The Calling of God

Spiritual Identity

They sent priests and Levites to John the Baptist and asked him, "Who are you? What do you say about yourself?" He replied, "I am not the Christ." "What then?" they asked him. "Are you Elijah?" He said, "No." Then he said, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness..." (John 1:18-23).

Friend, if you were in his shoes, what would your reply be?

Notice, that John didn't say, "Well, I am John the Baptist, son of Zechariah the priest, of the course of Abia." It is important to note the kind of identity they were seeking. They were not after the physical identity of the man but his spiritual identity. Do you know you have a spiritual identity? Paul said, "...we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office" (Rom. 12:4). "All members," not "some," do not have the same office. Your spiritual identity is your unique office in the body of Christ. That’s what they were asking John. And he wasn’t guessing—he knew exactly who he was and what he was meant to do.

This was the same question Jesus asked His disciples: "Whom say ye that I am?" And Simon Peter answered, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matt. 16:16-18). John the Baptist said, "I am not the Christ." He did not occupy the office or spiritual identity known as "the Christ." Instead, he said, "I am the voice of one crying..." However, Peter was able to identify that this “office” or spiritual identity belonged to Jesus.

Notice in verse 17, Jesus said, "...flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." This means our spiritual identity cannot be revealed by our mental prowess; it cannot be known by tracing our earthly background. The same was true for John the Baptist—the Spirit of God was the one who unveiled his spiritual identity to him. Friend, who are you? What do you say about yourself? The question of your spiritual identity can only be answered by the Spirit of God. God wants to use this moment to help you understand the concept of spiritual identity—how it came, where to find it, and how to discover yours.

I pray you won't leave this earth without answering this vital question: "Who am I?"

Created By Words

Friend, you can't truly understand the concept of spiritual identity as it relates to calling until you realize that God's principal tool for creation is His Word. Colossians 1:16 says, "For by Him—the Word—were all things created..." I've always said that there are two types of things: spiritual/invisible things and physical/visible things. The human spirit falls into the category of spiritual and invisible things. Therefore, it was created by the Word. The Apostle Peter, speaking about the new creation, said, "Being born again...by the word of God..." (1 Pet. 1:23). Many agree with this, but very few grasp the fact that certain words were spoken by God before our new creation spirit was formed.

Being born again or created by the Word simply means that God spoke words in order to create your spirit man. Did you know that you are the workmanship of God? (Eph. 2:10). But unlike wood-carved workmanship and the like, God didn't create your spirit with His hands but rather with His words. He spoke you and me into being. God is the Father of spirits (Heb. 12:9), but unlike man who mates to give birth, God speaks to give birth. If He thinks of a new son today, He thinks of words to say. I know what you're thinking: "What did God say when He created my spirit?" "What words were used to form me?" Knowing this is key! Jeremiah 1:5 says, "Before I formed thee in the belly"—that is, before I created your physical body—"I knew thee...and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." Notice, that before the body was even formed, God had destined his spirit to be a prophet. Now He must create that spirit to be a prophet. Just as it takes certain materials to make a book or a phone, it also takes certain words to create a prophet or any other office.

Now, the procedure or act of speaking certain words to create or form a spirit is what is referred to as "calling." Calling is what God said when He created you; it is what He said when He called you into being. Don't forget that—you were created by words.

Call and Calling

In the first part of this letter, we saw that the question of our spiritual identity can only be answered by the Spirit of God. Jesus said, "Flesh and blood have not revealed this unto you," so it takes divine revelation to know your spiritual identity. But the key to knowing your spiritual identity is discovering your call. Many have misunderstood the meaning of "calling."

There are two separate Greek words used for "call" and "calling": kaleō and klēsis, respectively. Kaleō has a variety of meanings and is used in various ways in the Bible. Among others, it means to "designate or give a name," while klēsis simply means a "vocation" or "work."

I define "calling" as what God said when He created you. Remember, men mate to give birth, but God speaks to give birth. The act of God speaking to give birth to a human spirit is what I refer to as "call," meaning God, by His Word, designating or giving a name. Your spiritual identity is your name in the spirit. It is what God called you when He created your spirit. The spirit of man is made in the image and likeness of God, and surprisingly, God has many names. Each name gives us an idea of His job description or what He does. "Elohim"—our Creator, "Raphah"—our Healer, "El Shaddai"—our Provider, "Jesus" or "Yeshua"—our Savior. His name is a revelation of who He is in the spirit. The same is true for you and me! Your name or spiritual identity is a revelation of who you are in the spirit.

