Genesis 32:28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

Abraham was Abram, Sarah was Sarai, and Paul was Saul, what is in a name?

Elvis, Celine, Whitney, Bono, Cher, Johnny are all single name celebrities who have achieved fame. They made a name for themselves, not that they did not already have a name, but that the name became the instant identifier. Yet it is man who has given them power and privilege, not God.

I’ve known people who have changed their names. Some just do not like their names. Some have a dark shadow cast upon their family name because of history. Some have ruined their own name. Some think that a name change will make a difference, such as in an acting career. Who was Marion Morrison?

It is who you are that is important, not your name or who you were in the past. Being a new creation in Christ means getting to start afresh and a name change won’t give you a new identity, your obedience of faith does.

I am a new creation in Christ who because I am human can make mistakes. Those who knew me back then, if they see my mistakes, they will say I haven’t changed. My reputation does not reflect who I am. I am not what I do in that sense, I am as I respond to in faith. It is my faith in Christ that determines what I am and not entirely what I do.

I say entirely because faith in Christ leads to actions which are observable. The difference between the actor and those who obey by faith is the glory and reputation is not ours. It is Jesus Christ who is the name, the reputation and the glory.

Like Jacob, one day, God will give me a new name and that will be who I am forevermore, unchanged and forever faithful, filled with all the faith and grace by which I was born of God.

Numbers 16:2-3 And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown: And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord?

If you have ever read Numbers 16, then you might agree with me that it is a tough read. It starts with rebellion, but then what doesn’t? Rebellion forces the issue. Rebellion will not stand before the Lord, it cannot.

The rebels declared here in verse 3 that all are holy. They being men of fame and renown took it upon themselves to declare who was holy. In response to that Moses said, and I paraphrase, “Well we will see what God has to say about that.”

The two hundred and fifty and all their families were swallowed up into the pit and a fire consumed them. The rebellion was put down. Then the unthinkable began, those that were not in rebellion began to die of a plague, not because they were in rebellion but because they were not holy for they lay the blame of the deaths on Moses and Aarons.

It was then that Moses sent Aaron into their midst to intercede on their behalf, to save those he could. Fourteen thousand seven hundred of these died, Moses and Aaron could not save them all. It was not their wish that any should die, but they were all worthy of death. Only those for whom Aaron stood between the living and the dead were saved.

None are holy but the Lord. None are faithful but the Lord. None are saved except those whom that Lord has stood between them and death. It is not His will that any should die, but He cannot save everyone.

The terms have been set. Our only salvation is our intercessor, Christ, you can stand before Him and blame Him for the deaths or take His side and be saved. If you think you have any other choice, you haven’t been listening.