What The Bible Says About Our Identity In Christ
Sean DeMars Rebecca McLaughlin
Sean DeMars and Rebecca McLaughlin discuss woke church and address what the church should be most concerned with regarding todays social issues.
In this video, Melissa Kruger, Megan Hill, and Jen Michel unpack passages of Scripture that inform how believers understand their worth and how this contradicts the messages of our culture. For more from these authors and othersincluding Trillia Newbell, Jen Wilkin, and Hannah Andersonpick up a copy of the new book Identity Theft: Reclaiming the Truth of Our Identity in Christ.
Melissa Kruger
One of the things that I actually really enjoy doing is taking personality tests. I dont know if you all like them or youre annoyed by them. But I really like it. Theres something to me about being able to read the description know that there are other people like me. Maybe Im a little disturbed that the test so accurately described me, but I think one thing that we all know is that Scripture accurately describes us too. It says, This is who you are in Christ.
What are some of the scriptural thoughts that encourage you when you think about your identity in Christ?
Megan Hill
Jen Michel
Hes purified the people for himself. He has called us to be holy, to be his. And hes also making us zealous for good works. And so were in the world doing the work of God in the world, and it just reminds me of both my identity and my purpose for why Im here.
Melissa Kruger
Jen Michel
Megan Hill
Have You Ever Wondered What The Bible Says About Your Identity In Christ
Many Christians struggle to get a hold of what it means to be a Child of God and to really see ourselves the way He sees us. Beginning to walk with Christ can be a difficult transition when we have spent years only hearing who we are from the world or from ourselves.
We have to rewire our brain so that we can walk in our freedom and live loved, but that rewiring takes time and diligence in feeding your soul with Gods Word.
This is so important because if we dont truly understand our identity in Christ, we will be swayed and discouraged by the lies of the enemy. We will be more prone to believe we arent good enough or strong enough or worthy of love.
So in this post, Ive gathered 10 powerful verses that will help you to understand what your identity in Christ really means.
What To Do With Your Newfound Identity
Lets go back to the first question: Who am I?
With this newfound knowledge of your identity in Christ, you now know the power of Jesus name and what you are capable of through Him.
Once you are accepted into the family of Christ, there is nothing you cant do and no honour more important.
Now that you know the importance of your identity in Christ, now is the time to fulfill the purpose of God and what He has planned for you.
Draw close to God and make an appointment with Him daily. Get to know Him on a more personal level and He will draw you closer to Him.
It is then that you will hear the Holy Spirit speaking to you and guiding you toward the ministry God has designed for you.
In the comments below, share your favourite verses about our identity in Christ.
Don’t Miss: What Does The Bible Say About Loneliness
What Is Our Identity In Christ
Our value and identity in Christ is much deeper than the beauty of a gorgeous palm tree on a sunny beach. As beautiful daughters created by our Father, our identity is found in the truth of Gods Word.
The enemy will try to deceive us as he did Eve in the garden. Satan attempts to plant seeds of doubt in our minds about our identity, influencing us to believe lies about who we really are. The enemy uses our past experiences, current circumstances, and the negative words and opinions of others to make us believe that we are worthless and insignificant.
But who does God say we are?
The voice of His truth is the only voice that matters, and the voice of a stranger we dare not follow . We must silence the lies of Satan by daily drenching ourselves in the truth of who we are in Christ through the lens of Scripture.
We Should Not Be Surprised When Suffering Comes But We Can Be Confident That It Will Produce Things Of Eternal Value
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
If our identity is in Christ, then we are guaranteed that one day we will identify with him in his sufferings. Just as Christs sufferings were not hopeless and wasted, neither will ours be. Christs sufferings defeated sin and death, and therefore we identify with him as he uses suffering to put sin to death in us, to make us reflect more of him. Not only does suffering sanctify us, but it assures us that, after suffering with him for a while, we will one day be glorified with him.
This theme of suffering has been a familiar one for me over the last several years. While I will be the first to say that they have been some of the hardest years of my life, I can also say they have been some of the best. Everyone suffers, but can everyone look back at their suffering with thankfulness and joy because of it? Only those with the hope of Christ can do that. There is no good that comes from suffering if we are apart from Christ.