Notice, that when God calls, He creates, and Romans 8:28 says, "All things work together for good to them...who are the CALLED according to [His] purpose." That means we were created or named according to purpose. No wonder the call gives a pointer to our calling or vocation in Christ. Friend, you have a spiritual identity—it is your name in the Spirit. It was given to you when God called or created you!

Spiritual DNA

Friend, one of the most misguided questions any believer can ask is, "Am I called?" Why? Because if you weren't called, you wouldn't be here in the first place. To call means to create, and everyone that is created is called. However, it is wise to ask, "What did God say when He created me?" You see, it's important that you know. The combination of all the words spoken by God to form a born-again spirit is what I call spiritual DNA.

In the natural world, a person's DNA determines how they look. DNA consists of written codes that give an animal or plant its physiological traits and characteristics. The same is true for the born-again spirit. However, the Word of God is the spiritual DNA of a believer. Just as there is a similarity in the natural DNA of humans or a particular species, there is a similarity in the spiritual DNA of believers. That means, when God created us, He spoke the same words over us.

For example:

• "And hast made (called, created) us unto our God, 'kings' and 'priests,'" why? So that we can "reign on the earth" (Rev. 5:10).

• "That we might be made (created or called) the righteousness of God" (2 Cor. 5:21).

• "For we are His workmanship, created (called or made) in Christ Jesus unto 'good works,' which God has before ordained" (Eph. 2:10).

Friend, these and many other words are what God spoke to form the spirit of every believer. You are not the only righteousness of God, nor are you the only king and priest ordained to reign. No, we all are. However, you are also a unique entity, "for we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office" (Rom. 12:4). The unique nature of your spiritual DNA is your spiritual identity—your unique name in the spirit. It is what sets you apart among other believers. It is your fingerprint in the spirit, unique to you.

Now, for the big question: "How do I find my spiritual identity?"

In The Book

Friend, we've discovered that our spiritual DNA is the combination of all the words spoken by God to form a born-again spirit, and the unique nature in your spiritual DNA is your spiritual identity or name. But how do you discover your spiritual identity? Notice that spiritual identity is a part of one's spiritual DNA—a combination of words spoken or called by God to create our spirit.

These words are recorded in the Bible. Isaiah 29:11 says, "The vision of all this has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed..." Simply put, God's plan for your life is in His book. Everyone who discovered something about their spiritual DNA and identity found it in the Word.

For example, it is from the Word that we know we were created or called "the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus," although this is a spiritual DNA shared by every believer. But my point is this: your spiritual identity was also written in the book! When they asked John the Baptist about his spiritual identity, he said, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness... as said the prophet Isaiah" (John 1:23). Notice the last phrase, "as said the prophet Isaiah." The book of Isaiah was written years before John existed, but in it contained God's plan or identity for John.

Friend, your spiritual identity is in the book. The exact statement the Lord spoke to create your spirit is in the book. However, flesh and blood cannot reveal this to you—it takes a spiritual search to discover your identity from the book. I pray you will engage in a spiritual search!

Recap

Friend, in the course of this series, we discovered that God's Word is the principal tool for creation. I mentioned that while men mate to give birth, God speaks to give birth. That’s why we are born again, not by sperm, egg, or two angels, but by the Word of God (1 Pet. 1:23). We concluded that the procedure or act of speaking certain words to create or form a spirit is referred to as "calling." Calling is what God said when He created you, when He called you into being.

I also explained that the combination of all the words spoken by God to form a born-again spirit is called 'spiritual DNA.' This is what gives our spirit man its spiritual traits or characteristics.

I pointed out that while there are similarities in our spiritual DNA as believers, you and I are also unique entities. The unique nature in your spiritual DNA is your spiritual identity, your unique name in the spirit. It is what singles you out among other believers. It is your fingerprint in the spirit, and it is unique to you. I mentioned that everyone who has discovered something about their spiritual DNA and identity has found it in the Word. We looked at the example of John the Baptist, who identified himself spiritually by saying, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness... AS SAID THE PROPHET ISAIAH" (John 1:23).

From these findings, we concluded that our spiritual identity is written in the book. The exact statement the Lord spoke to create your spirit is in the Bible. Finally, I emphasized that it takes a spiritual search to find or discover your spiritual identity from the book. Why? Because flesh and blood cannot reveal it—your mind has no idea. It takes the Spirit of God to unveil it.

Jesus is Lord!

Min. Roi