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The Truest Thing about You: Identity, Desire, and Why It All Matters
There are many true things about you—true things you use to build an identity. Parent. Introvert. Victim. Student. Extrovert. Entrepreneur. Single.These truths can identify you, your successes and failures, your expectations and disappointments, your secret dreams and hidden shames. But what if your true identity isn't found in any of these smaller truths, but in the grand truth of who God says you are? In other words, lots of things are true about you—but are they the truest? David Lomas invites you to discover and live out the truth of who God created you to you are loved, you are accepted, and you are made in God's image. It's time to move beyond the lesser voices and discover why everything changes when you become who you really are.--David Lomas serves as the lead pastor at Reality in San Francisco, a church community that started in 2010 in the Castro District. He lives, with his wife Ashley, in one of the most unchurched cities in the nation, but one that is bursting with new life and grace of God. The Reality family of churches is a growing movement committed to relational church planting and serving the broader body of Christ.
166 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2014
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1297 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
December 7, 2014
This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I feel as if it took me to new levels of understanding God's grace and continued work in me/us. There are so many things we think identify us but only as we fall into the revolutionary, all encompassing grace of God do "know who we are".
"You will not find your identity in what you have, but in who has you. You will not find your identity in what you do, but in what has been done for you. And you will not find your identity in what you desire, but in who has desired— at infinite cost to Himself— a relationship with you."
"You will not find your identity in what you have, but in who has you. You will not find your identity in what you do, but in what has been done for you. And you will not find your identity in what you desire, but in who has desired— at infinite cost to Himself— a relationship with you."
April 2, 2014
I picked this book up as a freebie on Kindle, never having heard of the author before. And so, I was caught off guard by how thoughtful and rich this book turned out to be.
As the subtitle of the book says, this is a book about human identity. What is the truest thing about my identity? The book addresses all of the 'true, but not ultimately true' identities we give ourselves, and the danger of trying to turn them into ultimate truths about us.
Then he spends the rest of the book working through basic Christian doctrines that speak to our identity: image of God, sin, redemption, salvation by grace, Gospel-driven Christian life, etc. And just to note again, he looks at each of these through the lens of Christian identity, and not as abstractions.
It's a very good book. As I was reading it, my first thought was that this would be a really good study to do with high schoolers and young adults since they are especially trying (and struggling) to understand what is the truest thing about them.
As the subtitle of the book says, this is a book about human identity. What is the truest thing about my identity? The book addresses all of the 'true, but not ultimately true' identities we give ourselves, and the danger of trying to turn them into ultimate truths about us.
Then he spends the rest of the book working through basic Christian doctrines that speak to our identity: image of God, sin, redemption, salvation by grace, Gospel-driven Christian life, etc. And just to note again, he looks at each of these through the lens of Christian identity, and not as abstractions.
It's a very good book. As I was reading it, my first thought was that this would be a really good study to do with high schoolers and young adults since they are especially trying (and struggling) to understand what is the truest thing about them.
March 3, 2014
We are in a time and a generation that focus' so much on the self. The desire to discover oneself, or to find oneself, or create oneself is advertised all around us. Which leaves us with the question. “What if people do not like who I truly am?” we ask ourselves. So we create a someone that we think everyone will like. As soon as that happens, there is no backing out. We must not only pretend to live that life, but we must make the stories more adventurous; describe ourselves as more free. We are left fighting against our own lies.
Lomas describe the ways in which we create ourselves or see ourselves:
You’re a mom. A dad. A child of divorce. A business owner or a freelancer. Male, female, black, white. You’re an introvert, an extrovert, a person who refuses to be labeled as either. You’re gay, you’re straight. You’re a success, a failure, someone who never lived up to others people’s expectations, or someone no one ever believed in. you control your own destiny or you cannot seem to escape the labels other people give you (Lomas, 27).
He continues…
If you don’t know the truest thing about yourself, you don’t know yourself. And that matters. What you believe about yourself determines how you live. We were made for something. Something bigger than the little things we seem fated to surround ourselves with (Lomas, 32-33).
So then, what is that “thing?” I believe, as does Lomas, that Genesis tells us this quite clearly:
So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).
We don’t find our identity. Rather, we receive our identity. We are given it by God (Lomas, 69).
