God is better than you can imagine. At heart of all sin is unbelief. In fact, sin began when Adam and Eve chose not to believe what God said about himself. The identity we assign to God will define our own. “If He is the Creator, then we are created. If He is Master, then we are servants. If He is love, then we are loved. If He is omnipotent, then we are not as powerful as we think. If He is omniscient, then there is nowhere to hide. If He cannot lie, then His promises are all true.”

So much of the Christian life comes down to the matter of identity. At heart, who are we? Who or what has the right to define us? What is our deepest identity? Identity is at the core of many issues, not the least of which is same-sex attraction. In her book Gay Girl, Good God, Jackie Hill Perry offers four “categories” to guide our thinking about identity as we “act the miracle” of sanctification. Though she applies them specifically to Christians who struggle with same-sex attraction, in various ways they pertain to every believer and every temptation.

First, the identity of sin. Sin is not beautiful. Though each person is unique, their temptations are not, for the same devil is behind them all. He has well-worn tricks of the trade he brings to bear on us all. “From Eden until now, in pulling a person toward sin, he must first convince them that the thing for which they feel compelled to taste will be a satisfying one.” Sin has a way of making sin seem more beautiful and desirable than God. Sin has a way of making it and not God worth living and dying for. As it pertains to same-sex attracted Christians Perry says, “There will come a day or two or many for the SSA Christian when the affections for which they once delighted in will whisper for them to return. It will whisper the promise of joy and fulfillment. But it will feel more true than it is, for sin can never deliver on its promise to make us happy. Vomit will always be vomit even if drizzled with chocolate, sliced almonds, and a cherry on top.” In times of temptation we must turn to Scripture to learn our true identity and to discover true joy.

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