The New Name, The New Identity

Introduction

Writers of television and movie drama are only so talented. And occasionally the same plot line will of necessity be developed. And you like say, I’ve seen this before. How many times in said dramas do people get new identities? Because they need a cover from their past, either because of the evil that they’ve done, or because they are in some danger or threat. They’re given a new identity. And that concept, I guess, is appealing to folks. It’s starting all over. It’s a fresh start, it’s a new life, it’s a better future. Well, that’s actually a concept that is similar to what you and I possess in Christ. And was promised way back in Isaiah chapter 62. It is a key component of the promise of the gospel.

This is a text which is often misunderstood. And I want to read this text with you, make some observations, all of which cannot be contained in one lesson, like when I lost my mind last Sunday night and tried to preach on the sovereignty of God and man’s free will in one sermon. So I learned from that mistake last week, and so we’ve split this into two so that I don’t have to rush, and we can get the point. Isaiah 62, let’s read together.

1. You Will Be Called by a New Name

And for Jerusalem’s sake, I will not keep quiet until her righteousness goes forth like brightness, and her salvation like a torch that is burning. And the nations will see your righteousness and all kings your glory, and you will be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord will designate. You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. I want to just stop and say, now, folks, this is great stuff. If we have any part in this, and I believe we do, this is great stuff. It will no longer be said to you, forsaken, nor to your land will it any longer be said, desolate. But you will be called my delight, is in her, and your land married.

For the Lord delights in you, and to him your land will be married. For as a young man marries a virgin, so your sons will marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so your God will rejoice over you. Okay, so what’s going on in this text? The downtrodden people of God have a future where they will be exalted. Whereas they were once perhaps outsiders, they will now be embraced. God has a plan for Zion, for Jerusalem, and for Judah, for that matter. In verse 67, he says that he will make, in verse 7 of chapter 62, he says, he will make Jerusalem a praise in the earth. Obviously, he is speaking spiritually, as Zachariah does about God’s intentions for Jerusalem and Judah and Zion, of course, the place of the temple, the city of David.

He has spiritual plans involved with all of this. And we understand that when we come to the New Testament and see those terms referenced, though his initial readers would have little clue to the spiritual nature of these promises. I want you to notice also, when he says in verse 2, until her righteousness goes forth like brightness. If we are indeed those people who possess the new name that is promised in Isaiah 62, incumbent upon us, as we shall see tonight, is the responsibility to shine forth brightly in righteousness or in right doing.

Jesus God. And that’s the way you actually do walk, he says, of the church at Thessalonica. He had only glowing things to say about that group of Christians. And then he says, You know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. This is the will of God. It’s the will of God expressed in Isaiah 62. For this is the will of God, and more on this in a moment. Your sanctification. This is God’s will for you. Your brightness shining as your righteousness is displayed. Your sanctification. That is, now you need to abstain from sexual immorality. And he will go on in this section in verse 7 to say, for God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.

Hold those thoughts. The overtones of this passage are felt in 1 Peter chapter 2, verses 9 through 12. When he says, You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him by our righteousness. Proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness, and we’ll talk about that tonight. Called you out of darkness and into his marvelous light, then what? For you were once not a people. Outcast. You were once not a people, but now you are the people of God. You had once not obtained mercy, but now you have obtained mercy. And I urge you therefore, as aliens and strangers, to abstain from fleshly lust, just like 1 Thessalonians 4. Abstain from fleshly lusts.

2. The Holy Jerusalem in Revelation 21

Do they matter? Yes. They wage war against the soul. I would even venture in the, if you want to dig a little deeper department, I would even venture that the first part of Isaiah 62 and verse 2 is fulfilled by the picture of the holy city that we see in Revelation 21. When it says, and the nations will see your righteousness and all kings your glory. Did you see the reference to the bride and the bridegroom in verse 5? And so what do we have going on in Revelation chapter 21? Do you think this comes from Isaiah 62? Shake your head, yes. In Revelation 21, we have a bride adorned for her husband, and we see this beautiful city, the holy what? Jerusalem. There’s your spiritual implication.

The holy Jerusalem coming down out of heaven, this beautiful city, and what? God is in the center of it. See this relationship between God and his people? God is in the center of the city. And then after the city is described, what does he say? The nations shall walk by its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it, verse 24. And nothing unclean shall ever come into it, verse 27. I want to tell you, folks, we struggle to understand Revelation 21 because we don’t understand Isaiah 62. That’s where that imagery comes from. He’s saying, this is fulfilled. Regardless of the pain and trouble that you’re experiencing as God, people on the earth. If you overcome, you’re that city. You possess that new name that Isaiah prophesied about, and you are fulfilling God’s intentions for man that could go back all the way to the beginning.

