It is important that we have a clear understanding of our identity in Christ and deal with the root issues of our lives, so that the fruit of the Spirit can flow freely without being hindered by the soul.Many people struggle with rejection, feeling deep down that they are never accepted. For instance, if families showed favouritism towards boys, the girls may end up carrying resentment, rivalry, anger, hatred, jealousy and pain into their adult lives. This will affect their inter-personal relationships because they feel they always have to be the best. Others might struggle with their skin colour because they have been ostracized by their peers due to racism. They will always think that others are looking down on them due to their skin colour. If they don’t deal with these issues, they will react to the slightest comments because of the anger and frustration within them, and because their emotions are affected, they will find it hard to be kind and gentle.
One of the major reasons behind growing youth suicides is the struggle for acceptance and not knowing one’s identity. Parents need to know their identity in Christ so they can impart the truth to their children before the world forces its definitions of beauty and success upon them. Some young people go through depression because they feel ugly and inadequate when in fact the opposite is true. They are unkind to themselves and have no joy or peace in their lives.
Because the root of rejection is traced back to the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve were casted out, the rejection issue will never be settled until we come back into fellowship with God, and until we treasure the opinion God has of us more than the view of men about us. In Christ, we are accepted in the beloved, forgiven and redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. We stand justified or righteous in the sight of God because we are hidden in Christ. There is nothing that we can do or say to make God love us more because everything, including the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places, are given to us purely by the grace of God. We enter into a position of rest because of what Christ has done for us.
Once we have settled within ourselves that God’s opinion of us is what counts, all worldly matters become secondary. As we begin to allow joy and peace to reside in our hearts, we will be less affected by external events. When we are in Christ, there is neither male nor female, slave nor free, nationality differences, black or white because God only sees us as in Christ. That’s our identity!
Sermon Series: Fruit of the Holy Spirit – Patience, Kindness, Goodness and Gentleness
知道你的身份
以弗所书1：6-7 (NKJV) 使 他 荣 耀 的 恩 典 得 着 称 赞 ； 这 恩 典 是 他 在 爱 子 里 所 赐 给 我 们 的 。 我 们 藉 这 爱 子 的 血 得 蒙 救 赎 ， 过 犯 得 以 赦 免 ， 乃 是 照 他 丰 富 的 恩 典 。
很重要的一点，我们必须清楚地认识自己在基督里的身份，并处理我们生命中的根本问题， 以使圣灵的果子能自由流动，而不受魂的阻挡。
许多人在被拒绝中挣扎，对于他们从未被接受过而深深失落。比如，如果家庭对男孩表现出偏爱，女孩会因此把怨恨、竞争、愤怒、仇恨、嫉妒和痛苦带入他们的成年生活中。这将会影响她们的人际关系，因为她们感觉她们必须永远是最好的。还有些人可能为他们的肤色而挣扎，因为他们由于种族主义而遭同龄人排斥。他们总是认为别人因着他们的肤色看不起他们。如果他们不去处理这些问题，他们就会因为自己内心的愤怒和沮丧，而对最轻淡的评论做出反应，因为他们的情感受到了影响，他们会发现很难做到良善和 温柔。
年轻人自杀率不断上升的一个主要原因是为受接纳和不知道自己的身份而挣扎。父母需要知道他们在基督里的身份，要将真理传授给他们的儿女，赶在这个世界将美丽与成功这些概念强加给他们之前。一些年轻人因为他们感觉丑陋和不称职而患上抑郁症，而事实恰恰相反。他们对自己不好，在他们的生命中也没有平安或者喜乐。
因为被拒绝的根源可以追溯到亚当和夏娃被从伊甸园赶出去的时候，所以除非我们回到与神的团契中，除非我们看重神对我们的看法超过人对我们的看法，否者被拒绝的问题永远不会得到解决。在基督里，我们在所爱的人里被接纳，被耶稣基督的血赦免和救赎。在神的眼里，我们是公正或公义的，因为我们藏在基督里。我们不能通过行为或言语来使神更爱我们，因为一切，包括在天上的属灵祝福，完全是因着神的恩典而给予我们的。我们得以进入安息是因为基督为我们所做的。
一旦我们把神对我们的看法当作最重要的，所有世界的问题就都变成次要了。当我们开始让喜乐与平安居住在我们心里的时候，我们将会更少地被外面的事件所影响。当我们在基督里，不分男女、为奴的，自主的、不分国籍、不分肤色，因为神只看到我们在基督里。这就是我们的身份！
讲章系列：圣灵所结的果子 — 忍耐、恩慈、良善和温柔