Good thing I had plenty of sleep Saturday night as Sunday rolled around into a big theological message from Pastor Donovan on the essence of Who I Am. In reality a very deep subject but I was alive and listening but my note taking skills were suffering.

Most of us struggle with an identity that is less than favorable.  Sin in our own lives has a major impact on how we view ourselves. As result, the consequences of sin have become part of our identity. In other words we often times view ourselves as a failing person due to sin that we have in our lives or even past transgressions that impact us negatively. So Donovan says, “ok what do we do about it?” Today, I am going to use the Good News Translation since it seems to work in the message.

Jesus has this interesting conversation in the Book of John with a brilliant man, Nicodemus. John 3:3 Jesus answered, “I am telling you the truth: no one can see the Kingdom of God without being born again.” Nicodemus has some doubts and he questions this idea in verse 4. “How can a grown man be born again?” Nicodemus asked. “He certainly cannot enter his mother’s womb and be born a second time!”  In verse 5 Jesus answered, “I am telling you the truth: no one can see the Kingdom of God without being born again.”

We have a physical birth and a spiritual birth. The Holy Spirit makes us spiritually alive. Donovan referred to this as the Doctrine of Regeneration. In Corinthians 5:17-18 Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come. All this is done by God, who through Christ changed us from enemies into his friends and gave us the task of making others his friends also.

One should note that it does not say this is some ongoing process but rather it is instantaneous. It is out with the old and in with the new. We should have a new purpose and new desires. This regeneration is in fact sanctification. It is like being born and then growing up. (sanctification) Reaching spiritual maturity. I suppose that more will follow as it is truly difficult to write about this idea of sanctification without losing not only you but losing me in the discussion process.

In closing, I would urge all to consider the fact that we are new creatures in Christ and we should have new desires then our old sinful desires of past days. Surely a heavy thought but that is the way it goes. So Who I Am leads me to a song that may have not been originally written as a faith-based song but for me I find great meaning in the song if I look at it as a spiritual song. Who Are You as sung by Carrie Underwood. As always, enjoy.

Who are you,
The one for whom I’d really gladly suffer
Who are you,
The one I’ll always love above another
You’re my world, you’re my hope,
You’re all my dreams and all my heart
[Chorus]
Who are you,
The one I'd give my life to
Who are you,
That loves as deep as I do
Who are you,
Who takes me through the flood and through the fire
Who are you,
Who leads me through the desert and the dry
You’re in my thoughts, you know my mind
You are my fate, you are my light
[Chorus]
Who are you
The one I'd give my life to
Who are you,
That loves as deep as I do
[Bridge]
You’re my savior, you’re my center
My beginning and my end
The one I live for, you’re my angel
Who are you
You’re in my thoughts (in my thoughts)
You know my mind (you know my mind)
You are my fate, you are my light
[Outro]
Who are you
The one I'd give my life to
Who are you,
That loves as deep as I do
Who are you
You fell on me like fire
Who are you,
Who chained me to desire
Who are you,
You're the one I gave my life to.