Identity, from a cultural and personal standpoint, is more than just who we are as a person. It’s not just how we would describe ourselves (i.e. ethnicity, personality traits, Eneagram number (oops did I say that), or relational status). Identity is where we derive our value from. Our identity is how we determine our value, worth, and standing in the eyes of others. That may include the aforementioned examples, but it does so through the lens of how those descriptors either contribute to or detract from the value we possess to our culture. We look to identify ourselves based on political affiliations, ethnicity, monetary status, job titles, relational status, education levels, age group, type of mobile device we carry, etc. all in an attempt to justify our existence and know where we stand in the cultural value system we all tend to ascribe to.

The reason it is important to understand that truth is because when we assign value, or status, to those things we inherently moralize them and subtly create a hierarchical standing in our minds around who is more or less valuable than others. This moralization, by definition, leads to divisiveness, dehumanizing, and villainizing of others because in order to maintain the value we  have assigned to one group means we have to simultaneously devalue another group, and because that group wants to maintain their value as well, they fight back by villainizing and dehumanizing the first group.

The Greek word for “put on” literally means to be clothed in, to sink into a garment. It is painting the picture that when someone looks at you all that see is the thing you have covered yourself with. In the same way we, today, put on designer jeans, name brand shoes and shirts in an attempt to look good for others, to gain the compliments about what we are wearing, to solicit the question of, “I love that, Where did you get it?” There is nothing inherently wrong with wanting to look good for others, but this is the concept Paul is giving us here. He is saying in the same way that some will put on a new tunic, or clothe themselves in fancy garments in an attempt to be seen and complimented by others, so we, as followers of Christ, should seek to put on Christ so that when others see us they don’s see the cultural status by which we gain cultural value, but instead they should the love and heart of Christ and see His surpassing value compared to every other identity the world tries to label us with.

This approach to our identity is the only way we can walk in true unity and love for one another. Our identity in Chris is the only identity that does not point to some perceived value we bring to the table. Instead, it points to the surpassing value of Christ who has brought us to the table by His grace and mercy, not based on anything we have done, but only on what he has done for us. This means we are all on equal level as sinners in need of God’s grace. Therefore, we do not need to gain approval from others because there is not greater approval than the King of the Universe telling us He loves us and accepts us in the midst of all our shortcomings and failures. When we realize that, then, and only then, can we truly love others unconditionally, expecting nothing in return.