3. Not Forsaken, Not Desolate

Now look at verse 12 of Isaiah 62, if you’re still there. Verse 12. And they will call them, those who have a new name, and they will call them the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord. And you will be called sought out. A city, not forsaken. Isn’t that amazing? I’m blown away by this. Isaiah 62. So what is he saying here? He says, When we were once forsaken and desolate.

Those are the Hebrew terms. The Hebrew terms for forsaken and desolate are Azuba and Shamamah. That’s like Yobama. But that’s not what it is. Azuba and Shamama. That was your former state. This is bad. When you’re in sin, this is where you are. Without hope and without God in the world, Paul was saying in Ephesians 2 and verse 12. Forsaken and desolate. No more. You’ve got a new name. You are now a city not forsaken, sought out. The holy people of the Lord. He says, now, no. You are Hevzeba, which means my delight is in her. And Obula land. Your land will be called married. That’s the difference. That’s what he’s promising when he says, I will give you a new identity. Not forsaken, not desolate.

Hefzeibah and Beulah. Oh Beulalam, sweet Beulalam. I know that song actually is speaking of heaven. But that’s not what he’s talking about in Isaiah 62. He’s talking about these are terms of relationship. My delight is in her. You will no longer be forsaken, but you will be brought into the beautiful union with God. Beulah, oh Beulalam. If you’re serving the Lord faithfully, if you’re identified by heaven as one belonging to him, you are Hefzebon. God’s delight is in you. You are Beulai. You are married to the Lord. Thus the bride adorned for her husband. In Revelation chapter 21. Come and I will show you the wife of the Lamb. Okay, so where am I going with that this morning? Well, let me just say there’s passages that talk about a reversal of fortune around this passage.

4. The New Name Is Not Just the Name Christian

If you want to write these down and look at these, Isaiah 56, 3 through 5, and Isaiah 65, 8 and 9, 13 through 15, talk about this reversal of fortunes that God has in store for God’s people in the future. Now, what normally gets talked about in Isaiah 62? Well, certainly, isn’t he saying that under the new covenant that we are going to be called Christians? Have you heard that before? If I asked for a show of hands, I could probably get a lot of people that put their hand up. When Isaiah talks about the new name by which Christians will be called, that the mouth of the Lord will designate, that’s the name Christian. And people raise it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that.

Let me just say. Without a New Testament quotation of Isaiah 62 or an allusion to it. And there is none. One would have no reason to conclude that name particularly and specifically is what Isaiah had in mind. Without a quotation or a reference or an allusion to Isaiah 62 somewhere in the New Testament, connecting it with that term, I would suggest you have no reason when you read the New Testament to conclude that he is specifically talking about a single term that we see employed in the New Testament, like the term Christian. And if it were the case that’s what Isaiah was specifically referring to, why in the world is it not found in Acts of the second chapter? It’s not mentioned there.

We know this, right? You’ve heard this before. In Antioch, as they were experiencing the grace of God that had been shown unto them, and numbers were being turned to the Lord, and Barnabas was went down from Jerusalem to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord. And they were first called Christians. In Antioch. How many other times in the New Testament is that specific term used? Trivia question for the day. How many more times? Just two. Just two. One is by someone who doesn’t seem even obey the gospel. When Agrippa says later in Acts, almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. The other reference is by Peter in the context of suffering in 1 Peter chapter 4, when he says, Don’t suffer as a meddler or an evildoer, but if any man suffers as a Christian, in this name let him glorify God.

And it’s interesting that he speaks of the term Christian in relation in a context of suffering. Could this have been a title assigned to believers not necessarily to honor them, but a term of derision used by their enemies, this sect that is associated with Christ? And this all comes from a statement made around the end of the first century by Tacitus, who is quoted by others, who said, the vulgar call them Christians. The author or origin of this denomination, he says, Christus, had in the reign of Tiberius been executed by the procurator Pontius Pilate. And so Tacitus says, the vulgar call them Christians. Now, having said that, Peter is taking the term and putting a better spin on it, isn’t he? He’s not belittling this term in any way because what does it mean?

It means one who follows Christ. Isn’t that what believers are? If anyone suffers as a Christian, again, if those who derogatorily label or label them, you people who belong to Christ, those people who belong to Christ, those troublesome meddlers in our town. And they would persecute them as a result. He says, if you suffer because you’re dedicated to Christ, in that name, glorify God. He’s putting a good twist on it. If it indeed was used as a term of derision. However, Christian was not the exclusive term used in the New Testament to describe those who followed Jesus. In fact, while you find the term Christian two times in the book of Acts, six times, six times in Acts, the believers are described as those belonging to the way.

