February 20, 2002
As a part of Oklahoma Baptist University's Focus Week, Dr. Bill Gillham spoke during the university's Feb.19 chapel service on developing a new identity by trusting in God.
Gillham is founder of Lifetime Guarantee Ministries in Fort Worth, Texas. He and his wife, Annabel, host the nationally syndicated radio program, Lifetime Guarantee.
Gillham told OBU students that humans have two basic problems - one with identity and one with performance. Birth determines physical identity but spiritual identity comes from history - Adam as a child of God's wrath, Gillham said.
"God sacrifices your own identity and then rebirths you with a new one," Gillham said. "You are living a pipe dream if you're clinging to your old identity."
He said that as a new man in Christ there is new identity not defined by flesh. Jesus Christ becomes the spiritual ancestor instead of Adam.
"God's solution for the ongoing problem of our failing performance is a person - Jesus," Gillham said. "Faith is living like God tells the truth."
Gillham is a psychologist, speaker and author. He has been a public school teacher and administrator and a field representative with the Oklahoma Education Association. He was associate professor of psychology at Southeastern Oklahoma State University for several years before moving on to full-time ministry.