| What Is Your Name?
What is your name?
“May I have your identification,
please?”
Moses asked God His name as he stood
before the burning bush. God said to Moses,
“I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14). He
is the eternal “I AM,” the same yesterday, today, and forever who makes His
covenant with His people. He is the God of
salvation. As the God of grace, He becomes
whatever is required to meet the needs of His people.
He is “the Becoming One.”
Joseph, the adopted father of Jesus,
was told that Mary “will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He
who will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). His name means, “Yahweh is salvation” or
“Jehovah saves.”
What is your name? How does the world identify you as a follower of
Jesus Christ?
In the New Testament Christians are
called “children of God” (Romans 8:16; I John 3:1), “soldier” (2
Timothy 2:3), “heir” (Romans 8:17; Galatians 3:29), “elect” (I Peter
1:1), “people of God” (Romans
9:25), “sons of God” (Romans 8:19; Galatians 2:26), “children of
promise” (Galatians 4:28), “sons of Abraham” (Galatians 3:17), “seed
of Abraham” (Galatians 3:29), etc.
What is your Christian name? How are you identified as a follower of Jesus
Christ? By what name do you identify yourself
as a member of God’s family? How do the followers of Christ identify you? How does the lost world identify you?
Are you a “believer”
signifying one who has put his faith in Jesus Christ?
A believer is someone who has put his confidence and trust in Jesus Christ
as his Savior (John 20:31; Romans 3:22). Such a person has been justified through faith in
Christ (Genesis 15:6; Rom. 3:24-26; Hebrews 2:4; I Timothy 4:10, 12.). A believer is also someone who is faithful and
trustworthy (Acts 16:1; Ephesians 1:1).
First century believers were also
called those who belonged to “the Way” (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22). This seems to be a name the apostle Paul preferred
(Acts 24:14). Jesus said, “I am the way,
the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). He
is the only way to eternal life (Acts 4:12; Hebrews 9:8; 10:20; Matthew 7:13-14).
The name “friends” links the
believer to Jesus (John 15:13-15). Abraham
was called “the friend of God” (James 2:23).
“Nazarene” was a term of
reproach because they were identified with Jesus of Nazareth (John 1:46; Acts 24:5; 2:7).
The apostle Paul enjoyed the title
“saints” when he addressed the churches. It
is also an Old Testament name for God’s people (Psalm 34:9; 85:8). God’s people are holy and separated because
of their relationship to Him (Deut. 7:6; Lev. 19:1; 20:26).
The believer is one who is separated to God (Eph. 2:19-22; Col 3:12; Rom.
1:7; I Cor. 1:30; Phil. 1:1; 2 Thess. 2:13).
We are “brothers” in Christ
(Acts 18:27). The title expresses the
spiritual bond between believers (Rom. 12:10; I Pet. 3:8; Matt. 28:10; John 20:17; Rom.
8:29; Heb. 2:11-12,17).
Another term popular in our day is
“disciple” meaning a leaner (Acts 14:21). The disciple must count the cost of
following Christ (Luke 6:40; 14:25-33).
The name by which we are most often
designated by the lost world, and by other followers of Christ is “Christian.” The disciples were first called
“Christians” in the city of Antioch (Acts 11:26).
Even King Agrippa called the followers of Christ “Christians” (Acts
26:28). Peter also calls believers
“Christians” (1 Peter 1:16). Christians believe that Jesus is the Christ (Greek
word for Messiah, meaning the Anointed One) (John 20:31).
What is your name? What word best describes your Christian life in a
lost world?
“May I have your identification,
please?”
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
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