In Colorado, there is a town named “No Name.” I was wondering what it might be like to live without a name. For a believer, we not only have a name, we have a new name! Everything belongs to God. I belong to God. You belong to God. My three grandsons belong to God. One of them had something he wanted to say to me. That’s what he said. “I’ve got something to say to you, Papa.” He had the most serious look on his face, I said “what is it Zeke?” with as straight a face as I could manage. He said, “Just because something has somebody’s name on it doesn’t mean it belongs to them.” I don’t know where he came up with that idea, but I suspect he’s been taking things that belong to his big brother and has been arguing that he has the right to do that. I tried to teach him that when you see something with someone’s name on it, you can be pretty sure that it does belong to them. I advised him to leave those things alone. You and I, all of us, have God’s name on us. Through our faith in Christ, we get a new name! It’s our new identity. We’ve been born again into a new family, adopted, and changed our name. We now belong to Christ. That’s exactly what “Christian” really means.
As those who belong to God, we’ve moved into a new home. The Psalmist puts it in various terms, but I like it when he sings about God being our “dwelling place.” We read in Psalm 91:9-11, “Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place—the Most High, who is my refuge—no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” Belonging to God guarantees His protection. Since I have God’s name on me, no one else better mess around with me. God has a whole army of angels, The Heavenly Host, who are ready to go to war for me!
Max Lucado expresses this truth beautifully. He writes, “It would be enough if God just cleansed your name, but he does more. He gives you his name. It would be enough if God just set you free, but he does more. He takes you home … God adopted you simply because he wanted to. You were in his goodwill and pleasure. Knowing full well the trouble you would be and the price he would pay, he signed his name next to yours, changed your name to his, and took you home. Your Abba adopted you and became your father.” Isaiah wrote, “And you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give.” Isaiah 62:2