Identity in Christ

I’ll never forget the day we sold our mini-van.

It was the weirdest thing.

I couldn’t wait to get rid of it, the mom-van decorated with college bumper stickers. But when the day finally came, I felt a deep sadness creep into my soul.

Selling it closed the end of an era of our family. Gone were the days of cross-country road trips with cheerios, Veggie-Tales, crying babies, and desperate pit-stops during potty-training. (Hallelujah!) Yes, gone were those days.

As I mourned the days I once couldn’t wait to pass, I felt a piece of my identity fade away.

But it hadn’t.

Who We Aren’t

Isn’t it funny how what we do is how we identify ourselves? Yet, what we do simply is that- what we do. It’s not who we be. (I know that’s not grammatically correct, but stay with me here.) We get so focus on the doing that we forget about the being. 

Our identity in this life and the life to come is not found in our doing.

It’s not found in our gender.

It’s not found in our sexual preference.

Or what pronoun we prefer when people reference us on Facebook. (Though Facebook has made that a part of our profile.)

Our skin color.

Our job.

Whether we are married or not or have children or not.

Our talents and passions.

Our age.

Our body image.

No. Who we are is found deep inside.

Our Insecurities

I would like to think that all my insecurities went out the window once I graduated middle school, but they didn’t. It’s a battle I  fight daily when I put my security in my abilities or looks or success or season in life.

My security and insecurity both balance on the pinnacle of who I believe I am.

If we’re honest with ourselves, we often feel insecure. Those who hide it best often feel it most. But our insecurity is an invitation from God to escape the danger of false beliefs about who we are and find true peace in who he is. Desiring God 

Made in the Image of God

The Bible tells us in Genesis 1 that God made man in his image. Can we fathom how beautiful and perfect Adam and Eve were before they chose not to trust God? There was no shame or fear in the presence of God. He walked with them in the garden.

I believe deep inside us that seed is still there. The image of God is still deep inside us, and the blood of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit who now dwells in believers, work to re-birth us into that image, to grow that seed.

“Christian selfhood is not defined in terms of who we are in and of ourselves. It’s defined in terms of what God does to us and the relationship he creates with us and the destiny he appoints for us. God made us who we are so we could make known who he is. Our identity is for the sake of making known his identity.” Desiring God

1. What God does to us: Forgives us, Frees us, Adopts us
2. The relationship he creates with us: Children of God, Brothers and Sisters with Christ
3. The destiny he appoints for us: Destined to be like Christ, heirs of the Kingdom of God, royal priests.

The Freedom of Finding our Identity in Christ

The danger of  finding our identity in anything of this temporary world is just that. It is temporary. Beauty fades. Children grow up. Loved ones die. We grow old and retire. Life brings change constantly. But there is One who is constant.

I also want to point out that the enemy wants to distort our identity.

Last week we studied the war going on for our joy, peace, and victory. I can’t think of a more poignant and powerful weapon against the enemy than being secure in who we are in Christ and what that means.

Bible Reading Plan

 

Join me this week as we dig deep to live fully in our true identity.

Sneak Peek

Chosen, Invited, and Holy: 1 Peter 2:9: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

• Everything changes when we accept Christ. We are chosen by God, called (invited) into light out of darkness, and made holy, set apart and consecrated for serving God. Which of these three new identities speaks deepest into your soul? Why?

 

Forgiven and Free: Romans 8:1: There is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. For the spirit of life has set me free from the law of sin and death.

• The word “condemnation” in the Greek also means “punishment.” There is now no punishment for those in Christ. Is there anything you are still punishing yourself for or fear God is going to punish you for? The Spirit of life has set you free.

 

Child of the Promise: Galatians 3: 28-29: There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

• Do you remember how much Abraham loved Isaac? Isaac was the son of the promise of heirs as vast as the stars in the sky. God loved Abraham. And He loves you like the precious, cherished, promised son. You are of the promise. Say out loud, “I am of the promise. I’m one of the children Abraham longed for.” What does it mean to you to be a child of the promise?

 

Destined to be like Christ one day: 1 John 3:2: Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

• Close your eyes and ask God to give you a vision of what you will look like or be when Christ appears. Write it down.

 

Rescued and Redeemed: Col. 1: 13-14: For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

• We could not rescue or redeem ourselves. What has Jesus rescued and redeemed you from?

Accepted: Romans 15:7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

• What does it mean to you to be accepted by Christ, and who do you need to accept?

 

Adopted: Ephesians 1: 5: In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—  to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 

• Circle the words “pleasure and will.” Was God forced to adopt us? Why did he make a way for our adoption? Write the words: “God wanted me to be His child.”

 

Click here to get the Scriptures with Questions and Prompts Printable.

Daily Broadcast and Fellowship

I hope you’ll get the free printable, so that you can dig deep into these scriptures and let the truth seep into those places that need healing. And I hope you can join me at 8:20 every morning ET to be encouraged and find the life inside each one of these Bites. Just join me on Facebook or watch later on my You Tube channel. 

Let’s Pray

Hold my hands. “Dear Lord, we thank you for all you’ve done. Thank you for loving us, wanting the best for us, adopting us, freeing us, and forgiving us. Help us walk out who we are in you. I pray we walk salty and shiny. Secure in you with a new identity that lasts forever, mini-van or not. Amen”

 

Digging Deep to Find Myself in Jesus,

Andy

 

PS. Here’s another article on finding our identity. Good stuff! Your identity in Christ., by Sarah Walton. 

And one for teens: What is my Identity?

 

PSS.  If this was encouraging, and you don’t want to miss any Bite of Bread reading plans and posts, subscribe today! You’ll receive a 22-Day Devotion on Psalm 119 called Finding the Beauty {Full} in God’s Word.Just click here to dig deep to live fully. 🙂 

 

 

 

 

 

Great article.