God's Identity Crisis-By Bro.Allen Seow of Scripture Union

In our society today, many have identity crisis. Who am I? It is important for us to know who our God is. 3000 years ago Moses was asked to set his people free. But he said “Who am I?” God answered him “ I will be with you.” Man’s problem is not self identity crisis but God identity crisis. If you want to know who you are, you need to know who God is.

The way God moves is powerful. Everything begin by knowing who our God is.

Luke 9:18 And it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”

They have seen Jesus did many miracles. Yet they do not believe that He is the Messiah. We could be sitting in this church for years, yet Jesus will ask “who do you think I am?” We might be attending many meeting such as prayer meeting, bible study etc. Yet do we really know who our Jesus is?

At that point of time Jesus knew He was facing the cross and leaving His disciples. They need to be strengthen. Because they are the one who is going to take our His place to preach the Good News.

Luke 9:20 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.”

Can we really say He is the Messiah!!? Many need our attention. To the extent we have no time to know who our Jesus is. Is He really the Lord in our life?

To the understanding of the Jews. It is impossible for the Messiah to die on the cross. To them the Messiah is suppose to be the one that set them free from the Roman.

Being a disciple means – thinking about life in a totally new way.

Deny yourself – The me, I and myself attitude. The “ I ” problem. In Christ there is no “I” business. Jesus said “ If anyone wants to follow me, he must deny himself.”

Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

Denial – Is not leaving all your richest and live in poverty!

Denial means, putting God first in every decision you make. We have to be in the will of God. Deny all the right in our life. To totally in love with God, not only on Sunday. It means we need to take up the cross daily.

Take up the Cross daily -Some have made the cross out of diamonds and jewels, and also the Rock N Roll accessory. The Cross is actually the instrument of death, the instrument that bring us to God. In the movie “The Passion of the Christ” you could see how brutally Jesus was tortured to death. Jesus has denied himself and took the cross. We need to do the same, deny ourselves and carry the cross daily. Jesus has died for us. Therefore we need to die to self to follow Him. We need to persevere, no matter what.

It is difficult for the lawyer, engineer, doctor to take up the cross daily, to live in integrity. Taking up the cross and saying NO to self.


Follow Him - While I was in India, there was this man, when I asked him “Do you want to accept Jesus into your life?” He reply, “If I were to accept Jesus, tonight I will be kick out from my village, and I will be deserted by my family.” This always remind me, what have I really give up to follow Him.

We have to give until we can’t give. We have to love until we can not love. And we have to forgive until we can not forgive. To love the unlovable is never easy.

The question we need to ask ourselves today “What have I give up for Christ?” Many missionaries have to die for Christ. It is never easy for them to say “Yes Lord” when they were called. Yet they paid the price. They are willing to give up their comfortable life, went to the mission field and risked their life.

Being a disciple begin by understanding that everything hinges on what we think of Jesus.

In Luke 9:26 Jesus said “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels”.

Many of us can talk about anything under the sun, but not about Jesus. We are very good in gossip, but when come to talk about Jesus we keep our mouth shut!!

Ask this question and examine yourself. Who is Jesus to you?

Amen!