I John 1:5-6
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
Identity theft is one of the most invasive and aggravating of white collar crimes. Someone takes your name and does things that you would never do, purchasing things in your name that you would never buy, and committing crimes in your name, sullying your name. I wonder if Jesus Christ feels like a victim of identity theft sometimes. In the first century, John wrote against people who called themselves Christian, taking his name and doing things he would never do. The most egregious crime, according to John, in this identity theft is claiming to be in the light while walking in darkness. The way they did this is bluntly stated in verse 9,
9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.
Identity theft recently has become one of the fastest growing crimes in the world. Again, I wonder if it isn’t the fastest growing crime in the church. So many people in America go by the name of Christian while hating their brother. This is something Jesus would never do. We need to practice the right kind of identity theft.
We are able to call ourselves by his name by calling ourselves Christian. We are able to inherit the blessings of the Son of God just by believing in him. We can do things in his name that we cannot do with our old name. We can talk to the Father in his name. We are able to walk in his Light because…
He is our new identity.