2 Corinthians 5:17

Who Am I?

A Question of Identity

2 Timothy 2:20-26

Who Am I?

A Question of Identity

In cultural slang, if you are called a tool, it is not a good thing. This phrase means that you are being used and manipulated. It means that you are not smart enough to think for yourself. You don’t want to be called a tool; you do not want to be manipulated by someone else.

As we close our week asking, “Who am I?”, the message of 2 Timothy 2:20-21 is that you are a tool. But this time, it’s a good thing! You are not being used in a negative sense; you are being used by God in a positive way. When we allow God to cleanse us of all unrighteousness, we become a clean utensil (tool) that God can use for His glory. 

Yes, God will cleanse us, and His cleansing is available when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. 2 Timothy 2:22-26 explains the difference between being a useful utensil and a non-useful one. As people who identify with Christ, we are called to flee from youthful lusts and pursue characteristics of God. We are called to avoid conspiracies and quarrels but instead be kind, patient, and gentle. We do all this in the hopes that others see our usefulness, so that they desire to be cleansed and become useful to God too! We want to be tools for God’s glory. May we be prepared to be useful for every good work that God has prepared for us. Who are you? You are God’s chosen. You are a tool that God can use to have His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

2 Timothy 1:6-7

Who Am I?

A Question of Identity

Do you remember what it was like when you first received Christ? In our kitchen at home, we have a copper sink. The sink has the most beautiful shine when it is clean. It can almost be blinding. But what we have learned with a copper sink is that it doesn’t stay shiny and clean for very long. Almost immediately, the shine wears off. The copper becomes darker and looks more worn. Unless we are willing to scrub the sink every day (we aren’t), the copper is going to go from shiny to dark to shiny to dark forever and ever.

In 2 Timothy 1:6-7, Paul is writing to remind Timothy of the spirit he had when he first came to Christ and to serve in ministry. Paul tells Timothy to remember what it was like when (my interpretation coming) the hands of ordination were laid upon him. That spirit that Timothy was charged with was not a spirit of timidity and dullness. It was a spirit of power and light. 

This is the spirit with which we can identify. This spirit was alive and well in our hearts, minds, and actions when we first received Christ. When we were baptized, we were excited to tell the world that our identity was found in Christ. What about now? When was the last time you shared with someone about your status as a child of God? Do not forget but remember the gift of God that is inside of you. Remember the fire that God put in your bones and let nothing squelch your flame.