Lomas wants his readers to know that the voices that tell you that you are not good enough and that you must create something more unique are not the truest thing about you. In fact most are lies created in your head.
The fact is that you are a beloved child of God and He sees nothing but Christ’s perfection in you. This frees you to be who you are with no fear. You do not need to create yourself. The pressure is gone. You can now live free as the beloved. All those voices evaporate as the Father says “You are a child of mine.” He does not need your acting. No. He just wants you as you are. Fasten the “Belt of truth around every morning.” The truth that says you are a child of God and everything pales in comparison.
Highly highly recommend this book.
Lomas describe the ways in which we create ourselves or see ourselves:
You’re a mom. A dad. A child of divorce. A business owner or a freelancer. Male, female, black, white. You’re an introvert, an extrovert, a person who refuses to be labeled as either. You’re gay, you’re straight. You’re a success, a failure, someone who never lived up to others people’s expectations, or someone no one ever believed in. you control your own destiny or you cannot seem to escape the labels other people give you (Lomas, 27).
He continues…
If you don’t know the truest thing about yourself, you don’t know yourself. And that matters. What you believe about yourself determines how you live. We were made for something. Something bigger than the little things we seem fated to surround ourselves with (Lomas, 32-33).
So then, what is that “thing?” I believe, as does Lomas, that Genesis tells us this quite clearly:
So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).
We don’t find our identity. Rather, we receive our identity. We are given it by God (Lomas, 69).
Lomas wants his readers to know that the voices that tell you that you are not good enough and that you must create something more unique are not the truest thing about you. In fact most are lies created in your head.
The fact is that you are a beloved child of God and He sees nothing but Christ’s perfection in you. This frees you to be who you are with no fear. You do not need to create yourself. The pressure is gone. You can now live free as the beloved. All those voices evaporate as the Father says “You are a child of mine.” He does not need your acting. No. He just wants you as you are. Fasten the “Belt of truth around every morning.” The truth that says you are a child of God and everything pales in comparison.
Highly highly recommend this book.
March 28, 2022
No other message I’ve heard in my life is more comforting than this. That I’m beloved, and that I don’t need to be or do anything more to be worthy. My identity is that I am loved by God. It isn’t in anything that I have, do or desire. I didn’t earn this identity because of anything I did, and it cannot be taken away from me.
We often hold on to things that we hope would give us life and identity — our careers, possessions, relationships — in hopes of some sort of security and safety. Which, of course, falls apart in our expectations of them.
Most people look at Christianity (or religion in general) as just a doctrine that tells us what to do and not what to do. But here we learn that before God tells us what to do, God tells us who we are — we are His beloved, with whom He is well pleased (Matthew 3:17), and bring Him joy just by simply existing. Our actions then flow from our identity, not the other way around. Now we have to live into that identity, the truest thing about us. And we reimagine life in relation to our new identities — we do things differently. We don’t do things because we find our identity in them…
‘So we buy, but not to possess a life or a new identity. We can marry, but not because the other person will “complete us” or make us perfectly happy. We will mourn, but not like those without hope. We are happy, but we are not slaves to happiness like those who pursue pleasure as an identity. We can be single. But not single like those who have no family, because we are in Christ, and in Christ’s body we have a whole new family, the church. We live now, but we live as if not to gather an identity from all these things. …. A relationship can be a wonderful God-given form of human connection that may or may not lead to marriage. Your job can provide you with satisfaction, but it doesn’t have to save your soul. Because of who we are in Christ, we can have these things without those things having us. We can live as if not.’
The book has a short chapter about Sabbath. Practicing Sabbath is a reminder that we are loved as we are, that are not what we produce. We rest on the 7th day, knowing that, even though we tried our best to make what we hope come true, we are not in control. We stop laboring for money, for power, or meaning, or purpose, or image management, or relationship management. It’s a day that we rest, pray, stop trying to produce, and let God produce in us. It’s a day that we renew our confidence in the truest thing about us, our core identity.
We often hold on to things that we hope would give us life and identity — our careers, possessions, relationships — in hopes of some sort of security and safety. Which, of course, falls apart in our expectations of them.
