Identity has become one of the most important concepts in most first-world countries today. If one were to do a search through social media, news articles, and the internet, “identity politics” would be one of the most common topics. Though it is not known who coined or popularized the term “identity politics”, we do know that it has only shown up in modern history. According to both the Oxford English Dictionary1 and Howard J. Wiarda2, the term “identity politics” did not show up in literature until the 1970s. This is an interesting time for the term to arise because of the hippie, free love, and civil rights movements that were all happening around the same time in the West. It was born out of a time where people cared very much about who they were. While this was a big part of the culture, and still is today, it started to creep its way into the church. Identity politics seem like a great way for the Christian to emphasize Christ and show how important He is; however, it turns God-centered theology into man-centered theology, it takes away from the gospel, and it puts a Biblical sticker over modern psychology.
One of the biggest issues with identity politics as the world uses it is pride. Most all Christians can see that when people use sexuality, race, gender, politics, etc. as the lynchpin of their identity, it is very dangerous. First, many use this sense of identity as a way to excuse their sin. For example, one might say that because they were born homosexual, it is okay that they think and live a homosexual lifestyle. The same goes for addictions. Many push their own lack of self control and sin of indulgence on their identity of “addict.” Instead of stating that they have sinned against a holy God, they state that people should feel sorry for them because they are addicts. It isn’t anything they can change. This plays out in just about every area of identity politics. When each area is broken down into its parts, it becomes quite clear that most people are merely excusing their sin on their identity.
This is what has led many in the church to think that identity politics needs to be redeemed. After all, “Christian” literally means “little Christ.” Christians are to imitate Jesus and follow His example (Ephesians 5:1). Christians are ambassadors of Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:20). One may easily conclude then that Christians should find their identity in Jesus Christ. This has become a huge talking point in the church. While the world finds their identity in their own sin or in things other than God, Christians should find their identity in Christ. This is not an entirely wrong idea. It is true as has been discussed that how the world does identity politics is dangerous and evil. It is also true that we are ambassadors of Jesus and should include ourselves as Christians. There is nothing wrong with that. However, the danger comes when Christians start to focus on themselves instead of God.
When the focus shifts from what Jesus has done on the cross to personal identity, it steals the glory of God as a label for man’s glory. One of the best examples of this is found in the phrase, “I am a daughter/son of the King.” It is true that every Christian becomes a child of God when they are born again (1 John 3:1). This is clear in Scripture. However, when Christians start to focus on how they are a child of the king instead of what Jesus did on the cross, it shifts the view from God’s glory to man’s glory. The church starts to talk about how Christians shouldn’t be depressed because they are children of the King. The church starts to say how great it is that the Christian is chosen and forgiven and redeemed and more than a conqueror. While these statements might be individually true, it shifts every passage in Scripture to be about man instead of God. Christians are redeemed because God chose to save selfish wretches to show how great He is. Christians are children of the King because the King died to take the eternal punishment of the childrens’ ugly sin. Christians are chosen because God decided to be gracious enough to show us who He is. All of the labels that the church has started to use has changed truths about God to truths about the individual. It has shifted from, “How great God is” to, “How great I am.”
When the Bible is carefully read, it becomes abundantly clear that all things point to Jesus and that God is great. Identity politics takes the beauty of the gospel and changes Jesus from the subject of Scripture to an adjective of man. This is most abundantly clear in the song “Who You Say I Am” by Hillsong Worship3. When the song is analyzed, it becomes obvious who the song is about. The most dangerous aspect of the song is that no statement in the song is biblically inaccurate. In fact, the song expresses some great theology. It states that Jesus saves all those who He died for. It states that every Christian was once a slave to sin. All of these things are technically correct. However, the subject of almost every line of the song is the person singing it. The song does very little to glorify God in what He has done. The majority of the song highlights and glorifies self.
Jesus should be the main thing we talk about, not ourselves. Though there is nothing wrong with affirming what the Bible says about Christians, when that becomes the focus, there is no difference between the one who identifies as “addict” and the one who identifies as “child of the King.” Romans 8 helps clarify this point and show the issues with focusing on the wrong thing. Romans 8:37 says this, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Identity politics would say things like this, “I am more than a conqueror,” “I am strong,” and “I am loved.” However, what the text actually points out is this, “God has changed me because He is great,” “God is so strong and so loving, that He has saved me from my own wickedness,” and “I am more than a conqueror only through the power and work of Christ.” The passage is meant to glorify God. While it is true that the text states that Christians are more than conquerors, it is only through Christ and because of His love. Identity politics chops off the “through him who loved us,” part of that verse.
Though this has already been alluded to, identity politics in the church takes the exact same framework that the world uses and slaps a Christian sticker on it. The church has started to shift from encouraging Christians to persevere in their faith because of what Christ has done to encouraging Christians to persevere because God has made them to be special, unique, and amazing. The church encourages believers to find rest in being loved and forgiven instead of finding rest in what Jesus has done. The apostle Paul does not go on and on in Romans 8 to talk about how great we are. The entire chapter is about how great and amazing the love of God is.
The final nail in the coffin of identity politics can be found in Colossians 3. Paul is contrasting the life of the unbeliever and the life of the believer. He specifically tells the Colossians that they should stop seeking and thinking about things on the earth. This even includes the very life of the Christian. Paul then says that Christians should set their minds on Jesus and what He has done. Christians should focus and think about heavenly things, not earthly things. And the reason he gives is this, “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Paul says that Christians should dwell, think about, and set their minds on what Jesus has done because, everything about self has died and is hidden in Jesus. Paul does not say that Christians should think about heavenly things because they are chosen, loved, forgiven, and children of the king. Paul says that every believer should set their minds on heavenly things because believers have died. They have died to self and live for Jesus. It is all for Jesus and because of Jesus. Christians just so happen to have the joy of being part of that.
One final clarification. It is not wrong for a Christian to delight that God has changed them. In fact, some Christians will sulk in the sin they committed when they were four years old and still feel guilty to this day for it. It is good to realize that the believer has been forgiven and fundamentally changed. It is also not wrong to say, “I am more than a conqueror,” as long as it is not the focus. When Christians start to focus on self and titles of self and how great God has made them, they will live thinking that they are good Christians when they have only fallen in love with themselves. It is only when Christians focus on Christ and what He has done and how great He is that believers will find true peace and hope. It is because of the work of Jesus that Christians can say, “praise God! I am forgiven!”
In conclusion, identity politics seems like an idea that the church can redeem and use for its own purposes. However, it is merely the same self-glorifying system that the culture uses, except it uses Christian labels. Though many of the statements made within Christian identity politics are not inherently incorrect, it subtly shifts the subject and focus from God to man. In a world that continually berates Christians with false ideologies, believers need to be on guard for seemingly innocent phrases and songs. God’s glory and how great He is should be what Christians set their minds on, not their own identity. The true “identity” of the believer is, “a dead man hidden in Christ.”
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