However, I can attest to the truth that the more I have let go of what I thought I wanted , the more I have found joy and treasure in what only Christ could have done through the pain he has ordained in my life. Suffering gradually changes our earthly perspective into an eternal one.
Recommended Reading: How Many Fear Not In The Bible
Why Should We Know The Identity Of A Christian
Knowing your identity in Christ is essential to fully enjoying your life as a Christian. Your identity in Christ is not based on your job, income or earthly possessions, but on who you are in Christ.
You are a child of God.
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are Gods children. Romans 8:15-16 See also Romans 8:14-17, Galatians 4:5, Ephesians 1:5 and 2:18, 1 John 3:1-2 and Revelation 3:12
As a Christian, you should know the identity of a Christian. We are a new creation in Christ. We are no longer identified by our pasts, but we are identified by His past.
Our sins were placed on Jesus on the cross. We now have a new identity in Christ. We are no longer slaves, but we are sons and daughters. We are no longer dead, but we are alive. We are no longer lost, but we are found. We are Gods masterpiece. We are His children. We are His sheep. We have the mind of Christ.
Identity is something that is important to everyone. What is it that makes you who you are? Is it your job, your hobbies, your friends, your family? Or is it something else? In the Bible, God tells us repeatedly who we are. In fact, God takes great care to make sure we understand who we are in Christ and how we are to live. If we are going to live out the Christian life, we need to understand who we are in Christ.
Bible Verses About Our Identity In Christ
There are many Bible verses about our identity in Christ to help us understand and stay rooted in our faith. Here are a few verses about our identity in Christ to help you get started:
Psalm 139 is a beautiful passage that reveals the beauty of human creation:
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my bodyand knit me together in my mothers womb.Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Psalm 139:13-14 NLT
Ephesians 2 speaks of the beauty of our new identity in Christ:
For we are Gods masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:10 NLT
Romans 6 tells us we walk in the newness of life when we turn to Christ:
We have therefore been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory and power of the Father, we too might walk habitually in newness of life .
Romans 6:4 AMP
You May Like: What Does The Bible Say About Domestic Abuse
Who In The Bible Struggles With Identity
The Bible is full of people like us. They struggled and lived in the sinful flesh. But isnt it amazing how God chose to use them even when they werent fully living out of Him? God can use you in the same way too! He does not expect perfection but only humility and reliance on Him.
Lets look at David in the Old Testament. He was a little nobody shepherd. His father didnt even send for him when Samuel came to pick the future king . But God called David a man after Gods own heart and gave him His Spirit . Even walking with the Spirit, David still managed to end up committing adultery and murder .
But God did not give up on David or leave him. David repented, and the relationship was restored with the Lord . God saw more to David than the world did, and God gave him purpose and identity in Him. But as David experienced trials over the years, you can see and experience his range of emotions and struggles with his identity in the Psalms he wrote.
Fast forward to the New Testament. A religious leader named Saul decided that this new Gospel of grace being preached by Jesuss disciples was against the law, so he began persecuting them . His identity was completely found in following the law, and there was no room for any change.
But God had other plans for Saul. He met him on the road to Damascus and through that experience revealed Himself to Saul . God changed his name to Paul and began using him in mighty ways for the advancement of the Gospel.
What Does It Mean To Find Your Identity In Christ
One night I was lying in bed, almost asleep, when I heard what sounded like an elephant stomping on a car-sized Coke can and then dragging it off to a recycling center. There havent been many elephant sightings in my neighborhood, nor are elephants known to be religious recyclers, so I got up to inspect the situation.
I looked outside and instead of a Coke can, there was a mangled car limping away from the scene. The car had smashed my neighbors treasured pick-up truck parked in front of his house.
We lived on a normally quiet streethardly any traffic, or elephants, in the eveningsso my guess was that the driver was highly intoxicated. I saw my neighbor, normally a calm and controlled guy, rush outside and completely lose it.
Now, Ive been in car wrecks. It can be an emotional experience, especially if you or a loved one is injured. But Ive never seen someone so rattled by a damaged vehicle.
