Stolen Identity

[Guap]

The other day as I was driving along, a car came up behind me quickly and started flashing its lights. Where I live this is common for people who expect you to pull aside so that they can continue speeding along at as incredible pace which is well above the speed limit. What they expect is for me to break the law, so that they can break the law. It often gets me fired up. At times I’ve tried to offset my anger with the thought that, at least I’ve saved, and this person is acting anything like being saved. But lately I’ve realised this is a complete misuse of my identity as a child of God.

Matthew’s gospel moves from Jesus’ baptism by John at the end of chapter 3 to Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. At Jesus’ baptism he gets affirmed as God’s special son, by John, by the Father through a voice in heaven and through the Holy Spirit, who comes and stays on Jesus.

The first temptation questions this identity. Satan asks, ‘If you are the Son of God’. Of course he is the son of God. He knows it. He has just had it affirmed.

However, the temptation is to misuse that identity. If you are the Son of God use that power to make yourself something to eat. In other words, misuse your identity to make your life easily. You should have an easy life! You are the son of God!

However, the implication for Jesus if he did misuse his identity was to fail in his life goal.

When I realised this it made we think about how am I tempted to misuse my identity? Perhaps it is when I think of others as less than me because they ‘are unsaved’? Or perhaps it is when I treat others as less than me because they ‘are unsaved’? Or perhaps it is when I take for granted my relationship with Jesus?

 

[for_his_glory]

Complacency can cause us to think we are better than others when we are Spiritually born-again. We have to remember we are sinners saved by Gods grace, but yet will sin at times when we allow this flesh to take over that of Gods Spirit that dwells in us. It can make me furious at times when another Christian points out what they think is sin found in me, but then I think to myself if this is my sin what is yours as we are all sinners saved by grace and at times we do fall short. Just because we deem something as sin it might not be sin in the eyes of the Father.

 

[Sinthesis]

Christianity is completely against the thinking of or treating of unsaved others as somehow less valuable than a Christian. Otherwise Jesus would not have shed His blood for us. Your relationship with Jesus is that of someone who was unsaved, but Jesus loved you anyway, enough to give His life for yours.

 

[agua.]

I think you only have cause to judge the speeder if they are a Christian and then it would be illogical to apply the salvational argument.

1Co 5:12-13 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? (13) But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

Either way it's best to stay calm and pray the person doesn't harm themselves or anyone else.

Nice thoughts Guap.

 

[jay55]

Sorry Guap but I have to ask - were you traveling in the passing lane of a two lane highway?

 

[Edward]

Guap does have nice thoughts there which we should ponder. I think that we should not look down on people. Those are Gods people gone astray, and we should realize this and toss them a rope if possible. Would you toss a drowning man a rope? Of course you would. Where I used to get mad at seemingly stupid people out on the road, now I make excuses for them and hold my peace. I don't know their situation. They may be trying to get home to a pregnant wife in Labor, a sick child, anything like that. That would be understandable. So we should understand and cut them some slack. One time I was waiting to turn left into an alley and a guy on a bike rode by my left side cussing me. My stop was right inside the alley. I waited for him to pass and turned in and parked and got out. The guy on the bike turned around thinking I wanted to fight. I didn't, I was there to work. He came back cussing and threatening. I struck a fighting stance in case he threw a punch so I could defend myself and said nothing. Then he gets tired of cussing and says well aren't you going to say or do anything? I said Why? You're only mad because you thought I might turn in front of you and cut you off, and I didn't...so why are you so mad? He looks at me dumbfounded as it sunk in and says you know, you're right, I'm sorry. I said it's cool, have a nice day. I felt pretty good about having defused that. He was smaller than me and I probably would have hurt him for no good reason, but he had a full mad on so couldn't stop himself I guess, lol. People get mad too easily out on the street. We shouldn't look down on them for that. We don't know what they've been through.

Our identity has been stolen in the Garden of Eden. They knew it, but the further away from the Garden we get, the less people realize it. That's the first thing that God did after the fall of man. Tried to start nudging us back into relationship with Him. That's our identity, sons of God. Sons of God don't go around acting like that, looking down on people. That's why it's all about relationship brothers and sisters. Living for the Spirit and walking in brotherly love. If someone victimizes you, you should not take offense, but rather realize that they have lost their way and need help. A cheating spouse even. Don't be the victim, throw them a life preserver! That's why Jesus said, forgive them father for they know not what they do when they had just crucified Him.

 

[By Grace]

The other day as I was driving along, a car came up behind me quickly and started flashing its lights. Where I live this is common for people who expect you to pull aside so that they can continue speeding along at as incredible pace which is well above the speed limit. What they expect is for me to break the law, so that they can break the law. It often gets me fired up. At times I’ve tried to offset my anger with the thought that, at least I’ve saved, and this person is acting anything like being saved. But lately I’ve realised this is a complete misuse of my identity as a child of God.

The act of MENTALLY throwing a box of tacks into the other guy's lane, such as what the police use to stop high speed car chases using "stop spikes" can be a safe stress reliever.