If you would rather read this message, the words are provided below…
This is Part 14 of my Superhero series. In the introduction of this series, I provided the argument that heroes are real and then I distinguished between heroes and superheroes. I also provided a list of what defines a superhero. In Part 1, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute standard of Good and realize that evil is a mere privation of what is good. In Part 2, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute moral standard and realize that what is wrong can only be known by the standard of what is right. In Part 3, I defined and expounded upon love because all superheroes are full of love and are compelled to act out from love. In Part 4, I explained that superheroes desire to save people from all forms of danger and/or death and this desire comes from love. In Part 5, we learned that superheroes are solution seekers. In Part 6, we saw that solution seekers are willing to sacrifice if necessary. In Part 7, we saw that sacrificial love steps forward and offers service. In Part 8, we saw that superheroes go above and beyond the call of duty. In Part 9, we saw that superheroes never give up! In Part 10, we saw that superheroes don’t need recognition – they are motivated only by love! In Part 11, we saw that relationships matter and teamwork works! In Part 12, we saw that the struggle is real; however, Jesus is the real solution to our real problems. In Part 13, we saw that despite problems, superheroes are more than conquerors!
In this message (Part 14), we will see that true superheroes do not have identity crises – they know who they are even if others don’t!
If some random citizen told Clark Kent, “Superman is an evil villain who needs to be stopped because he thinks he is an invincible god who deserves to be worshipped,” would that make the citizen’s statement true? If some random citizen told Bruce Wayne, “Batman needs to be thrown in jail because he is a superhero-‘wannabe’-vigilante-thug who encourages others to become vigilantes and that only makes it harder for the police to do their jobs”, would that make the citizen’s statement true? If a random citizen told Diana Prince, “Wonder Woman is just an extreme feminist who is only trying to emasculate men,” would that make the citizen’s statement true? Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman know who they are – even if others fail to recognize them for who they truly are.
What if a random person told others that you are a slut because you have slept around with multiple guys? Would that be true if you were actually a virgin? What if an atheist tells you that you are not a superhero because Saviors don’t exist? Would that make the atheist’s statement true? Is your identity determined by what others think about you?
What if you don’t intentionally give a false or misleading account of another person’s character, but you do it without realizing it? What if others don’t intentionally misrepresent you, but they do it without realizing it? Who or what determines identity?
First Impressions
What do you do when you first meet someone? Well, depending on whether you are a teenager or an adult, you will typically act in one of two ways:
(1) Teen Friendship only:
- Get his/her name?
- Ask what he/she likes to do?
- Find out where he/she usually hangs out?
- Do you know any of the same people?
- Find out what you have in common.
- Discern who the person is and if you want that person to be in your life.
(2) Teen Romantic interest:
- Robot mode. Judge by appearance. Scan the subject.
- Facial recognition: approved. Does not need a bag over the head.
- Body: mid-section: approved.
- Body: lower-section: there’s some junk in the trunk but that’s okay because I like big butts and I cannot lie—
- We don’t even think about who they are! They could be the most attractive serial killer you’ve ever met, but it doesn’t matter so long as you get to have sexual intercourse with that person.
(3) Adult friendship only: (Adults are typically worse than teens.)
- What’s your name? (I don’t care; I won’t remember)
- What do you do for a living? (Do I have a better career than you? Do I make more money than you? Am I better than you? Can I benefit from knowing you?)
(4) Adult romantic interest: (Adults do the same thing as teenagers.)
(5) Friendships vs. romantic relationships:
- Is it any wonder why so many friendships tend to last a long time — even a lifetime?
- Is it any wonder why so many romantic relationships end in heartache, pain, and divorce?
- When seeking friendships, we typically seek to discover the person’s identity and character (teenagers more so than adults).
- When seeking romantic relationships, however, we typically seek to find what is physically attractive and then try to force that person to become the best friend we’re hoping to find.
Identity: Known or Unknown?
“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ ‘Well,’ they replied, ‘some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.’ Then he asked them, ‘But who do you say I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being.’ ”
(Matthew 16:13-17) -NLT
Gameshow: Guess Who
Let’s play a fun game with a serious message. Get out a piece of paper and a writing utensil. Write the numbers one through eight on the paper, listing the numbers vertically, with each new number below the previous number. I am going to describe to you eight different people, one at a time. As I am describing each person to you, I want you to try to imagine what each person looks like. First, imagine whether the person is male or female. Write it down — male or female. After you assume the gender of the person, I want you to imagine the age, height, and even the weight of the person. I want you to also imagine if the person has a lot of facial hair or if the person is clean shaven. Imagine the person’s skin tone, hair color and even the eye color. Does the person have freckles? Does the person have scars? What clothing would the person be wearing? Be as specific as possible in your guess as to who this person is. If you know who the person is, simply write the name down.
