WHAT'S IN A NAME ANYWAY?

The XY sex-determination system is the sex-determination system found in humans, most other mammals, some insects (Drosophila), and some plants (Ginkgo). In this system, the sex of an individual is determined by a pair of sex chromosomes (gonosomes). Females have two of the same kind of sex chromosome (XX), and are called the homogametic sex. Males have two distinct sex chromosomes (XY), and are called the heterogametic sex.  WIKIPEDIA


The leader of the NAACP in Spokane is white.  "Oh well" the chapter leaders replied.  She doesn't look like a CP, she doesn't have the genetics of a CP, but she self-identifies as a CP and that's enough.

The Olympic athlete has XY chromosomes in every cell of his body.  There are no exceptions.  Every one of the billions of cells in his physique identify him as XY.  "No," he protests.  I think I'm XX.  He doesn't have the genetics of a XX, but wants to self-identify as a XX and that's enough.

The male consort of the popular entertainer has signed that he is the "mother" of the pair's adopted child.  He is a male.  But he protests, I'm "Mother."  He doesn't have the genetics of an actual or even a potential mother, but wants to self-identify as a "mother" and that's enough.

SO WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?  WHAT'S IN A NAME?

In the first book of the Bible we read of a man who discovered that names matter to God. 

On his way home to reconcile with his brother whom he had grievously wronged many years before the man found himself confronted by an Angel, a messenger from God. Fearing that his brother was out to kill him, the man asked the Angel for His blessing. 

The Angel offered to bless the frightened traveler on one condition.  He had to confess his name.

No, the traveler protested. "Bless me!" he cried. 

The Angel insisted.  "Tell me your name!"  "No" the traveler resisted. 

The controversy raged all night.  The traveler was weary but stubbornly refused to admit his name. 

As the sun dawned in the eastern sky, the traveler grabbed hold of the Angel!  "Bless me!" he demanded.

"Not until you tell me your name!" the Angel steadfastly contended. 

The weary traveler craved the blessing, but oh how he despised his name and the truth it represented. 

Seeing that there would be no divine blessing until there was a confession, the traveler blurted out his name--"I AM JACOB!"   His name meant deceiver.  Indeed!  All his life he had been a deceiver.  Tragically, as is inevitable, he was not only a deceiver--he was deceived.

When the Angel heard his confession, He changed Jacob's name.  His new name would be ISRAEL, literally "Prince of God." 

Until the day he died, ISRAEL walked with a limp, a painful reminder of that night he had wrestled with the Angel of the LORD.

In a generation that loves to pretend that they are what they are not, or that they are not what they actually are, we do well to recall God's dealing with Jacob.

There can be no blessing until there is a recognition and confession of who we are.  Even this step can be vexing.  Self-deception is far easier than self-knowledge.  The ancient oracle was right.  The first step to an encounter with the divine is "Know Thyself."

But there is more.  Not only must we know who we are, we must confess it!  Owning up to our name can be difficult. 

Admitting that we cannot change the truth about ourselves is humbling at best.  It's actually humiliating.

But the Angel of the Lord God, has a new name to go with the new You that He has purchased for you. 

The New You is not self proclaimed, it is Christ purchased.

Those who deny who they are will never know the joy of being who God has made them to be!