In my humble opinion, I believe there’s an attack on identity like never before. It may be more prominent in the United States, but I believe it’s world-wide. It’s an outright attack on people made in the image of God.
For example, June is recognized as PRIDE month. First instituted by President Clinton in 1999 in response to riots in 1969, later presidents gave more recognition to it through federal proclamations. On the surface, this seems harmless or even compassionate towards a certain group of people. But for every natural problem, there’s a parallel spiritual problem and answer.
I am reminded of an instance in scripture where Jesus showed us how to respond correctly to issues. In Matthew 9, Jesus “went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people” (verse 35). Jesus preached the “gospel” to the people. To understand this, we have to understand it has four parts: God’s creation of mankind, Satan’s deception, Jesus and His substitution, and man’s restoration.
This is what Jesus preached everywhere He went.
“But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered like sheep having no shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). Jesus saw the broken condition of people and had a desire to make things right. The word “compassion” means to yearn for in the deepest part of your being. The people were sad, tired, weary, broken, confused, and lost. Jesus SAW them and had compassion. He didn’t celebrate or judge their brokenness. Instead He prayed.
“The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” And when He had called twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease (Matthew 9:37-38, 10:1).
It’s important to note the first thing Jesus did was empower His disciples to recognize and take authority over unclean spirits. The Greek Study Bible says, “Unclean is applied to the devils who are frequently called such because, having lost their original purity, they are become unclean themselves and through their solicitations have polluted mankind with all uncleanness and every abomination which the Lord hates.”
Let me say it simply: the Gospel message acknowledges man was made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26) and there is a devil (the enemy of God). He despised God’s creation and deceived them (Genesis 3). Sin entered the world and polluted it with uncleanness. To better understand the depth of what Satan caused, listen to the Spirit of God on the Apostle Paul when he spoke strongly to an unclean spirit: “O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?” (Acts 13:10).
The mission of Jesus was to save and set things right again. “For God made Him who knew no sin to become sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). In other words, Jesus came to restore mankind to their ORIGINAL design. God said, “Let us make man in Our image, according to our likeness; let them have dominion.. on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them… Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good…” (Genesis 1:26-27, 31).
There were no alternate identities in God’s original design. The enemy of God, Satan, has perverted and deceived people into believing lies about their identity. And I have no doubt, Jesus is still looking out at humanity and is moved with compassion for ALL who are confused, lost, and struggling. And our mandate is to PRAY and move in the same compassion as Jesus, “…speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15).
If you have family in alternate lifestyles (as I do), pray, pray, pray for them. Pray (1) that they’ll know how greatly loved they are, by you and God; (2) that they’ll have a radical encounter with Jesus (not religion); and (3) that the eyes of their understanding will open and they’ll see themselves through the lens of God’s Son.
I decided to boldly make June “Identity Month.” I don’t need a presidential proclamation. I want people everywhere to see themselves in Christ– as the righteousness of God in Christ. Jesus came “to seek and to save [and restore] that which was lost” (Luke 10:19). I can’t water that down. I was lost and was found. I was broken and was restored. His mission must be mine too.
