Identity Theft

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(iMac / Affinity Photo / image from gov.uk used as illustration only)

Jesus in the Bible said this:

“A thief (the devil) has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect —life in its fullness until you overflow!”John 10.10 (The Passion Translation)

True Story

Someone known to me once had their identity stolen. This meant a criminal had found out about them and then lied, pretending to be them. When this person tried to prove their real identity to the bank, this other fraudster said they were lying. It took months for them to prove they were the real person, meaning they couldn’t get access to their bank account.

But identity theft is nothing new. The devil has been doing this for thousands of years.

The Net (old skool movie!)

Back in 1995 (yes the internet was around then!), there was a movie called ‘The Net’ released about the theft of a woman’s identity. Watch the clip and be amazed at the old skool graphics, disk drives and computers!

Direct link (active August 2020) – https://youtu.be/CHd7Z0CITP0

Your Identity

  • Who are you?
  • Who do you think you are?
  • Who do other people say you are?
  • Who does God say you are?

The truth is that in the world, the devil is very busy twisting and tricking and lying to people about their identity. Just like in Genesis 3, he gets people to doubt that God is good and that God is for us and not against us. The devil pretends that God is trying to control us and that we need to be free from God. Because people don’t know what to believe (or don’t even want to believe in God), they start to find their identity in all kinds of places and in loads of things that will never satisfy them or bring them real joy on the inside.

What did Jesus say about the devil?

“He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”John 8.44

Maybe you feel like you’ve had your identity stolen through bad things in life or through things that have been said. Maybe you’ve had a hard life or even that you think you’ve done too much that is bad. Or maybe you’ve got caught up in lifestyles that are against God’s best and don’t know who you are. Or maybe you just need a reminder of what God says…

Finding our Identity in God

  1. God is our creator and knows us inside out
  2. God loves you and made you unique
  3. God paid the highest price for you
  4. God has a good plan for your life that you find as you trust Him
  5. God the Father calls you family

1. God is our creator and knows us inside out

I once made a little wooden boat. Having carved it out, I added a mast and a sail and then painted it. Some of the parts could be taken apart and then put back together. I knew that little boat well because I made it. God feels the same way about you and me. He made us (the Bible says God is into ‘knitting’ in Psalm 139, saying he ‘knitted us together’, weaving a complex pattern of bones, skin, blood and incredibly complex DNA that science can’t fully understand). So God knows you, made you and this should give you value. You’re not just anyone – you are a daughter or a son of Royalty (God).