Six times. Well, is that the specific name which the mouth of the Lord will designate? It’s used twice as many times as the term Christian in the New Testament, and was a favorite of Luke’s, apparently, as he writes the book of Acts. And why were they called people of the way? Well, because there’s only one way. And Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. It seems to be that was a very common term that Christians use to describe themselves. And then as we go throughout the New Testament, we see these terms over and over again. Some of them more than others, James and Jude, in the beginning of their epistles, as we’ve noted recently in class, referred to themselves as bondservants.

Paul used that term in 2 Corinthians chapter 4, or just the simple servants is used many times. Even the term priests, disciples, brethren, temple of God, all used more than the term Christian in the New Testament. Now I put an asterisk by saints. And I did that for a reason because something leaped out at me as I was preparing this material. Paul used this term overty times to talk about the Lord’s people. It’s saints everywhere. And that’s a term we shy away from. And the reason why is because Catholicism has attempted to ruin it. You can only be a saint after you’re dead. But the New Testament speaks of Christians who are living as saints. And Paul uses that term over and over and over again, contributing to the needs of the saints.

Romans 12, 13. Romans 16, verses 1 and 2. Treat them as a way, accept them in a way that is becoming of saints, he says, six times in 1 Corinthians. No confusion among the churches as I have directed all the saints, he says in 1 Corinthians 14 and verse 33. Five times in 2 Corinthians. In 2 Corinthians 13 and verse 13, he concludes all the saints greet you nine times in Ephesians, that you may be able to comprehend with all the saints. The love, the height, the width, the breadth, the depth of the love of Christ, which surpasses knowledge. The only singular usage of the term is in Philippians 4, which I found interesting because mostly it’s plural describing all believers. Like the word Christians is used, plural, except in Acts 11, it’s singular in the other two places.

In Philippians 4 and verse 21, he says, greet every saint in Christ Jesus. Okay. Now I said all of that to say, I’m not belittling the term Christian, or that we shouldn’t use it. Even if it did originally begin as a term of derision. All I’m telling you is that there is no specific name in the New Testament which the Lord says, this is the name that I’m talking about. And there’s no allusion to Isaiah 62 anywhere in the New Testament that says, oh, that’s the name that he’s talking about. It is not a specific name. If you’re going to go with a specific name, I would go with the one that Paul used 40 times or more. But it’s not a specific name. So if you don’t get anything else out of this, let’s forever be done with this saying the new name Isaiah was talking about is the term Christian.

5. The New Name Is the Whole of It

It is the life Christian. It is the life Christian that he’s talking about. It is the whole identity of the one who is in Christ. It’s not a specific title. It’s not disciple or servant or bondservant or temple or even saints or Christian. It’s all of it. Do you get that? And in Isaiah 62, if you want to get specific, it’s Heathzebah and Beulah. It’s my delight is in her. My delight is in his people, is what he’s saying. My delight is my people. I have a relationship with them. I shall be their God, and they shall be my people. 2 Corinthians chapter 6 tells us. That’s what’s going on here. The new name. What is Jesus’ name? The name that is above all names that we sang about.

It’s not a specific title. It’s not Jesus or Emmanuel or any of the specific titles that Jesus wore, Lion of the tribe of Judah. It’s all of them. It’s all that he is. As King of kings and Lord of Lords, who sits at the right hand of the Majesty on high. It’s a term about status. Jesus has a status that no one else writes. Nobody. In any realm, anywhere. He has a name that is above all names. And so when he says, I’m going to give you a new name, here it is. We get our new identity, a new passport, a new life. The old is covered and concealed. It’s dealt with. In Christ, we have a new identity. We have a new name. It’s not just the name Christian.

It’s that. It’s all of it. Saints, sanctified, friend. The temple of the living God. It’s all of it. Okay, have you got it now? The new name is the whole of it. And what Isaiah was anticipating was a new era for God’s people. Let me just say before I get to Ephesians 1. We are those. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. That’s the new name. 1 Corinthians 10 and 11. We are those upon whom the ends of the ages have come. I love that statement. What has history all been about?

This Jesus and everything associated with him in this new covenant of grace, this new era, us being identified with him, being in Christ, he chose us in him before the foundation of the world. It’s all of all that we studied in Ephesians chapter 1, this mystery that has been revealed.

