Defined By Our Position in Christ, Not Opposition to Others

When we seek an identity, many of settle for defining ourselves in opposition to others.

To God, that is unacceptable:

"Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God." (Isaiah 58: 2)

And later:

"Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?" (Isaiah 58: 7)

and

"Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity" (Isaiah 58: 9)

God is not interested in our exposing differences, but rather establishing fellowship through His Son:

"For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread." (1 Corinthians 10: 17)

and

"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12: 13)

and

"There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;" (Ephesians 4: 4)

For the believer, righteousness is not something that we do, but rather something that we receive and then become:

"For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith." (Galatians 5: 5)

and

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5: 21)

We are therefore defined by our position in Christ, not our opposition to others:

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1: 7)