But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. (Acts 19:9)
In the Bible, when people came to Jesus Christ and were serious about following Him, when they became people of the kingdom, there was no question about who they were. Those early disciples became known even among unbelievers as people of “the Way” (Acts 19:9), because they had chosen to walk a different path in life. They had identified themselves totally with Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God. They lived for the kingdom. Their identity was tied to the kingdom.
The great tragedy today is that we don’t have enough Christians who know who they are. They may be genuine believers, but their faith is just another addition to their portfolio. When it comes to the bottom line, they define themselves in terms of their name, their job, their possessions, or the people they know.
If somebody asked you who you are and nowhere in the conversation did the name of Jesus or the kingdom of God come up, you are a confused Christian. As a member of the kingdom, your identity is tied to Christ. There should be no way to talk about you and not talk about Him.
In other words, the term Christian should not just be a title. It is to be your identification, just like your name. Being a follower of Christ is the essence of who you are.
That’s why you need to understand and cultivate a kingdom mentality in all that you do. The process by which this is achieved is called spiritual growth. Often, our spiritual growth takes place through another process called discipleship—an aim Jesus commissioned all of us to do while on earth. As you grow and mature spiritually, you become more and more like Jesus.
