant of Abraham, or because you were grafted in, as a believer, you share a corporate identity that is found in the children of Abraham.

26For you are all sons of God through trusting in Messiah Yeshua. 27For all of you who were immersed in Messiah have clothed yourselves with Messiah. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female—for you are all one in Messiah Yeshua. 29And if you belong to Messiah, then you are Abraham’s seed—heirs according to the promise.

We, all of those who have placed their trust in Messiah Yeshua, are Abraham’s seed, his children. Because of this, we have become partakers of the covenant. We see this same sentiment echoed in Ephesians.

11Therefore, keep in mind that once you—Gentiles in the flesh—were called “uncircumcision” by those called “circumcision” (which is performed on flesh by hand). 12At that time you were separate from Messiah, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Messiah Yeshua, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah.

Gentiles, or perhaps more effectively, “nations” were once far off, separated from Messiah because the Messiah was promised - and indeed came to - Israel. Israel which was supposed to be a light to all nations, though as we know, failed at keeping this duty. So then, Paul says, these foreigners, these nations, who were previously excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, have been brought near by the blood of Yeshua. They are joined together with Israel. Paul further elucidates this in Romans 11.

16If the firstfruit is holy, so is the whole batch of dough; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17But if some of the branches were broken off and you—being a wild olive—were grafted in among them and became a partaker of the root of the olive tree with its richness, 18do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, it is not you who support the root but the root supports you.

Let me go ahead and clear the air here. This is not supercessionism that we’re talking about here. Or to use the more popular term, replacement theology. There is no passage in all of Scripture that says this new gentile Church comes in and replaces, or supersedes, Israel. Rather, we find a consistent theme throughout Scripture, from the Tanakh (Old Testament) to the end of Revelation, that there has always been “Israel within Israel.” There has always been a sort of remnant theology present in Scripture, from the time of the prophets. This idea that Paul speaks of is not that foreigners - gentiles - come in and replace Israel. Rather, they join themselves to Israel. The true Israel has always been those who have faithfully followed the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. To borrow a term from Tim Hegg, it’s not replacement theology, it’s enlargement theology. When my daughter was born just a few weeks ago, my 5th child, did she replace my other 4 children? Or did my household simply get bigger? That’s what we’re talking about. If you need some references for this “remnant theology” I mentioned, I won’t be covering them here. But you can write these down - or listen to the recording: most of the book of Zechariah, especially chapters 8 and 9. Zephaniah 2 and 3. A remnant is mentioned numerous times in Ezra 9. All over the book of Isaiah. And remember, too, that Paul quotes Isaiah 10:22, which speaks of the remnant, in Romans 9:27.
So in short, you have a corporate, national identity as a follower of Yeshua: you are a child of Abraham; an Israelite. So am I. So is Jeff. So are the others out there that are followers of Yeshua. So we need to understand that it’s okay to disagree with our fellow brothers and sisters in Messiah. Our corporate, national identity is inextricably connected to that of Israel. This is how Paul can quote the Tanakh and insist that “All Israel shall be saved”: because all of those who get saved, by the nature of their loyalty to Israel’s Messiah, join themselves to the people of God: Israel.
This sort of national identity should cause us to connect with other believers first and foremost. Rather than rejecting them because of their politics, or the ways in which we disagree, we should be striving to be a unified house with them. We have to recognize the necessity of a corporate identity; the necessity of being in community. In this movement especially, we talk a lot about the importance of Torah-keeping. And for good reason, right? God gave us instructions, and we strive to obey them. It’s pretty simple at its core. But as part of that, we have to understand that Torah cannot be kept appropriately in isolation. There are commands to gather together such as at Feasts. You can’t gather together with yourself. There are commandments about how to love and treat you neighbor, which you cannot keep if you have no neighbors. Even the justice system of the Torah requires elders, judges, priests, and the whole community.
So when we talk about our self conception, how we see ourselves, we need to see ourselves in community with other believers. Baptism is actually an interesting picture of how some of these different pieces all converge. I won’t go too far into it, since we have a whole teaching on Baptism already planned as part of this series. (Spoiler alert!) But let me just say this: with Baptism, it is both individual - as in, it’s a personal decision and action taken by the individual - as well as corporate, since others are present, and it is an outward sign to be witnessed by others. It is a way of participating in the death and resurrection of Yeshua. Paul connects Baptism to the death and resurrection of Messiah in Romans 6; going under we relate to His death, and coming up we relate to His resurrection.

Putting the Pieces Together

Okay, so that got off track for a moment. Forgive me. A bit of a Rabbi trail.
Now allow me a moment really quick to summarize and put all the pieces together. As we get ready to close.
Yeshua, it is often said, did not come to create a new religion called Christianity. Rather, He came to be the Messiah of Judaism. I would like to caveat that a little bit. At the beginning, there was no Christianity, that much is true. That’s a word that came after the time of Yeshua’s resurrection, so of course it didn’t exist. But there were issues with the Judaism - or I should say Judaisms - of His own day as well. If anything, it would be most accurate to say He came to reform what is known today as Judaism, to reform the Abrahamic faith. He came to tell His own people, many times, “You have heard…but I tell you...” This is the beginning of our identity in Messiah. It’s not unlike what the Reformers did in the 16th Century.
Our identity, who we are, is both individual and corporate. As individuals, we have our own unique callings. Because we have unique callings, we have different gifts, which the Spirit pours out on us so that we may fulfill our calling. We are all image-bearers of Yahweh. This is not just an attribute we posses, but rather, the very definition of who and what we are. As such, we are tasked with being His representatives on Earth. Given that we are all sharers in this, and we are all image-bearers, we have that in common. In addition to our individual identity, we also have a corporate identity. We are members of Israel, God’s people. We as individuals make up the body of Messiah, and together form one being, sharing with Him.
So when we want to define our faith, we should be known more for what we are, than what we aren’t. Are we Christians? Are we Messianics? Those two are synonymous. Me personally, I don’t frequently use the word Christian to describe myself because of all the baggage. But what I suggest is that we accept, first of all, that by any conventional definition, we are Christ followers, and as such, we are Christians. We don’t need to be some separate thing from our brothers and sisters in the normative Christian Church. What we need is to push for Reformation 2.0. There was a great reset in Yeshua’s day; He kicked off a reform of the Abrahamic faith, the faith of Moses and David and Ezra. 1500 years later, the Reformers sought to bring correction back to the Church, the same as Yeshua did to Judaism. This is what, I believe, we need once again: a reform to get the normative Church to accept that while they have the Messiah, while they understand the heart and soul of the Gospel, they need maturity. They need to be pressed to live in accordance with God’s Word, to keep a standard of holiness.
And for us, we aren’t some separate thing from believers everywhere. We’re not supposed to be Messianic, while others are Christian, and others are Hebrew Roots. We’re supposed to be the Body of Messiah. Body; not bodies.
Let’s close out with a word of prayer.
[Prayer of thanksgiving, blessing, and exhortation]
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