“Who am I?” How we answer this question is everything.
We’re born into the world with a certain set of gifts, talents, internal thoughts and feelings, circumstances, and temptations. This is what we wear, what we know the world by and know ourselves by as we navigate growing up, relationships, hardships, and more. When we encounter Jesus, we are offered the gift of a new identity – an identity hidden in Him. He calls us to take up our crosses and follow Him, and with that discipleship comes this new identity that surpasses all the other ways of knowing who we are. Knowing and walking in our identity in Christ is a lifelong journey, but there are some things we do know from Scripture about what our new identity is, and how to put it on (Colossians 3). Here is what is true about your identity in Jesus Christ:
God is pleased with how He made you (Genesis 1:31).
You are God’s masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10).
You are a child of God (John 1:12).
You are a son/daughter of God and an heir (Galatians 4:7).
You have been adopted as God’s son/daughter (Ephesians 1:5).
You can call Christ brother (Hebrews 2:11).
And And God raised you up with Christ and seated you with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ (Ephesians 2:6-7).
The Spirit of God dwells in you (1 Corinthians 3:16).
Christ calls you friend (John 15:15).
You are joined to the Lord, one spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17).
You are a member of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27).
You have been redeemed through God’s grace (Ephesians 1:7).
You have been given fullness in Christ (Colossians 2:10).
You have received power through the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13).
You work together with Christ (2 Corinthians 6:1).
You are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
You are a minister of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:20).
You are sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13).
You are free to approach God with confidence (Ephesians 3:12).
Christ is the vine; you are a branch (John 15:5).
You are the salt and light of the earth (Matthew 5:13-14).
The Lord renews your strength (Isaiah 40:29).
You have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).
You are created in Christ Jesus for good works (Ephesians 2:10).
You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13).
Christ is with you always, even to the ends of the earth (Matthew 28:20).
You will have eternal glory (2 Timothy 2:10).
As a follower of Jesus Christ, these are not things you need to obtain or work hard towards, you already have them! It’s who you already are, given freely as a gift by Christ. Our work is only to receive the gift – to take hold of all that God has given you in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. Don’t know how to do this? I encourage you to check out this blog post on The Spirit-Filled Life.
Haven’t yet given your life to Jesus Christ? Ready for a new identity? You can start your journey of Knowing God Personally by trusting in Jesus and experiencing your new identity in Him today!
(Verses adapted from the Rooted Network. Resources are from cru.org)
