The (re)Born Identity of Security: Remembering Who You’ve Become Through Baptism (Col. 2:6-23; Gal. 3:15-4:7)

 “The Bourne Identity” was a 2002 film based on a book by Robert Ludlum.[1] “The Bourne Identity” begins with the crew of an Italian fishing boat sighting a man floating unconscious in the sea. After pulling him out, the crew of the boat discovers gunshots in the man’s back. While treating these wounds, the ship’s medical officer finds a device embedded in the man’s hip. The device contains the number of a safe deposit box in Zurich. Eventually, the man regains consciousness. He doesn’t know where he is or who he is. Over the next few days, the man learns he is fluent in several languages and can perform uncommon tasks like navigating and tying exotic knots. Still he cannot remember anything about who he is. When the ship docks, the man travels to Zürich to investigate the safe deposit box which the item in his hip had indicated. He finds the bank and the box. Inside are several passports containing his picture (all under different names and nationalities), large amounts of assorted currencies, and a gun. He picks the first passport. It claims his name is Jason Bourne. The rest of the movie records Jason Bourne’s search for his true identity.

Can you imagine what it would be like to wake up and not know who you are? Can you imagine forgetting your identity? Perhaps you have experienced this, although not in a Jason Bourne way. For example, one Sunday in my Sunday School class we were sharing stories. One of our class members said, “When I was young, every time I left our house, Mom would say to me, ‘Don’t forget who you!’” Was Mom afraid that Susie was going to get to the neighbor’s house and suffer retrograde amnesia? No. She was afraid that Susie might get into a situation with friends and not act herself, not act like the little lady she is. Mom was afraid that Susie would forget that she is a responsible Christian young woman and ought to act as such.

Have you ever done or said something and then later exclaimed to yourself, “I can’t believe I just did that?! I can’t believe I just said that?!”? Why do we have that response? It’s because what we just did or said is not consistent with who we are. We momentarily forgot who we are and acted or spoke like someone we aren’t.  Last September I spoke for the 50^th anniversary of the church I used to preach at in New Mexico. As I prepared my speeches the campus minister from the church contacted me and told me that a leader in the church had just confessed to having an affair. When he told me the leader’s name, I couldn’t believe it. That’s just not who this guy was. I served with him for four and half years. He was a loving father, devoted husband, and tireless servant. All I could conclude is that for a brief moment, he just forgot—he forgot who he was. He acted like someone he isn’t.

This morning we begin a series which explores that kind of amnesia. In fact, it is a series which suggests that one of the greatest challenges we face in the spiritual life is amnesia. We leave the house and forget who we are. This is a series on baptism. But it’s not a series on why we get baptized. It’s a series on who we become when we are baptized. The majority of texts on baptism in the New Testament are written to Christians who have forgotten who they are and thus need a reminder of the identity given to them in baptism. It is my hope that this series will help us remember who we became in our baptism and equip us to live out that identity.

We begin with two letters from Paul that we might entitle, “Paul’s Letter to the Insecure Colossians” and “Paul’s Letter to the Insecure Galatians.”  Let’s begin with Paul’s Letter to the Insecure Colossians. Paul is writing to a group among whom insecurity has been growing. The insecurity is summarized by Paul in Col. 2:8:  See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. (Col. 2:8 TNIV). The key phrase is translated “elemental spiritual forces.” The phrase refers to the polytheism of ancient Colossae, the city in which Paul’s readers live. Like a lot of cities in Paul’s day, Colossae was filled with people who believed there were many gods–polytheism. [2] There were local gods and national gods. There was a god for this and a god for that. Some of these gods were more powerful. Some were less powerful. When we think of the spiritual beliefs in Colossae, we might think of a ladder. A ladder has many rungs. Similarly, those in Colossae believed in many gods. Each rung represents a different god. A ladder has some rungs higher than others. Similarly, those in Colossae believed some gods were higher or better than others.

And it seems that someone’s been telling the Christians in Colossae that the Jesus they follow is fine, but there are some other gods higher up on the ladder to whom they also need to express devotion. If they want the full spiritual life, they need not only Jesus but some of the other gods who are on higher rungs. And this was creating uncertainty in the minds of the Christians. Here’s the uncertainty of Colossians: am I really at the top of the ladder? When I decided to follow Jesus, did I end up following the god at the top? Out of all the gods I could have followed, did I make the right choice?

