Making Sin Your Identity Instead of Christ

You are loved by the infinite God, through Christ Jesus. Is that not sufficient? If you are redeemed, that is your identity. Bought by the blood of lamb, the ultimate sacrifice. Is that not sufficient to propel you into eternity?

Yet it is not for many Christians. They identify with their sins.

In the PCA, the current battle is of "gay acceptance." Homosexuality is clearly a sin in the bible.

"I was born this way. This is who I am. I am gay, and when you say that homosexuality is a sin, then you are attacking who I am as a person."

And that's where the fundamental disagreement lies. The person has made their identity about their sin. They are no longer simply a "Christian," they are a "Gay-Christian." To attack either part, means to attack their identity. "Murdering-Christian" "Lying-Christian" "Thieving-Christian." Where is the New Creation? You are only Christian. In Christ. The old is gone. The new has come.

We all have our own sins that we battle, but I would never imagine to identify with my sin. 

"After 15 years of trying to fight my homosexual nature, I gave up. I said to God: this is just how you made me! I am gay. I will stop fighting and just accept who you made me to be so that I can focus on the other things which are more important."

In Pastors, this attitude is alarming. There must be a regenerative work of the Holy Spirit and perhaps it will be that the sin will always be a burden for your entire life.

Let's look at the seven deadly sins:

• Lust
• Gluttony
• Greed
• Sloth
• Wrath
• Envy
• Pride

How could it make sense for a Christian to stop fighting against these temptations their entire life and make it their identity? To rebuke a Christian for demonstrating these sins, they recoil offended because you had attacked the source of their identity.

They identify as being "slothful." They are lazy. So what? That's just who they are! God made them that way. They cannot associate with someone who will constantly call them out for being lazy even when their laziness has direct consequence upon you. They are done changing. They are tired of being wrong.

I am lustful.

I am gluttonous. 

I am greedy.

I am slothful.

I have wrath.

I have envy.

I have pride.

But first, I am Christ's. And should I be a Christian and filled with the Holy Spirit, I am being renewed every day in sanctification.

These sins are not who I am. I must be in a constant state of repentance. Often, I do not fight against these sins, but that is because of my rebelliousness and hard heart.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.