Mark Driscoll, pastor of one of the fastest-growing churches in the nation, Seattle’s Mars Hill, believes many suffer from an identity crisis, which is the theme of his new book, Who Do You Think You Are? Finding Your True Identity in Christ.
Popular culture views identity issues from the aspect of psychology, mental health and concerns of self-image or self-esteem. Mark believes the real problem lies in what he calls false identity, where identity is “…defined by any number of things other than Jesus.”
The book begins with an example from the movie Memento, where the lead character searches for his wife’s killer, yet he suffers with anterograde amnesia from a blow on the head. It’s a tale of lies, manipulation and innuendo revolving around “concepts of identity and truth” that is an example of false identity.
He then explores worship and how God created worship as a dynamic aspect of humankind. We can know what we worship by what we pour our hearts, minds and souls into through our choices, values and what we spend our lives and money on. However, if we worship “things” instead of God, the “thing” we worship, where we spend our time and money, Mark considers identity idolatry.
He defines “Items, Duties, Others, Longings, Sufferings” IDOLS to illustrate:
- Items-where possessions “define your identity”
- Duties-obsessed with overachievement, over commitment
- Others-concerned with people pleasing, co-dependency, peer pressure
- Longings-living for tomorrow instead of living in today
- Sufferings-allowing what you suffer from to identify who you are
Mark explains how idols of any kind, not just those listed, lead to identity crisis, fear, anxiety and eventually blame of other people or God. However, it doesn’t have to be that way if we really understand who we are “in Christ” which is what this book is about.
Sixteen chapters explore reconciliation, adoption, victory, gifts, how we are made in God’s image and why, as children of God, it’s not “…what’s been done to you [in your life] but what Jesus has done for you.”
In How to read this book (pg. 27) he suggests prayer, a highlighter and pen for notes and a modern version of the book of Ephesians to read in conjunction with the book. He also uses one of my favorite quotes from Charles Spurgeon, “The Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone whose life is not.”
I especially liked what he wrote on page fourteen. “My prayer is that you’ll find the answer to “Who am I?” in Christ, who is the I AM.”
Well done, Pastor Driscoll!
‘Who do you Think You Are?: Finding Your True Identity in Christ’ by Mark Driscoll, Thomas Nelson, 2013, 256 Pages, Hardcover, 978-1400203857, $22.99
Back Cover Copy:
WHO ARE YOU?
WHAT DEFINES YOU?
WHAT IS YOUR IDENTITY?
How you answer those questions affects every aspect of your life: personal, public, and spiritual. So it’s vital to get the answer right.
Mark Driscoll pastors Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington, one of the fastest-growing churches in the nation. He is the author or coauthor of twelve books, including Real Marriage and Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe. Mark and his wife, Grace, have five children.
Pastor and best-selling author Mark Driscoll believes false identity is at the heart of many struggles—and that you can overcome them by having your true identity in Christ. In Who Do You Think You Are? Driscoll explores the question, “What does it mean to be ‘in Christ’?” In the process he dissects the false-identity epidemic and, more important, provides the only solution—Jesus. This is practical, applicable theology, and it is most timely and digestible.
Driscoll brings his years of pastoral care to bear on the issue of identity in Christ, blending moving testimonies with uninhibited humor and thorough Biblical scholarship. A particularly revealing reading of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is alone worth the price of admission. Yet even at his most theologically focused, Driscoll approaches this topic with clarity, all in his famously casual, funny, one-on-one style.
Who Do You Think You Are? Is a timely reminder that you are Christ’s, an encouraging examination of what that means, and a biblical case for why you should bear it in mind every time you look in the mirror.
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