In his book The Reason for God Timothy Keller shows just how contemporary this uncertainty is.[3] Keller, who started a church in New York City, has been asking people for two decades: “What is your biggest problem with Christianity?” Keller says that one of the most frequent answers given is this: the biggest problem with Christianity is its exclusivism. Keller tells of Blair, a twenty-four-year old woman living in Manhattan: “How could there be just one true faith? It’s arrogant to say your religion is superior and try to convert everyone else to it. Surely all the religious are equally good and valid for meeting the needs of their particular followers.” There is a strong opinion in American culture which takes the Colossian spiritual worldview one step further. In American culture, not only are there many rungs, that is, many gods. But, no rung is better than another. And if Christians claim that Jesus is better other gods, they are intolerant and closed-minded.

And in that kind of climate, we Christians wrestle with uncertainty. I’ve chosen the Jesus-rung. But was that the best choice? Was that the only choice? Are there better rungs? Are all these rungs just the same?

And to resolve the uncertainty in Colossae Paul points to baptism—not to argue they should be baptized again but to remind them that what happened in their baptism has a bearing on their current uncertainty. Paul changes their uncertainty into certainty by pointing to their baptism. Here’s what Paul says happened when the Colossians were baptized: 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. 9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you also were circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your sinful nature was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. (Col. 2:8-12 TNIV). Paul associates baptism with circumcision. In baptism Jesus “cuts off” that part of us which has separated us from the top God of this ladder. Jesus removes it. Paul goes on to describe that “cutting off” as a “burial.” Through our baptism that sin-filled part of us is buried. It dies.[4] Finally, Paul says that through this baptism, Jesus resurrects us. Jesus raises us to live a new kind of spiritual life. And all of this was done by Christ, the fullness of the deity. Our only role in it was “faith”: through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

Paul wants to remind us of this truth: If my relationship with God is like the ultimate ladder, I reached the top through trust. This is what happened when you were baptized. First, you were brought into relationship with the One who is at the top of the ladder. There is no one higher than Jesus. He alone is the fullness of the deity. There is no need for any other rung. Jesus alone is the gateway to a new way of life. And when you were baptized, you came into relationship with that One at the top rung. Second, the only thing required of you to enter that relationship was trust or faith—trust or faith that Jesus was the top rung. Everything that happened in baptism was Jesus’ work, not yours.[5] This whole relationship was brought about because of his work, not yours. All you had to do was trust. Thus, if my relationship with God is like the ultimate ladder, I reached the top through trust.

Paul is saying, “You have forgotten who you became in your baptism. You have lost your identity.” And what is our identity? Simply this: I have become a person secure in my relationship with God. Say that out loud with me: I have become a person secure in my relationship with God. I don’t have to worry any more about whether or not I’ve chosen the right God. I don’t have to worry any more about whether or not there are spiritual paths better than the Christian path. If my relationship with God is like a ladder, I’m at the top. There is no higher rung. There is no better rung. I expressed my trust in that when I was baptized. And nothing has changed. There have been no new gods to arrive on the scene since you were baptized. Jesus hasn’t lost any fullness of the deity since your baptism. That day you were baptized, you reached the top rung. You expressed your trust that Jesus, and Jesus alone, was Lord. And that day you became a person secure in your relationship with God.

Let’s move now to “Paul’s Letter to the Insecure Galatians.” The insecurity of these Christians is summarized by Paul in Gal. 2:16: So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified. (Gal. 2:16 TNIV) There are preachers in the Galatian church telling people that if they want to have a compete relationship with God they need to observe the Jewish law.  Their sermons go something like this, “You’ve come to faith in Jesus. But if you really want to belong to God, you also need to be circumcised, observe our food laws, and observe these special Jewish holidays.” And these preachers were framing the issue in terms of family. We see a hint of this in Gal. 3:7: Understand then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. (Gal. 3:7 TNIV) Abraham was the revered father-of-faith in the Old Testament. God appeared to Abraham and promised to make him into a great nation. And it was Abraham’s descendants who eventually became the twelve tribes of Israel. In Jewish thought, the ultimate spiritual badge was to belong to Abraham’s descendants, to belong to Abraham’s family. What you needed most in your spiritual life was to belong to Abraham’s family. And these preachers in Galatia were sowing seeds of uncertainty. “Just because you have faith in Jesus doesn’t mean you are a part of Abraham’s family,” they were preaching. “If you really want to belong to Abraham’s family, you need to undergo circumcision.”

Here’s the uncertainty of Galatians: am I really in the family? If the spiritual life in Colossae can be represented by a ladder, the spiritual life in Galatia can be represented by a kitchen table and chairs. This is the family table. This is where the family boundary is defined. If you have a chair at this table, you are in. If you don’t have a chair at this table, you are out. And the preachers in Galatia were saying, “Your faith in Jesus doesn’t give you a place at this table. If you really want a chair, you need to also keep the Jewish law.” They were causing Christians to wonder: am I really in the family?