Most people look at Christianity (or religion in general) as just a doctrine that tells us what to do and not what to do. But here we learn that before God tells us what to do, God tells us who we are — we are His beloved, with whom He is well pleased (Matthew 3:17), and bring Him joy just by simply existing. Our actions then flow from our identity, not the other way around. Now we have to live into that identity, the truest thing about us. And we reimagine life in relation to our new identities — we do things differently. We don’t do things because we find our identity in them…
‘So we buy, but not to possess a life or a new identity. We can marry, but not because the other person will “complete us” or make us perfectly happy. We will mourn, but not like those without hope. We are happy, but we are not slaves to happiness like those who pursue pleasure as an identity. We can be single. But not single like those who have no family, because we are in Christ, and in Christ’s body we have a whole new family, the church. We live now, but we live as if not to gather an identity from all these things. …. A relationship can be a wonderful God-given form of human connection that may or may not lead to marriage. Your job can provide you with satisfaction, but it doesn’t have to save your soul. Because of who we are in Christ, we can have these things without those things having us. We can live as if not.’
The book has a short chapter about Sabbath. Practicing Sabbath is a reminder that we are loved as we are, that are not what we produce. We rest on the 7th day, knowing that, even though we tried our best to make what we hope come true, we are not in control. We stop laboring for money, for power, or meaning, or purpose, or image management, or relationship management. It’s a day that we rest, pray, stop trying to produce, and let God produce in us. It’s a day that we renew our confidence in the truest thing about us, our core identity.
February 21, 2014
Pastor David Lomas comes across as an insightful, really nice person and I like what he sets out to prove, although it's probably nothing we haven't heard before, or don't know intuitively.
In a nutshell, our identity in Christ has nothing to do with how hard we work or what we manage to achieve. It starts with believing something about Jesus, and then believing something about ourselves in light of what we believe about Jesus. When we truly grasp this, we can 'have' things without things 'having' us.
We are loved for who we are, not for what we can produce. People tend to screw the biblical work mandate up in our minds. We take something which is part of what Lomas calls our 'Imago Dei' (our identity in God)- the call to work, and make it a source of our identity. Or an idol. Or an escape, excuse, or source of self-worth.
I like his example of suddenly finding himself working as a nameless barista and waiter at his local Starbucks coffee shop, instead of being the hot-shot pastor he envisaged himself at the time.
He also addresses those times when we feel a need to complain about all we feel we're unfairly going through in our daily lives, without realising that God is standing by like a mother with a wet washcloth, wanting to scrub our faces clean and completely regenerate us.
Now that I've written this, I see something interesting. Although I wrote in my first paragraph that this material is probably nothing we haven't heard before, it certainly doesn't seem to sink in deeply for several of us, living in our everyday worlds which seem to keep encouraging ourselves to strive, base our value on shallow things and wear ourselves out. It might be healthy to keep reading books like this one, just to remind ourselves of what's really true.
Thanks to NetGalley and David C Cook for a review copy.
In a nutshell, our identity in Christ has nothing to do with how hard we work or what we manage to achieve. It starts with believing something about Jesus, and then believing something about ourselves in light of what we believe about Jesus. When we truly grasp this, we can 'have' things without things 'having' us.
We are loved for who we are, not for what we can produce. People tend to screw the biblical work mandate up in our minds. We take something which is part of what Lomas calls our 'Imago Dei' (our identity in God)- the call to work, and make it a source of our identity. Or an idol. Or an escape, excuse, or source of self-worth.
I like his example of suddenly finding himself working as a nameless barista and waiter at his local Starbucks coffee shop, instead of being the hot-shot pastor he envisaged himself at the time.
He also addresses those times when we feel a need to complain about all we feel we're unfairly going through in our daily lives, without realising that God is standing by like a mother with a wet washcloth, wanting to scrub our faces clean and completely regenerate us.
Now that I've written this, I see something interesting. Although I wrote in my first paragraph that this material is probably nothing we haven't heard before, it certainly doesn't seem to sink in deeply for several of us, living in our everyday worlds which seem to keep encouraging ourselves to strive, base our value on shallow things and wear ourselves out. It might be healthy to keep reading books like this one, just to remind ourselves of what's really true.
Thanks to NetGalley and David C Cook for a review copy.
December 8, 2013
The Truest Thing about You: Identity, Desire, and Why It All Matters by David Lomas and D. R. Jacobsen is an insightful book designed to show you to live out the life God created you for. There is a tendency to identify ourselves, and go after superficial things that do not have a place in the larger plan of God. Yet, we are absolutely mad about them.
