The great appeal of the gospel is that it gives us a new identity, one that is in continuity with our particular selves, yet makes us new persons. Our new self begins here in this life and then in the life to come will be raised up to enjoy fellowship with God forever.

And I will Give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone – Revelation 2:17

Finding your identity does not mean getting rid of all your ambitions. Nor does it mean becoming ‘spiritual’ in the wrong way, that is, to be ‘so heavenly minded as to be no earthly good,’ as the expression goes. There is a tradition in the history of the church called mysticism. There are many varieties of mysticism, but most have in common a disdain for the world, and a gaze into the heavens that prizes intangible things over this-worldly living. It’s an important balance to keep. The present world will not last. The world to come is the more permanent place. And yet this view should not lure us away from today’s earthly tasks.

Here is an example from the New Testament. In his magnificently constructed letter to the Ephesians the apostle Paul describes the Christian life as one of blessedness, that is, of great joy in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:3). He declares God’s purposes in us to be ‘to the praise of his glorious grace’ (1:6). This language is about our existence being for the purpose of worshiping God. The language could not be more spiritual. The entire first half of this letter piles on the many dimensions of God’s grace and mercy to us. Then, without leaving off these thoughts, the apostle focuses on application. Among other issues in the Christian life, Paul discusses money. It’s brief but to the point: “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he might have something to share with anyone in need” (Ephesians 4:28).

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