Identity Theft

Have you ever been the recipient of Identity theft? I think it has always been around, but with the coming of the computer age, it now seems common-place.  People find out about you, and gather as much information as they can, then assume your identity.  They take out credit cards in your name, with their addresses, and charge up large amounts on them.  They have been the cause of many having to go through trials to try to clear their name. The very idea that someone wants to steal my identity, to become me, makes me wonder if they would become a believer. After all, aren’t we, as believers, assuming the identity of another?  We identify ourselves as “Christian” rather than who we were before we accepted the identity of Christ.  Aren’t we asking people to assume another’s identity when we testify before them.  The Apostle Paul testified before the new governor of Caesarea, Festus. King Herod Agrippa came to Caesarea with his sister Bernice, and Paul testified before him also.  When he was making his defense in front of King Agrippa, Festus shouted that he thought Paul was out of his mind. King Agrippa wanted to know if Paul was trying to persuade him to become a Christian. Here is what Paul said to him: “I wish before God, replied Paul, that whether easily or with difficulty, not only you but all who listen to me today might become as I am – except for these chains. So the king, the governor, Bernice, and those sitting with them got up, and when they had left they talked with each other and said, ‘This man is doing nothing that deserves death or chains.'” Acts 26:29-31  It is against the law to steal another’s identity, but as believers, we try to encourage others to become as we are; we try to encourage others, to change identities, that will not produce destruction for another, but will provide eternal security for the one taking on the identity of the Savior. People might be able to take your name and use it, but can they steal your heart? Can they steal the very character of the believer? No, because they cannot steal what is offered free. As Peter would say to the beggar, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!  Acts 3:6 Let’s make it hard for people to get our personal information, but let’s make sure we make it easy, for them to get that which we have, that we are willing to give. Let’s make sure that Jesus is so evident in us, that others can see our identity, and that identity be Christ in us.