THURSDAY
In continuing our exploration of names in Scripture and how we in the church ought to remind one another of our true identity in Christ signified by the new names with which we address one another.
In the opening chapters of Revelation Jesus speaks to the church of Pergamum:
Revelation 2:17 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’
The stone and the manna represent the rewards of faithfulness to Jesus in heaven. The name written on it is unknown. In the ancient world knowing someone’s name meant you had a form of power over them so this just signifies that no other human will have power over their new identity. The name is likely referring to the name of Jesus. In Revelation 3:12 Jesus says to the church in Philadelphia that he will write on the one who conquers the name of God and Jesus’ own new name. Revelation 22:4 says of God’s servants in the new creation, “They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.” This signifies that we are given new name, a new identity, in Christ. The greatest reward is Christ himself, and when we believe in Jesus we identify with him and are given a new name. (cf. Isa. 65:15; Rev. 3:12; 19:12)
With less imagery, the Apostle Paul says something similar in 1 Corinthians 6. Here he is reminding the Corinthian Christians of their new identity and status as people of God.
1 Corinthians 6:7–11 7 To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 8 But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers! 9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve referred people to this verse in counseling. When we sin we are tempted to believe that we are the first list of things in vv. 9-10. Satan would like nothing more than to have saints believing they are the things in vv. 9-10. In the difficulties and trials of life we must constantly remind one another of who we truly are in Christ. We were those former things. But no longer! Now we are washed, sanctified, and justified, not in and of ourselves, but because we have a new name. We bear the name of Jesus. We are given a stone with his name on it. His name is written on our foreheads. We have a new name in Christ.
Reflection
How do you perceive of yourself in Christ? Do you more often perceive of yourself in your old name, your old identity, your old person and all the sin and vices that come along with it? Or do you perceive of yourself as in the name of Jesus and the holiness that comes with this new name?