A car wreck is no fun. Its a hassle to get everything fixed or replaced, but its not something that should completely unravel your world. If it does, you have to ask yourself, why was this vehicle so important? Why did this event send me off the deep end? Is my identity so fragile that a car wreck unravels it?
Its easy to point fingers, but Ive come unglued over less significant things. The point here is to be able to endure hard times and set a course that is meaningful and fulfilling. And to do that your identity has to be rooted in something stronger than yourself.
Recommended Reading: How Many Times Is Fear In The Bible
You Are A Child Of God And Co
The following Bible verses about identity in Christ talk about when we become Christians, we are fully adopted into Gods family, and Christ shares His inheritance with us. In other words, we become royalty in the King of Kings family. Let that sink in for a minute.
Your brother is now Christ, and He is generously sharing His inheritance of every spiritual blessing with you right now. Praise God!
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry Abba, Father! The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
and if children, then heirs heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. Romans 8:14-17 ESV
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, Ephesians 2:19 ESV
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God and so we are. The reason why the world does not us is that it did not know him. 1 John 3:1 ESV
But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. Galatians 3:25-26 ESV
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ Philippians 3:20 ESV
Our Identity In Christ Gives Us Purpose
As we read these identity in Christ verses, we can root ourselves in Gods truth and better understand our God-given purpose in life.
After Jesus was tempted in the desert, he began his public ministry in Matthew 4:12 and began preaching and proclaiming the good news of the coming kingdom .
He began to fulfill the purpose for which he came.
Just like the palm tree on the beach example, understanding our identity in Christ will help us better understand the purpose for which we were created.
And we will be firm and securelike a tree planted by streams of Living Water.
Our purpose as beautiful daughters of the King is to bear the fruit of truth and righteousness that will be a blessing to others. We can then provide shade and refreshment to those around us when our identity is rooted in Gods Word.
Here are some identity in Christ verses that specifically talk about Identity and Purpose:
Also Check: Chronological Order Of Bible Books
Knowing Our Identity Helps Us Persevere Through Trials
even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ 8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:6-9 NASB
Understanding who we are as His children helps us persevere through the trials we face in this world. Because we know as His children that this world is temporary. We have a future hope and a future glory to look forward to. This hope strengthens us to keep moving forward in faith.
Does Satan Want Us To Realize Our Identity In Christ
Lies of the devil are deceiving, sweet friends! Satan Loves to get in our minds and have us doubt who we are in God because thats what hes good at!
Satan knows if he can control who we perceive ourselves to be he can control how we live, speak, think, and keep us bound in chains of doubt, on how we see ourselves, Satan planted seeds of doubt from the beginning in Gods word.
Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, Has God indeed said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?Genesis 3:1
Satan wants you to doubt your value and identity in God!
However, Jesus Christ is the protector of our identity the rescuer of our souls, and the One who overcomes! To fight Satans lies about who we are we must guard ourselves with Gods Word the only place to discover our true identity in Christ!
Read Also: What Is The Chronological Order Of The Bible
Take Your Thoughts Captive
I have a full post written about the 5 steps to taking your thoughts captive that will help walk you through this step in more detail, but the main point is to capture those thoughts.
Because our thoughts fire so quickly, we often feel out of control to do anything about them. It feels like it just happens without our even being a part of the process.
I also include a step-by-step worksheet to walk you through taking your thoughts captive in my Prayer Journal Bundle, which is a great done-for-you resource to help you connect with God in your quiet times.
The truth is, we have a lot more control over our thoughts than we think! It just takes some intentional effort and awareness to grab them and hold them steady, without allowing them to lead all of our feelings and actions.
Often, you start by doing this after the actual incident. Lets go back to the example on the scale. Maybe you didnt notice any lies in your thoughts. You noticed you were in a bad mood, but didnt even think twice about it until later that night when you connected the dots and realized you were having a great day until you stepped on the scale and wondered what happened.
Hindsight can really help you to see the situation more clearly and its never too late to take a thought captive not that evening, not the next day, not the next year, not even 6 decades later.
It is always worth it to take lies captive, whenever you recognize they are there.