We don’t face temptation today to start practicing Jewish laws. But we do still wrestle with the uncertainty found in this question: am I really in the family? Have I done enough, have I been obedient enough, to deserve a chair at God’s table? Garrison Keillor tells imaginary stories of the folks of Lake Wobegon in his books and on the weekly radio program “Prairie Home Companion.”[6] The stories often feature the Lutheran church in Lake Wobegon. Keillor once told of Larry the Sad Boy. “Larry the Sad Boy…was saved 12 times in the Lutheran church, an all time record. Between 1953 and 1961 he threw himself weeping and contrite on God’s throne of grace on 12 separate occasions—and this in a Lutheran church that wasn’t evangelical, had no altar call, no organist playing “Just as I Am Without One Plea” while a choir hummed and a guy with shiny hair took hold of your heartstrings and played you like a cheap guitar. This is the Lutheran church, not a bunch of hillbillies. These are Scandinavians, and they repent in the same way that they sin: discreetly, tastefully, at the proper time…Twelve times! Even we fundamentalists got tired of him…God did not mean for us to feel guilt all our lives. There comes a point when you should dry your tears and join the building committee and start grappling with the problems of the church furnace and…make church coffee and be of use, but Larry kept on repenting and repenting.” There are some of us for whom our life is just like Larry the Sad Boy. We live with a constant sense of guilt and uncertainty. We’re never really able to take our chair at God’s family table because we’re always afraid we’ve never done enough, we’ve sinned too much, we haven’t demonstrated our worth to sit at this table. We live with uncertainty.

And just as he did in Colossians, Paul addresses uncertainty by pointing the Galatians back to their baptism. Paul changes their uncertainty into certainty by pointing to their baptism. Here’s what Paul says happened when the Galatians were baptized: 26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Gal. 3:26-29 TNIV). The first and last verses are the most important: in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith..you are Abraham’s seed. To be “children of God” is to be in God’s family—to have a chair at this table. To be “Abraham’s seed” is to be in Abraham’s family—it’s to have a chair at this table. Paul is reminding the Galatians what happened in their baptism: they came into relationship with Jesus and Jesus made them children of God; Jesus made them Abraham’s seed; Jesus gave them a chair at this table. Here’s what Paul wants them to realize: If my relationship with God is like the ultimate family, I became family through faith. Paul writes, So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. The only things we had to “do” was to have faith that Jesus could invite us to this table. That’s it. That’s the only “work” required. Jesus did everything else. We didn’t have to go through circumcision. We didn’t have to obey Jewish food laws. All we had to do was have faith in Jesus.

And when we expressed that faith through baptism, we became clothed with Christ. To be clothed with Christ is to belong to Christ. Everything of his is now ours. And since he has a chair at this table, he is able to give us a chair. We are no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. That is we are no longer just defined by our race, our gender, or our occupation or income. We are now defined by one thing: we are in the family. That’s all that matters now. If my relationship with God is like the ultimate family, I became family through faith.

Paul is saying, “You have forgotten who you became in your baptism. You have lost your identity.” And what is our identity? Simply this: I have become a person secure in my relationship with God. God does not want us to live in a constant state of anxiety and worry that our spot at the table is in danger. The Christian way is not a way that says, “You’re place at this table will be reviewed each and every day. And if on Monday you read the Bible, you serve the poor, you tell the truth at school, and you pray for thirty minutes, you will still have a place at this table. But if on Tuesday, you don’t read the Bible, you don’t serve the poor, you entertain some unholy thoughts, and you lie to someone, your chair will be given to someone else.” Isn’t that how we sometimes feel? And Paul is saying, “You’ve forgotten who you became through your baptism.” When you expressed your faith in Jesus in baptism, Jesus made you a member of his family. And it had nothing to do with how good you were and how obedient you might be. It was all Jesus’ work. Paul is saying in language that is the strongest in the New Testament: “Don’t ever think that your place at this table has anything to do with what you do or don’t do. You got here by faith. And you stay here by faith. Remember who you’ve become in your baptism. You’ve become a person secure in your relationship with God.”

Each week in this series, I want us to make a confession and a pledge together.

Let’s say it together: I struggle with amnesia, but this week I will remember who I’ve become through my baptism. Remember that you reached the top through trust. Remember that you became family through faith. You’ve become a person secure in your relationship with God. Go and live out that identity.

And for those of you who may have never been baptized, I invite you to take that step today or this week. Enter into a new life with the God who is at the top of this ladder. And take your chair at God’s table. It’s all waiting for you. Just express your trust and your faith through baptism.