Fresh Testimony
"So behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when they will no longer say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of Egypt.’ Instead they will say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who brought and led the descendants of the house of Israel up out of the land of the north and all the other lands to which He had banished them.’ Then they will dwell once more in their own land.”
Jeremiah 23:7-8
Who is defining you?
Your parents? Your career? Your social media account? Yourself?
Being defined has become an incredibly contentious subject in recent years. Whether it be in relation to gender profiling, equality in the workplace, race and ethnicity; how we are defined and the way we define others is under scrutiny. And for good reason. The way we define others, and are ourselves defined, largely determines behaviour and choice, which ultimately impacts the world in which we live. Your underlying world view and belief system are the rudder steering the ship that is YOU in this vast ocean of life. Navigating life, making choices, developing and maintaining relationships, what you do for work, what you do in your spare time, how you spend your money, it all flows from a foundational belief about the world and where you fit in it. So I'll ask you again: who is defining you?
These verses in Jeremiah are spoken at a point in the history of Israel where being defined had become murky. This was the people of God, called out of all the nations on earth to be a people set apart for the LORD. Israel as a people had been defined by their relationship to their God from the beginning; defined by His presence, defined by His word, defined by His blessing. But along the way they had lost sight of their identity, turning instead to the belief systems and practices of surrounding nations, muddying the waters of their culture and turning to other gods.
Here Jeremiah speaks, declaring the word of the LORD over the nation. In fact Jeremiah is prophesying over the future of all God's people, you and I included. Through Christ, we each have been adopted and set apart as a member of God's household and a part of His people. When Jeremiah describes people being bought from lands across the world, he is ultimately declaring the unifying work of Christ on the cross, offering grace, liberation and salvation to everyone who believes! Recognise the parallel between the history of the Israelites, and the spiritual condition of all humanity; as Adam and Eve were created for relationship by God in the beginning, so Abraham would be chosen to father the nation of Israel. Israel would experience exile from their home land as a result of foolishness and disobedience, just as Adam and Eve experienced exile as a result of their sin. And here Jeremiah declares restoration and redemption not only over Israel, but over the whole of humanity, as we are all included in the redemptive work of Christ.
Now, being defined by God's word in your life is not just as simple as reading it like a mantra in front of the mirror every morning (not that this isn't helpful at times!) Being defined by God's word isn't stationery or static, it is constantly moving and full of life. It means taking unchanging truth and applying it to an ever changing world. Following God doesn't look like a track on repeat, we are always looking for the new thing He is doing and seeking to get in step with that new thing. God is the same yesterday, today and forever, but His creative, restorative work in the universe is ongoing.
These verses in Jeremiah highlight the importance of being both founded in God's word, and at the same time fluid in our experience of His grace. The Lord is declaring over Israel that they would no longer consider themselves just according to the heritage of the Israelites who were freed from Egypt, "they will no longer say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of Egypt...’ God is doing new things. His word remains the same, but His creative power is at work in the world, constantly shaping new testimonies, new words, in our lives.
We should endeavour not only to live our lives defined by God's foundational word in the bible, but also defined by the experience of His grace and His spirit in our day to day lives. Revelation 12:11 says, "They have overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony." Just as God's word is constant and unchanging in it's potency, so too is the blood of Christ - Christ died once for all. But the word of our testimony is our daily experience of God's grace! As God's people we are both firmly rooted, and at the same time fluid in definition; we know our God, but we are also experiencing new revelation about Him all the time. Doctrine and theology can become oppressive when they are separated from relationship; true theology is always intended to be outworked in relationship with God, where ongoing revelation happens.
So I ask the same question I started with; who is defining you TODAY? Don't let the word of God in your life become stuffy and static; engage with His Spirit today, ask Him what the new thing is that He wants to do or reveal in your life. Be defined by both His steadfast word, and His fluid grace, for this is what fresh testimony looks like!