Identity Crisis
“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! - 2 Corinthians 5:17
Paul Gustave Dore was a 19th-century French artist who was known for his imaginative illustrations and iconic depictions of many classics of world literature. Among his 760 works of art, he painted “The Wrestle of Jacob” in 1855, “The Death of Samson” in 1866, and “The Road to Jerusalem” in 1877.
One day, Dore was traveling in Europe when he reached a border crossing and realized that he couldn’t find his passport. Without his papers, the officer at the border could not grant him access to cross over into another country. Dore was faced with a predicament. Either go back home and miss his engagement or figure out a way to get to the other side.
After telling the agent who he was, the agent came up with a solution. It was a test that allowed Dore to prove his identity. He asked Dore to draw a group of nearby peasants in the artistic style that he was famously known for. This test would prove Dore’s identity and enable him to progress.
And so, with a pencil and a pad, Dore drew a picture of a group of peasants that were gathered nearby. The border agent was convinced and let Dore cross the border to make his way to the other side. The dilemma Dore faced that day was not one of his destiny, but one of his identity. He knew where he wanted to go, but it was not until he was able to authenticate who he was that he was able to proceed and do what he was called to do.
That dilemma is one that wasn’t just real for him then but is also real for us now. We are all trying to go from one place or stage of life to another. 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us of our new identity in Christ: “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”
As a believer in Jesus, you do not have to question your identity. No matter what stage you walk through in life, you are a child of God. And that, my friend, is the most important thing you need to know.
Paul Gustave Dore was a 19th-century French artist who was known for his imaginative illustrations and iconic depictions of many classics of world literature. Among his 760 works of art, he painted “The Wrestle of Jacob” in 1855, “The Death of Samson” in 1866, and “The Road to Jerusalem” in 1877.
One day, Dore was traveling in Europe when he reached a border crossing and realized that he couldn’t find his passport. Without his papers, the officer at the border could not grant him access to cross over into another country. Dore was faced with a predicament. Either go back home and miss his engagement or figure out a way to get to the other side.
After telling the agent who he was, the agent came up with a solution. It was a test that allowed Dore to prove his identity. He asked Dore to draw a group of nearby peasants in the artistic style that he was famously known for. This test would prove Dore’s identity and enable him to progress.
And so, with a pencil and a pad, Dore drew a picture of a group of peasants that were gathered nearby. The border agent was convinced and let Dore cross the border to make his way to the other side. The dilemma Dore faced that day was not one of his destiny, but one of his identity. He knew where he wanted to go, but it was not until he was able to authenticate who he was that he was able to proceed and do what he was called to do.
That dilemma is one that wasn’t just real for him then but is also real for us now. We are all trying to go from one place or stage of life to another. 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us of our new identity in Christ: “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”
As a believer in Jesus, you do not have to question your identity. No matter what stage you walk through in life, you are a child of God. And that, my friend, is the most important thing you need to know.
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