IDENTITY #1
Description:
This person had a sister and a brother who both died at an early age. Not too much longer after the death of both siblings, this person’s mother also died. This person eventually became a part-owner of a store, but the business failed. This person studied law. This person eventually fell in love; however, this person’s love interest also eventually died. With only two saddlebags to hold all of this person’s possessions, this person moved to a new city to live in at the age of 28. This person eventually got into politics. This person ran for president year after year and got rejected year after year; however, this person finally got elected as the president of the United States at the age of 52.
Identity Revealed:
It was only after years of rejection and ‘failure’ that this man succeeded. That man was Abraham Lincoln.
IDENTITY #2
Description:
This person was born in 1929. This person lived in a confined space with many other people and felt as if the atmosphere was suffocating at times. At the age of only 15, this person got arrested. At the young age of 16, this person died from typhoid fever; in addition, all family members, with the exception of the father, ended up dying. But the father found this person’s diary and this diary became famous.
Identity Revealed:
The young girl named Anne Frank eventually went on to inspire millions of people despite the fact that she wasn’t even alive here on Earth. Her father (the only remaining family member) found Anne’s diary, was amazed by her maturity and character and then got it published. Anne provided wonderful insight into a dark moment of history inundated with Nazis and also showed the world that maturity can be found in youth and a hero can look like a female. She was 16 years of age! You are not too young to make a difference!
IDENTITY #3
Description:
This person was born in Australia. As a child, this person struggled mentally, emotionally, and even physically. At one point, this person considered suicide. At the age of 21, this person graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce and with a double major in accountancy and financial planning. This person is now a Christian evangelist and motivational speaker.
Identity Revealed:
This person is Nick Vujicic; he was born with tetra-amelia syndrome, a rare disorder characterized by the absence of all four limbs. Nick has encouraged, motivated and inspired millions of people simply because he overcame and never quit. Though he lives a life without limbs, his heart propels him in the right direction and helps him live a victorious life for GOD.
IDENTITY #4
Description:
This person was one of eight siblings and was also the runt of the litter. Being the smallest, this person was sent to watch over sheep rather than being in war or hunting. On one occasion, a special visitor came to the father and desired to choose one of the siblings for a special task and rare position. But on this occasion, this person was excluded from the other siblings and wasn’t even presented as a choice to the special visitor. Neither the father nor the siblings thought very much of this person.
Identity Revealed:
This person is the great David of the Bible. Even Samuel admitted he wanted to choose David’s brother over David. But GOD’s response in 1Samuel 16:6-7 informs us that GOD does not look at appearance, but looks at the heart.
IDENTITY #5
Description:
This person dressed with clothing that proclaims importance and that is because this person possesses an important title or position. This person was one of the few who comprised the ruling class in the area. This person was a successful person by human standards. However, this person eventually caused an innocent and much loved man to receive a death sentence and was later despised because of it.
Identity Revealed:
This person is one of the many Pharisees whom Jesus opposed and often rebuked. These are the people who seemed like they had it all together and were doing everything right! Though the Pharisees had the appearance of importance and right character, they lacked heart. Examine the words of Jesus regarding the Pharisees:
“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others…. Woe to you, blind guides…. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness…. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?”
(Matthew 23:1-5, 16, 27-28, 33) -ESV
IDENTITY #6
Description:
You see this person often yet you do not know this person.
Identity Revealed:
This person is ________.
This person is a part of your normal routine existence. Perhaps it’s the cashier at the grocery store, the student in your class, a co-worker, or even a homeless person you pass by on your way to work or school. If you don’t know this person, I challenge you to get to know him/her! Remember: relationships matter.
IDENTITY #7
Description:
At the age of 15, this person was noticed by an acting agent in Hollywood, California and became an actor. This person graduated high school early at the age of 16. At the age of 17, this person wrote out a suicide letter, but the suicide was prevented. At the age of 21, this person’s love interest died from a terminal illness. Also, at the age of 21, this person encountered Jesus and became a Christian. At the age of 28, this person came to a crossroad of either compromise or Christ and this person left a successful acting career in order to stay in alignment with GOD’s will. At the age of 35, this person graduated Bible College and Seminary.
