Remember Who You Are

by Micky Galloway

As I was growing up in Kentucky I was told often when I left the house to go out with the guys or to go out on a date … “Remember who you are.” It is important that we remember who WE are and the life we are trying to live as we are faced with trials and temptations. None are immune to temptations. Sin is universal (Romans 3:23) among the great and the small and of course that means that temptation abounds everywhere. As David lamented over the death of King Saul and his son, Jonathan, he said, “Thy glory, O Israel, is slain upon thy high places! How are the mighty fallen” (II Samuel 1:19)! All must remember who we are!

In Deuteronomy 14:1-2 Moses told the people of Israel who they were and how God had signified them as a peculiar people with three distinguishing privileges. They were adopted. “Ye are the children of the Lord your God.” Secondly, they were sanctified or set apart. “Thou are a holy people unto the Lord your God.” Thirdly, they were elected. “The Lord hath chosen thee.”

They were to distinguish themselves by a sober singularity and separation from all nations about them, but this they did not do. After Israel settled into the land of Canaan they became rich and well fed and “waxed fat” and then “he forsook God who made him…” (Deuteronomy 32:15). Israel as a nation had forgotten who they were. Why?

They lost their desire to please God and cultivated the desire to be like the other nations. For this reason they asked Samuel for a king that he might “judge us and go out before us and fight our battles” (II Samuel 8:19-20). Many among God’s people today have compromised with the world about us, forgetting that we too must remember who we are and the life we are trying to live. This will make us to be a peculiar people. “Ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ … But ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for (God’s) own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (I Peter 2:5-9). Indeed, we live in this world, but we must be constant in our efforts to never become like the world (Romans 12:1-2). Today in the body of Christ there are those who, like ancient Israel, are not satisfied with God’s will. It is their desire to be like others around us. Consequently, various innovations, missionary societies, benevolent societies and recreational endeavors and other evidences of the social gospel have been attached to the church. Thus the sad story of division began to be written. Why? We have forgotten who we are and want to be like the nations about us.

Israel also lacked knowledge. Hosea said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). Their lack of knowledge of God’s word was so great during the reign of Josiah there was a time when the “book of the law” was lost in the house of the Lord (II Kings 22:8, 13). What a terrible thing for God’s word to be lost for so long that its message was lost from the hearts of the people in forgetfulness. During this time sin became so rampant that their rebellion and idolatry brought them into exile. What a pity. There is a great lack of knowledge among God’s people today. The evidence is abounding with strange sounds being advanced on issues that were clearly understood a generation ago. Why such lack of knowledge? Someone answers, “We do not study as we should” (cf II Timothy 2:15). Certainly, this is true, but perhaps we are not teaching as we should (cf Deuteronomy 6:6ff). Parents, Bible class teachers, preachers, elders and all of us must realize our time to teach is precious and the consequences of our failure is tragic. It is hard to “remember who you are” and “the life you are trying to live” without proper and thorough teaching.

Israel also forgot who they were because of indifference. Jeremiah stated, “Cursed be he that doeth the work of Jehovah negligently” (Jeremiah 48:10). The church in many places today stands in great danger of losing her peculiarity because of the tendency toward indifference. What could be more dangerous than a “don’t care” attitude and what could be more nauseating unto the Lord (Revelation 3:15-16)? Many are caught up in things that are not wrong in themselves, but things that, none the less, hinder their service to God. Such things as buying oxen, a piece of land or marrying a wife (cf Luke 14:15ff), may not be specifically wrong, but if our priorities are not right, these simple things can cause us to forget who we are. When we become too busy even with honorable things to serve God, we are too busy! Perhaps this indifference is illustrated most in our attitude toward the lost. The wisdom writer said, “He that is wise winneth souls” (Proverbs 11:30). Such conditions of indifference will cause our ultimate destruction.

May the Lord help us that we may not lose our peculiarity as Israel did. There is no middle ground for we are with the Lord or we are against Him (Matthew 12:30). We cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). “Wherefore Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you, And will be to you a Father, And ye shall be to me sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (II Corinthians 6:17-18). May we never forget who we are, for we are the children of God!