The summing up of all things in Christ. He has worked all things after the counsel of his will. If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature. You heard that before, right? 2 Corinthians 5.17. If any man is in Christ, he’s a new creature, new name. Old things have passed away. That old identity. Oh, this is important for tonight. That old identity. When we were that bad person. That’s God. We have a new identity. And that’s so important. I beg you, on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He who knew no sin became sin on our behalf. What? That we might become the righteousness of God in him. What a verse. 2 Corinthians 5 21. That we might become, and folks, young people, that’s what being a Christian is all about.

That’s what being a disciple or a saint is all about. That we might become the righteousness of God in him. A sought-out people. Holy to the Lord, redeemed, a city not forsaken, the bride, the wife of the Lamb. Can you tell I’m getting a little bit excited? Got a whole sermon on 2 Corinthians 5.21 that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. I’ll tell you with Province. We’ve been associated with this for so long.

6. Familiarity Breeds Contempt

Familiarity breeds contempt. And that statement points to the fact that sometimes our perception becomes diminished. And thus we do not have the same enjoyment of something that we once had. Instead of appreciating the good things in our spouses, we suffer from the grasses always greener complex.

And was marred physically. And they were far less than what they were before. Would I honor my vows? Most people. Most people. And I hesitate to say that even many Christians would seek greener pastures. And so I come back again to the Irish proverb. Maybe. All of a sudden my clicker’s not working. Be happy with what you have. And you will have plenty to be happy about if your perspective is right.

That we take for granted, don’t we? Unless we were suddenly deprived of them.

Hurricane comes, you realize how good air conditioning is. And when it finally comes on, I’ve never experienced this by the way. Oh, I should be saying this. This is the year. When it finally comes back on, there is rejoicing like you’ve never seen at your house. Woohoo! I knew that after the electricity’s been out for two hours. Internet again. Everything works. Isn’t electricity amazing? Familiarity breeds contempt. And I want to suggest to you that is the same thing that happens to us. My battery’s dead. The same thing that happens to us over the fact that we are in Christ.

Ben Lee. Preaches for the Dallin Road Church in Beaumont, Texas. Ben is presently in Africa. Just, I think Botswana specifically. He posted this yesterday. Father in heaven. Please forgive me for the lack of appreciation I’ve had at times. I realize that I’m blessed because I have a relationship with you. Whether I have a lot or a little with respect to stuff, I am blessed. Lord, please destroy me when I fail to appreciate what I have and who I am in you. Help me to stop complaining and to start counting my blessing. I have been exposed to the real world. The things I get upset with are truly pathetic. Thank you, God. You are a God of wonders. You are awesome. Help me, God, to speak out more for you.

Conclusion

There are people who need your free gift of salvation and who will receive it when given an opportunity. Please destroy my pride and any discontentment hidden in my heart. In the mighty name of Jesus. Amen. That’s what a few days in Africa will do for you. That’s all I want to conclude this morning by talking to you about the perception of identity. How we look at ourselves is really important. Our conceptions of self-worth are based upon our perceptions of identity. Are they not? The sense of belonging. Why do you think we get so excited about our sports affiliations? Can’t imagine it, even being an Aggie.

It’s our sense of self, our sense of identity, or the particular skills we possess, the school, the place of employment. People gauge their identity by a sense of belonging. I’m a resident of the great state of Texas. I’m a citizen of the United States. And furthermore, our perception of identity and our feelings about self-worth are wrapped up in that my life is counting for something. That my life is making a difference, that my life matters. But we must not get carried away with ourselves in all of that. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God. In the great scheme of things, we are powerless and temporary, and without God, we are nothing. What is man that thou art mindful of him?

This perception of identity is really ultimately all about. This new name is really ultimately all about divine association. Mary. My delight is in her. To this one I will look. To the one who is lowly and contrite of heart and who trembles at my word. I want to conclude with that word, tremble. At Calvary, where I trembled at the law I’d spurned. I didn’t tell Bobby to sing that one. He just found it on his own. Were you there? Tremble. We sing. Felix, when Paul reasoned with him regarding righteousness, self-control, and judgment to come. He trembled. Go thy way. When I have a convenience season, I’ll call for you. In the moment of trembling, he failed. But you know, these days, I’d be happy if I could just get people to tremble.

That’s a step in the right direction. How long has it been since you trembled about this marvelous message of the day of judgment that’s coming? You should tremble. Because if you are those other two words in Isaiah 62, forsaken and desolate, you need to tremble. You need the new name that was promised by Isaiah, that was fulfilled in the preaching of the gospel on the day of Pentecost when thousands, Jew and Gentile, flowed into the kingdom. They were embracing the new identity. And how wonderful it is to be in Christ. Can we assist you in putting on the new identity as we stand and sing?