Census

Today, UK residents are returning census forms. This brings issues: how to summarise the work of a minister; whether to admit a 'religious' affiliation; whether to describe myself as British, Northern Irish, or both; and whether all the data will be left on a train by a government official, and sold to direct mailing companies by someone enterprising, for the next 50 years. 

But more importantly, overall, it raises the question of what information the government sees as key to understanding the residents of the kingdom. So I wanted to provide them with a Question and answer for the Q17 (intriguingly blank on the form) - this would sum things up far better than the answers I've filled in: 

Q. What is your only comfort? (Now wouldn't that be a fantastic census form question?)

A. (Mine, anyway.) That I, with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ; who, with his precious blood, has fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; yes, that all things must be serve my salvation, and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, from now on, to live for him. [Heidelberg Q&A1].

(Sure, I'll pay to Caesar what's Caesar's, but they have my tax info already, and make regular use of it.)

Mirror, Mirror

Graham Beynon's Mirror, Mirror (IVP, 2008) is excellent. Who are you? What do you think of yourself? You're a sinner and it's wrong to focus on yourself? You're in Christ so you must be worth a lot? The fact is, how you think of yourself will shape how you act. And often as Christians we can be confused about how we should think of ourselves. Good self-image? Or is self-image bad? As for the world around, it's a constant mirror giving us reflections by which to judge ourselves. Graham so helpfully navigates this by showing us through the one mirror of Truth - God's word. As the cover blurb says, "The world tells us that we need a good self-image. The Bible tells us that we need a right self-image."

Originally Graham prepared this material for Christian students in Midlands CUs, and he's continued to apply it pastorally in his church. The book bears these marks with its clarity of writing and practical help - including questions for reflection or discussion so it could be helpfully worked through with Christian friends or in church small groups. Not just for those who're confused or lacking confidence on the issue of self-image and identity - this book is an accessible guide for all Christians to know Biblically who we are and the practical implications.

'My' identity is Christ

I must 'choose an identity'? Fine then - I will choose the Identity in which I was chosen before the first keys were struck to write the script of blogger, and before the first words were spoken to create this world, or me. I will choose the Identity with which I was identified when He lived, died and rose again 2000 years ago. I will choose this identity because He first chose me. I will choose this Identity not just today, to put aside tomorrow: this Identity has consumed my past and replaced it with His own. How can a dead person blog? You ask me to choose an identity - but it is no longer I who blog: I have died with this Identity, and the blog I now blog I blog by trusting in Him, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Crass? But you asked me to choose an identity. God has identified me with Christ. Nothing more is needful.

For much more wonderful stuff on the reality of being identified with Christ, united with Him, found in Him, such that, "The determining factor of my existence is no longer my past. It is Christ's past," see Union with Christ, by Michael Horton. I was in Philippians at the weekend with Aston CU, and this beat doesn't let up throughout the letter: in Christ, in the Lord, in Christ, in the Lord,... And thus such a key antidote to our natural inclination to look inside ourselves for salvation. Our passion, our worship, our evangelism, our ability, our Quiet Times, our church, our faith: worthless. Worthless for righteousness within ourselves. That I may gain Christ, and be found in Him, not having a righteousness which comes by law but that which is by faith in Christ Jesus, the righteousness from God that depends on faith...