In this path-breaking book the authors guide the reader through a series of profound chapters that will remove the scales from our blinded eyes and worldly-wise minds. The chapters include:
-Who We Are: A Collection of Someones
-How We Got Here: A Paradigm
-What We Are Meant To Be: The Imago Dei
-The Truest Human: Jesus and Identity
-Our Human Condition: The Skin We Live In
-Our Greatest Hope: The Truest Thing About You
-A Way Forward: Become Who You Are
-God Won’t Stop: The Truest Truth
-End Matter
The truths contained in each chapters of the book will give a new meaning and direction to your direction-less journey. Read it to rediscover who you are and what God meant you to be. Where ever you are in your life’s journey, this book has something for you. It is one book that is not to be missed.
Watch out for its release on February 1, 2014
In this path-breaking book the authors guide the reader through a series of profound chapters that will remove the scales from our blinded eyes and worldly-wise minds. The chapters include:
-Who We Are: A Collection of Someones
-How We Got Here: A Paradigm
-What We Are Meant To Be: The Imago Dei
-The Truest Human: Jesus and Identity
-Our Human Condition: The Skin We Live In
-Our Greatest Hope: The Truest Thing About You
-A Way Forward: Become Who You Are
-God Won’t Stop: The Truest Truth
-End Matter
The truths contained in each chapters of the book will give a new meaning and direction to your direction-less journey. Read it to rediscover who you are and what God meant you to be. Where ever you are in your life’s journey, this book has something for you. It is one book that is not to be missed.
Watch out for its release on February 1, 2014
June 24, 2021
Absolutely loved this book and the message within it.
April 4, 2023
very good! slow read but such good ideas and very good read pre college!
December 14, 2023
A great little read about what it is to be a Christian.
February 3, 2023
Although we all have things that are seasonally true of us (young, healthy, single, retired, employed, prosperous, etc.) Lomas relates how the "truest thing" about someone is based on how they relate to an eternal and personal God through the person of Jesus. This idea and its implications are unpacked further in the book, given with an attractive look at this God who inclines himself to people burdened to prove that they are important.
June 18, 2014
Key among the devastation of a broken and hurting world is mass identity confusion. But it is not only a problem for those without faith; those in the church can be just as confused about who they are and what defines them. David Lomas has given a call to those that follow Jesus to realize and trust in their identity in Christ that is well worth a read. The Truest Thing About You should drive us that call Jesus savior, to celebrate and be emboldened to live fully from our identity in him.
Approved, claimed, righteous, holy; we are his. Jesus has worked to establish relationship with us and it is from this relationship that we work out, actually, live out who we are.
Lomas does a masterful job of presenting the important reality of our true identity in Christ – the thing that is truest about us. It is not the things we do or the desires we have that define us but instead the gospel truth of our standing in Jesus that gives us identity.
The book is a quick and comforting read and Lomas has a knack for unpacking the depth of truth that is the Christians identity. He does wrestle with the sanctification tension – does God change us or do we work to change. For Lomas it is God doing the changing and the Christian living out, working out who they are. I would prefer more emphasis on the love of Christ driving our identity and empowering our living but I think Lomas has faithful and personally wrestled well with the tension.
This book may open your eyes on your identity in Christ and give you a new freedom to rest and trust in Christ’s claim of approval over you.
Approved, claimed, righteous, holy; we are his. Jesus has worked to establish relationship with us and it is from this relationship that we work out, actually, live out who we are.
Lomas does a masterful job of presenting the important reality of our true identity in Christ – the thing that is truest about us. It is not the things we do or the desires we have that define us but instead the gospel truth of our standing in Jesus that gives us identity.
The book is a quick and comforting read and Lomas has a knack for unpacking the depth of truth that is the Christians identity. He does wrestle with the sanctification tension – does God change us or do we work to change. For Lomas it is God doing the changing and the Christian living out, working out who they are. I would prefer more emphasis on the love of Christ driving our identity and empowering our living but I think Lomas has faithful and personally wrestled well with the tension.
This book may open your eyes on your identity in Christ and give you a new freedom to rest and trust in Christ’s claim of approval over you.
