Our Eschatological Identity:

As we begin to grow in our identity, we begin to start to differentiate between what goes on around us and who we are. We stop taking circumstances as the definition of who we are or who God is and begin to learn to see our circumstance as an opportunity to demonstrate who God is and who we are instead.

The truth is that many of us look to our circumstances to see who God is far more than we care to admit. Letting our circumstances define the nature of God is always betrayed by asking the question “Why this, God?” or “Why me, God?” Whenever we cross the bridge to the question “why,” we’ve let the circumstances define who God is.

This process is actually a major theme of the book of Job. The question underlying the book of Job is found in some of its first verses:

And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put both a hedge around him and his house and al that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has and he will curse you to your face.” Job 1:8-11

The dialogue between God and Satan basically amounts to Satan asserting that Job only thinks God is good because the circumstances of his life have been good, and that if his circumstances go poorly, he won’t think God is good anymore. The question the reader is asking throughout the whole book of Job is whether Job has the ability to keep believing in God’s goodness regardless of his life situation.

Likewise, as the Lord shapes our identity within us, we have a deeper and fuller understanding of the truth that has been spoken about us. That understanding starts to sink down into the deep places in us, and our confidence in that truth begins to grow. In that process, our perspective starts to shift, and we begin to understand that our circumstances are the stage on which we can demonstrate the reality of our relationship with God. Either you look to the circumstances to define to you who God is, or you look at your circumstances as an opportunity to illustrate who God is to you. The latter is faith in action.

The truth is that our identity has already been established. There isn’t any question of who we’ll become:
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. Romans 8:28-29

...even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will. Ephesians 1:4-5

Notice both of these passages talk about us being predestined to become sons. God has already set forth for you a destiny, and that destiny is to grow into an identity as a son of God. Because of that, we can trust that all things in our life will work towards that. Whether they are good or bad, we have an identity that is our destiny, which cannot be derailed.
In a sense, then, who we are is a picture much like the picture discussed when we talked about The Kingdom of God. There is an eschatological identity that God has already established in front of us, and that identity is breaking into the present and establishing our current identity. Our identity is both in the now and what is to come! It is a Glorious Inheritance that has been purchased for us by Christ Jesus.

This is one of the great promises of the New Testament. Every promise for us is already ours in Christ, but not only that, they have growing momentum!

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in Him it is always Yes. For all the promises of God and their Yes in Him. That is why it is through Him that we utter our Amen to God for His glory. And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put His seal on us and given us His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. 2 Corinthians 1:19-22