The two uses of identity are really not unrelated when we think about it. IDENTITY is one's basic core self concept. All of our core assumptions that frame what we believe and therefore how we think, feel and act flow from who we believe we are. Psychology and sociology have a lot to say about how people perceive their identity. Generally, there are 3 facets of IDENTITY - social formed by our sense of belonging, personal formed by our innate unique characteristics and natural formed by whether we see ourselves as mainly physical or mainly spiritual beings.
Your core assumption about reality and truth specifically flows from your identity. You either assume that the visible physical world (cosmos) is what is real and embodies what is true or the unseen realm in which a supernatural being rules is what is real. Based on which assumption about reality, you will assume truth is either determined by what we observe in the cosmos or by what is revealed to us by the supernatural. It is not too much of a stretch that if you believe what is real is what you can observe by your physical senses, then your identity is essentially found in your human nature and your circumstances. Otherwise, reality for you is that which is eternal, true all the time everywhere, and exists in the invisible realm.
One very common identity crisis occurs when Christians' theology (head knowledge) informs them that their identity is in Christ, but their "heart" or embedded assumptions operates from an identity associated with their human nature OR an identity that is based in a reality found in the physical world and an orientation that truth is determined by physical evidence we can collect and analyze.
Historically some try to resolve this by going to the other extreme and assume the physical world is either evil or an illusion. This flies in the face of the Incarnate Christ and cannot be the answer to the Christian's question - "if the physical world is not REAL (eternal truth and then not worthy of our allegiance), then what is the purpose of it?" That is a good question. Let's see what God says though His mouthpiece Paul:
"For the invisible things of Him since the creation of the world (cosmos - ordered system of the physical universe) are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even His everlasting power and divinity."
So what has happened? From Adam mankind inherits a fallen human nature biased to assume the cosmos is "reality", not God's invisible Kingdom. It is hard wired into each of us at birth. Martin Luther, as part of the Reformation, said that investigative inquiry to know truth is put in every human. Yes, but the human nature biases this inquiry to see truth as that which can be determined by observation. When we repent (think completely differently) and believe (trust our identity in Christ), we see that truth is determined by inquiry associated with revelation, not observation of the physical world. Although God says He displays His glory in the cosmos (physical world), it's trusting the unseen evidence (faith) of the invisible reality of His kingdom that regenerates and transforms our identity.
Paul says this another way when he reminds us that "we have this treasure in an earthly vessel, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves." Thinking our identity is established by the cross, but actually assuming otherwise, is THE IDENTITY CRISIS with only one solution. We must renew our mind such that our implicit assumption of a Spiritual identity (not physical or circumstantially oriented) supports our explicit knowledge of identity evidenced in Scripture.
Ponder this ......
Human nature assumes the mind is a generator of ideas - that truth is what the mind concludes it is based on what we can reason from what we can see VERSUS the mind of Christ which assumes the mind is a receiver - that truth is disclosed to us reasoned by evidence we cannot see (faith), only to be represented in or modeled by what we can see (purpose of the cosmos).
You might ask, "I know I need to read my Bible more but is there something that can help me also with these human nature core assumptions that hijack my joy, freedom, hope, purpose, and sense of esteem and belonging without me even being aware that this is what is happening?"
Glad you asked - I have poured the past few years of my life in helping to develop a course that can assist the transformation of core assumptions associated with the two identities. Its found at
http://www.b4worldview.com/
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