Identity Revealed:
This person is… me (Trenton Gill). To know my entire testimony, see my other article, “My Testimony: from Agnosticism, to Atheism, to Christianity“
IDENTITY #8
Description:
As a baby, this person was born in a dirty place where animals typically go to eat. There never seemed to be anything remarkable about this person; in fact, this person worked an ordinary job as a typical carpenter. When this person was around 30 years of age, this person went above and beyond to love people. And yet despite this person’s great love, this person was condemned to a death sentence on false accusations and died a horrible death. People mocked this person as this person died.
Identity Revealed:
This person is Christ Jesus. Jesus — fully GOD — became fully human in order to save us from ourselves. By His great sacrificial love, our bloodstained sinful selves have been whitewashed and cleansed and we will be able to live in His presence for all eternity.
SUMMARY
When I described each person, did the physical appearance or age of the person ever make a difference as to who they ended up becoming?
(1) Think:
- Did age or gender ever define his/her character?
- Did all of their ‘current’ jobs, tasks, labels or titles ever define who they would end up becoming?
- Did their history determine their future?
(2) The heart is the start and most important part:
- From examples in this game and everyone we read about in the Bible, it is evident that what matters most is the heart. Truly, motive matters.
Game’s Over; Now What? Real Life Begins
(1) Examine yourself:
- If I were to write a description about you and share it with someone else, would that person accurately picture your physical features?
- Is the current description of you the person you want to be in the future?
- What do you care about most in life?
- What are your short-term and long-term goals?
- What are your dreams?
- Who do you want to become?
- You need to know your identity. Otherwise, people will tell you who you are and you just might believe them.
(2) Examine others:
- Are you judging someone by their appearance instead of looking at their heart?
- Do you even know enough about someone to write a description about that person’s heart?
- If you don’t know a person well enough to write a description about that person’s heart, then you don’t truly know who they are.
REAL LIFE APPLICATION
Pastor Steve Fender from Livingway Church of San Antonio, Texas shared with me one of the most amazing testimonies I’ve ever heard. After an alter call at one of Steve’s services, a man by the name of Ernest had asked Steve to talk to him and pray with him. Eventually, Ernest confessed to being a Mexican mafia hitman and that he had killed a lot of people. Ernest asked if GOD would still accept him because of all the murders he had committed and Steve told Ernest that no one is too far gone to be saved so long as they repent and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. Pastor Steve asked Ernest to lift up his hands in surrender to GOD; Ernest told Steve that he would, but only if Steve would hold his shirt down so that no one would see his gun while his arms were up. Ernest — a hitman with a loaded gun in church service — gave his life to Christ that day and eventually led many other people to Christ. One day, Ernest was shot while walking the streets. When pastor Steve arrived at the scene, Ernest was face down on the ground, already dead. In Ernest’s hand appeared to be a gun; however, it was a copy of the New Testament. The world labeled Ernest as a murderer; Ernest even proclaimed himself to be a murderer at one point; however, Ernest was made new in Christ (2Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:22-24) and was called to be a preacher. Ernest’s title of ‘hitman’ was not his true identity. And once Ernest realized his real identity as a child of GOD, he received his true calling and his true title. Repentance and faith bring salvation. Despite his past, Ernest was a preacher and that is how we should remember him.
Identity Known
In Acts 19:13-16, a group of Jews tried to cast out evil spirits “by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims,” but were unsuccessful. These Jews traveled from town to town making a living by claiming to heal people and drive out demons. Often they would recite a whole list of names in their incantation to be sure of including the right deity. Here they were trying to use Jesus’ name in an effort to match Paul’s effectiveness by the power of Jesus. But the men didn’t know Jesus and they only knew of Paul. The power to change people comes only from the Holy Spirit.
“But the evil spirit answered them, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?’ ”
(Acts 19:15) -ESV
Unlike the Jews who were unsuccessful in casting out the evil spirits, we possess the power and can respond rightly: “Of course you know Jesus! And you may not recognize me right now as you recognize Paul, but you most certainly will! You only ask who I am because you’re hoping I don’t know my identity! But I know who I am! Who am I? I’ll tell you who I am – I’m a child of GOD! He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world (1John 4:4)! The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in me (Romans 8:11)! I am an ambassador of the Holy One, a representative of the Righteous League! I know who I am and I know who you are! In the name of Jesus, I cast demons out! I act on the authority of the King of kings! You know who I am! I am saved by the Savior and now I’m a superhero for the Savior! I am more than a conqueror in Christ (Romans 8:37)! I am a child of GOD! I speak in the name of Jesus! Now obey GOD’s will – depart, demon! And may the Lord be lifted on high! Praise the Lord! I defy you demon! Now depart (James 4:7)!”
