Several years ago, I remember riding in the car with my sister, whose husband was an officer in the Air Force. When we drove onto the base, the guard saluted her. I asked her why, because she was not in the military nor was any of us in the car. She explained that their car had a sticker that identified its owner as an officer. The enlisted man saluted the authority that the owner of the car possessed. Since Jesus has identified us with his name, we are to treat one another with the same respect and dignity that Jesus’ name requires. While we are children of God and are therefore identified with his name, we have also received his authority as his ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). We have the same authority to bring reconciliation with God as Jesus did, because we are identified with Jesus’ name. The more that the followers of Jesus grasp and internalize that which Jesus taught about who they are, the more they will see their thinking and consequently their lives transformed by the Holy Spirit who dwells within them.
David Freitag 