February 5, 2014
I hesitate to write reviews on this genre. Pastoral works have taken a new shape in the last decade or so and to be honest, I am not really a fan. Often, unfortunately,these works have created large grandiose solutions for problems that they do not take the time to fully acknowledge or (at times) understand. Yet as I read Dave Lomas' book on what he believes is the "truest" thing about me (bold claim to make as he uses the second person singular in his title), I found a very interesting trait within this very interesting book.
The trait is this, he does not call you from the end of the road saying all will be well. Instead Lomas invites you to join him on a trek that he clearly, and at times painfully, describes as one he is still learning to walk. The book is not someone teaching you how to know, "The Truest Thing About You" chapter one makes that strangely obvious. It is an invitation to pilgrimage with Lomas as he learns what this statement means as well.
There is not really a group I can direct this recommendation to. It is not a book to develop the academic direction of certain scripture, nor an attempt at sociological laws, nor some type of psychoanalysis of the era. It is an invitation to see that God believes in us far more than we do ourselves and as controversial as that claim is, I end it there.
The trait is this, he does not call you from the end of the road saying all will be well. Instead Lomas invites you to join him on a trek that he clearly, and at times painfully, describes as one he is still learning to walk. The book is not someone teaching you how to know, "The Truest Thing About You" chapter one makes that strangely obvious. It is an invitation to pilgrimage with Lomas as he learns what this statement means as well.
There is not really a group I can direct this recommendation to. It is not a book to develop the academic direction of certain scripture, nor an attempt at sociological laws, nor some type of psychoanalysis of the era. It is an invitation to see that God believes in us far more than we do ourselves and as controversial as that claim is, I end it there.
March 14, 2014
Throughout history, mankind has struggled to determine its identity. Over time, people have identified themselves by what they do, which family they belong to, who they are married to, how much money they have, and too many other ways of making them stand out. But is this the way a Christian should go about it?
Satan tries to make us focus on our identity as the way the world sees us. The group Big Tent Revival sang a great song called "Two Sets of Jones" that demonstrates the difference between a worldly and a Christian viewpoint. The song shows what happens to two families named Jones when they have children. If you have not heard it, look it up and listen to it as a reminder of what this book is all about.
The authors of this book showcase a similar theme. Too often we are caught up in Satan's lies as to what our identity really is. Lomas and Jacobsen use a very reader friendly method of demonstrating the way the Gospels show us the different way Christ looks at us. Just like when Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on the water, when we keep our eyes on Jesus life is the way it should be. When we start looking at all of the turmoil around us and what the world says, our identity suffers.
Highly recommended.
Satan tries to make us focus on our identity as the way the world sees us. The group Big Tent Revival sang a great song called "Two Sets of Jones" that demonstrates the difference between a worldly and a Christian viewpoint. The song shows what happens to two families named Jones when they have children. If you have not heard it, look it up and listen to it as a reminder of what this book is all about.
The authors of this book showcase a similar theme. Too often we are caught up in Satan's lies as to what our identity really is. Lomas and Jacobsen use a very reader friendly method of demonstrating the way the Gospels show us the different way Christ looks at us. Just like when Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on the water, when we keep our eyes on Jesus life is the way it should be. When we start looking at all of the turmoil around us and what the world says, our identity suffers.
Highly recommended.
January 4, 2015
By far one of the best books I've read in a long while.
Lomas doesn't disappoint in providing a conversational, light tone while throwing tomahawks of truth. Yes, tomahawks. Unlike most books on the topic, where I'll skip a chapter or two because I'm being preached the Gospel, Lomas infuses every part of the book with the need for a Savior without it blatantly tossed in your face.
Personally, I instantly related in his own identity crisis he shared at the beginning, being that I am a recent college grad who just stepped down from years in ministry working at Starbucks and dreaming of bigger and better things. The way he infused his anecdote was 100% relatable, and opened up the door for the issue of identity and trying to disassociate our careers and DOs from what really should be the "Truest Thing About You".
Lomas doesn't disappoint in providing a conversational, light tone while throwing tomahawks of truth. Yes, tomahawks. Unlike most books on the topic, where I'll skip a chapter or two because I'm being preached the Gospel, Lomas infuses every part of the book with the need for a Savior without it blatantly tossed in your face.