Our true identity can only be known in Jesus. Jesus is GOD; GOD is the Creator; GOD created us in His image (Genesis 1:26-27). Who are you? You are a child of GOD. Every child of GOD should be a superhero who accurately reflects the love of Christ.
When a person believes and accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior, that person is sealed by the Holy Spirit, who guarantees our salvation. Revelation 6:17 asks an important question: Who is able to stand at the End of Days? Of course, everyone will stand — they will stand in front of the great white throne of judgment (Revelation 20:12-14). But GOD marks His children to be saved (Revelation 7:3; 9:4). This seal of GOD is confirmation that we have been examined and inspected. Once inspected, we are approved and then sealed for security purposes, protected from tampering, and authorized by the King (Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; 2Corinthians 1:21-22). A seal can represent a finished transaction (Jeremiah 32:9-10; John 17:4; 19:30); it can represent ownership (Jeremiah 32:11-12; 2Timothy 2:19); it showcases security (Esther 8:8; Daniel 6:17). The Lord knows who is sealed for protection; the Lord knows His children (Exodus 12:1-13; Ezekiel 9:4).
Our true identity is only known in our Creator because the Creator identified us as His own:
| Romans 3:24 | We are justified (declared “righteous”). |
| Romans 8:1 | No condemnation awaits us. |
| Romans 8:2 | We are set free from the power of sin that leads to death. |
| 1Corinthians 1:2 | We are sanctified (made holy) in Christ Jesus. |
| 1Corinthians 15:22 | We will be given new life at the resurrection. |
| 2Corinthians 5:17 | We are new persons. |
| 2Corinthians 5:21 | We are made right with GOD. |
| Galatians 3:28 | We are one in Christ with all other believers. |
| Ephesians 1:3 | We are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ. |
| Ephesians 1:4 | We are holy and without fault. |
| Ephesians 1:5-6 | We are adopted as GOD’s children. |
| Ephesians 1:7 | Our sins are taken away, and we are forgiven. |
| Ephesians 1:10-11 | We will be brought under Christ’s authority. |
| Ephesians 1:13 | We are identified as belonging to GOD by the Holy Spirit. |
| Ephesians 2:6 | We have been raised up to sit with Christ in the heavenly realms. |
| Ephesians 2:10 | We are GOD’s masterpiece. |
| Ephesians 2:13 | We have been brought near to GOD. |
| Ephesians 3:6 | We share in the promise of blessings through Christ. |
| Ephesians 3:12 | We can come boldly and confidently into GOD’s presence. |
| Ephesians 5:29-30 | We are members of Christ’s body, the church. |
| Colossians 2:10 | We are made complete in Christ. |
| Colossians 2:11 | We are set free from our sinful nature. |
| 2Timothy 2:10 | We will have eternal glory. |
Our Lives Before and After Christ:
|
BEFORE |
AFTER |
| Dead because of sin | Made alive with Christ |
| Under GOD’s wrath | Shown GOD’s mercy and grace through salvation |
| Followed the ways of the world | Stand for Christ and Truth |
| GOD’s enemies | GOD’s children |
| Enslaved to the devil | Free in Christ to love, service, and sit with Him |
| Followed our evil thoughts and desires | Raised up with Christ to glory |
CALL TO ACTION:
- Perhaps you genuinely desire to have a relationship with GOD, but you are guilty of judging people by their appearance. If that’s you, repent and ask GOD to help you see people in the loving way He sees them.
- Perhaps you don’t judge people by their appearance and assume the worst of them, but you do distance yourself from people who seem questionable. If that’s you, ask GOD to cast out fear and to fill you with the love and courage necessary to go introduce yourself to those people. You just might introduce yourself to someone who needs love the most.
- Perhaps you view yourself as the person who has only been judged by his/her appearance. Is it possible that you’ve closed yourself off and have prevented people from establishing relationships with you because you’re afraid of getting hurt? If that’s you, I challenge you to open yourself up again and allow people to get to know who you truly are. If possible, link up with someone else and then together go introduce yourselves to someone else.
- Perhaps you just found yourself here but you’re not a committed follower of Christ. If that’s you, perhaps it’s time to get to know the One who died for you. Perhaps it’s time to get to know the GOD who desires to have a relationship with the person He created. GOD created you for a purpose. If you want to discover that purpose and know more, let that request be known to GOD; seek GOD in prayer.
Conclusion
We are all given different abilities and are called to different tasks at different times; however, every Christian is called to be a superhero. If you’re a Christian, you should also be a superhero. It’s time to step out of our comfort zones and step into the battlefield to fulfill our calling.
Quest For Truth 
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