Who are you and why does your life matter? These two piercing questions get to the heart of your identity. Our society in the West has increasingly embraced an internally discovered identity on the basis of individual passions. Such expressive individualism is exciting to live out, especially if those around you push back, however, the resulting identity is both fragile and abrasive. In contrast, the Christian identity begins with a surrender and an acceptance of who God says you are. This received identity is both more durable and more loving.
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This is part 11 of the Why Christianity class.
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—— Notes ——
Identity
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Sense of self—who are you and your understanding of yourself in relation to your family, friends, society, and the world.
Sense of worth—your assessment of your personal value in life.
Individualism
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Expressive Individualism—a desire to pursue one’s own path but also a yearning for fulfillment through the definition and articulation of one’s own identity. It is a drive both to be more like whatever you already are and also to live in society by fully asserting who you are.
• You be you; Be true to yourself
• Follow your heart; Find yourself
Christian Identity
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Not outward or inward, but upward.
Grounded in the immutability, the unconditional love, and the faithfulness of God.
A secure sense of worth and value that is not dependent upon anything but God alone.
Another good one
398 — is the text to this podcast available?
Disagree with some of the points made here… if you don’t conform to the vision of what your community thinks a Christian should be (i.e. conservative, republican, stereotypical of your gender, don’t have the exact same views on everything in the Bible, etc) they will not consider you a “true” Christian. People are expected to fall in line with the majority to fit in. Part of why I left the church is I realized I was a project to other Christians, not a person. I didn’t fit the preconceived mold.
Everyone’s identity changes throughout life – child, adult, full time worker, mom/dad, on and on… it’s never really a set thing for life.
Hi Kim,
What you’re seemingly talking about is human sectarianism. You can leave that- but don’t leave Jesus..