Personally, I instantly related in his own identity crisis he shared at the beginning, being that I am a recent college grad who just stepped down from years in ministry working at Starbucks and dreaming of bigger and better things. The way he infused his anecdote was 100% relatable, and opened up the door for the issue of identity and trying to disassociate our careers and DOs from what really should be the "Truest Thing About You".
July 26, 2016
A deeply personal and transforming read...
As I read The Truest Thing, I found myself in conversation with God… re-examining my goals, my purpose, and my discontent with a seemingly perfect life. I find myself left with a lingering peace.
It has been a long time since I’ve read a Christian book cover to cover, but I was so entertained and convicted by The Truest Thing that I was hungry for more.
In addition to believers struggling with discontentment, I also think this book is perfect for new believers or those looking to renew their relationship with God. It’s simple, straight forward, entertaining , and convicting (in a good way).
As I read The Truest Thing, I found myself in conversation with God… re-examining my goals, my purpose, and my discontent with a seemingly perfect life. I find myself left with a lingering peace.
It has been a long time since I’ve read a Christian book cover to cover, but I was so entertained and convicted by The Truest Thing that I was hungry for more.
In addition to believers struggling with discontentment, I also think this book is perfect for new believers or those looking to renew their relationship with God. It’s simple, straight forward, entertaining , and convicting (in a good way).
February 7, 2014
I am impressed with this book. In this culture where people are identified with a social label, Lomas wants us to find our identity in our deepest being, in Christ. Our actions spring forth from our identity so how we see ourselves is so important. I was impressed with his discussion on desire. We Christians tend to define ourselves by how much we "desire" a deeper life, a deeper relationship with Jesus. Lomas argues that our identity is to be found in what God says is true of us, not what we are trying to do or are aiming for. This is a book I'll need to read again to further incorporate into my being. See my full review at http://bit.ly/1bwasmy.
February 19, 2014
Identity is a huge issue for our generation and I love reading books on the topic. This book was not horrible, but is definitely for someone who is just beginning their journey to discover their identity. I want the meat of the topic and not a sermon presented in book form. Would recommend the book to friends? Sure! But they would most likely be to youth.
I love that he focuses on our truest identity is not defined by anything else but God. Which also would lead me to recommend this book to those who are homosexual. The author presents a very compelling case for those who consider themselves gay to not view their sexuality as their identity. A very freeing realization in my opinion.
I love that he focuses on our truest identity is not defined by anything else but God. Which also would lead me to recommend this book to those who are homosexual. The author presents a very compelling case for those who consider themselves gay to not view their sexuality as their identity. A very freeing realization in my opinion.
January 7, 2015
This was one of those right thing at the right time kinda books for me. Very defining for my outlook on my life. I felt like he did a great job of bringing me along to understand his main idea. It's a concept that the average Christian knows but I feel like he made us stop and stare at it until we actually understood the implications of it. I felt like he kept saying, "no really, let me say it again to make sure you've got it." Which I thought was fantastic in this particular area because many of our ways of thinking and operating are so ingrained in us.
Great read for those who feel lost, discouraged, beat down and like they don't know who they are anymore or if they even matter.
Great read for those who feel lost, discouraged, beat down and like they don't know who they are anymore or if they even matter.
December 10, 2024
It’s hard to rate a book like this. The content is good, as it’s just exposition about truths found within the Bible. Theologically sound. A few sentences or passages made me stop and think. But overall it’s longer than it needs to be and somewhat repetitive with lots of anecdotes and Bible story re-telling. It’s basically a sermon stretched into a book. Depending on where you are in life, this book could be very compelling or it could feel like a youth group message. It felt like the former to me when I read it in my 20s and this time it felt like the latter.
February 4, 2017
I like David Lomas, and definitely think there is validity to his desire to share with us the truest thing about ourselves. He does this well in Chapter 6, informing us that our identity is in Christ, not what we do, what we desire, or what we have. But the rest of the book feels long winded and sometimes even unnecessary.
July 8, 2020
My poor efforts cannot do justice to this book. From the last chapter, in the author's own words:
"You will not find your identity in what you have, but in who has you. You will not find your identity in what you do, but in what has been done for you. And you will not find your identity in what you desire, but in who has desired -- at infinite cost to Himself -- a relationship with you.
Christ is your life. He gives you a new identity and will work that new identity out in your life until the day when He appears. On that day you will finally see clearly, as Christ sees you now. You will know as you are known.
