The Daily Grace - What's In A Name?

My friend wrote a letter to his newborn child that he wanted him to read when he was older: "My dear boy, Daddy and Mommy wish that you will find and stay focused on the Light. Your Chinese name is xin xuan. Xin means faithfulness, contentment, and integrity; xuan stands for warmth and light". He and his wife carefully chose a name based on their hopes for their baby boy.

When Jesus renamed Simon as Peter / Cephas (John 1:42), it wasn't a random choice. Peter means "the rock". But it took a while for him to live up to his new name. The account of his life reveals him as a fisherman known for his rash ways - a shifting-sand kind of guy. Peter disagreed with Jesus (Matt. 16:22-23), struck a man with a sword (John 18:10-11), and even denied knowing Jesus (vv. 15-27). But in Acts, it is stated that God worked in and through him to establish His church. Peter truly became a rock.

If you, like Peter, are a follower of Jesus, you have a new identity. In Acts 11:26, we read, "The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch". The name "Christians" means "Christ-ones". You now are one of the Christ-ones. This title lifts up who you are and calls you to become what you are not yet. God is faithful, and He will complete His good work in you (Phil. 1:6). We honor God's name when we call Him our Father and live like His children.