And you will understand that the truest thing about you -- that in Christ God called you his beloved in whom He is well pleased -- has been true all along.
And is now true forever.
Believe. Trust. Base your entire identity and worth on that fact."
"You will not find your identity in what you have, but in who has you. You will not find your identity in what you do, but in what has been done for you. And you will not find your identity in what you desire, but in who has desired -- at infinite cost to Himself -- a relationship with you.
Christ is your life. He gives you a new identity and will work that new identity out in your life until the day when He appears. On that day you will finally see clearly, as Christ sees you now. You will know as you are known.
And you will understand that the truest thing about you -- that in Christ God called you his beloved in whom He is well pleased -- has been true all along.
And is now true forever.
Believe. Trust. Base your entire identity and worth on that fact."
December 22, 2022
Especially in the world we live in today, it’s easy even as a believer to waver from looking to Christ for our identity, the “truest thing about you”. In this book, David lays out how God frames our true identity by pulling out passages from the Bible (and from a few pieces of literature).
With the exception of a few spots in the book, David does a good job expounding on these pieces of Scripture and connecting them together to demonstrate that God gave us our identity from creation (bearing His image), that by sin we are lost in trying to find our true identity, and that through Christ, God transforms us as His beloved children.
With the exception of a few spots in the book, David does a good job expounding on these pieces of Scripture and connecting them together to demonstrate that God gave us our identity from creation (bearing His image), that by sin we are lost in trying to find our true identity, and that through Christ, God transforms us as His beloved children.
May 8, 2021
I'm hardly a Bible enthusiast but this book gives you the mood to become one or at least it makes you curious about how Jesus lived in the world. I thought it was a good read. This will make a good introduction to searching our identities (well, 'just' identity as you will find in the book). I read this from the perspective of someone who doesn't go to church but believes about God and I thought it made total sense! I'm glad that I've read this and the fact that it was given to me as a gift made it more a lovely read.
November 22, 2017
Four stars seems a little high and three stars seems a little low. This book has some excellent examples and illustrations of who we truly are, along with explanations of all the false places we try to find our identity. There are a few sections, however, where the theology gets a little watery, and a few scripture references seem to be misapplied. It is worth the read, but keep the kernel and discard the husk.
September 3, 2018
A great reminder about God’s love for us.
This book didn’t have anything I had not heard before. However, the way that David Lomas delivered these truths was refreshing. Sometimes we can be told the same thing over and over again that we are loved by Christ. But then someone comes along and tells us these things a bit differently and it sticks. This book does that.
This book didn’t have anything I had not heard before. However, the way that David Lomas delivered these truths was refreshing. Sometimes we can be told the same thing over and over again that we are loved by Christ. But then someone comes along and tells us these things a bit differently and it sticks. This book does that.
April 14, 2020
Such a wonderful identity book, especially during uncertain times. What do you have left when what you do (job/vocation), have (material things), and desire (goals) disappear or change? In today's society, many of our identities are built on what we do, have, or want. This helps you find where your real identity is, or rather, helps you receive your identity.
September 14, 2021
Only giving four stars instead of five because I loved how in-depth Dave has been able to go in his sermons on the topic of identity in Christ that this felt like a very short summary. It was a good summary, don’t get me wrong, but makes you want more! Would recommend reading and then if you’re interested checking out some of the sermon archives at www.realitysf.com/teachings
March 10, 2023
on the fence about this
My pastor was doing a series on identity and recommended this book. I don’t know what I expected of it, but it isn’t quite what I got. I felt basic and surface in a lot of ways that I wish the author would’ve gone deeper I think, for some people who are wrestling with their identity in a way I may not be may get more out of this that I did
My pastor was doing a series on identity and recommended this book. I don’t know what I expected of it, but it isn’t quite what I got. I felt basic and surface in a lot of ways that I wish the author would’ve gone deeper I think, for some people who are wrestling with their identity in a way I may not be may get more out of this that I did
May 30, 2020
Would definitely recommend this one, read it once and listened to it on audio once. He shares good insight around the concept of identity and a great exploration around pieces of our identity being true but the truest piece of our identity being found in God.
January 3, 2019
This is an amazing book! David Lomas did a fantastic job explaining what our truest identity is! Loved this book and I highly recommend this book!
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