Your Identity As A Believer

We’re continuing to build a strong foundation in a new life you now live through God’s love and gift of Jesus. You are a son or daughter of God because of placing your faith in Jesus, believing what He did for you. You’re a child of God, adopted into God’s family because of Jesus’s provision. You are IN Christ. When you receive this spiritual identity, your future changes dramatically. You’re a new you, no longer being ruled by sin which brings death (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Don’t be part of the identity crisis group of Christians who still don’t know who they are in God, their new identity as a believer. As Jack Elder says, many good believers still believe they’re just a sinner saved by grace. I’ve heard that response from family and friends, all of them having accepted God’s gift; yet, they hadn’t seen the totality of their new identity. We want to make sure you understand who you really are as a born-again Christian.

Part of the stigma of an identity crisis in their spiritual walk, is they always feel they’re coming up short because God has such high standards and they can’t reach those same standards. Again, here is where our realignment and refocus must change. It isn’t about us but totally about Jesus and what He did and how He lived up to the standards allowing those who believe in Him to have their identity in Him. Did you notice the focus? It’s not on you or me or what we haven’t done or can’t do on our own. It’s what HE did. Past tense. He already DID what was needed to usher us into God’s best.

Why is that important? It changes everything! Your identity changed when you became a believer and follower of Jesus Christ. As a born again Christian, your way of thinking, acting, and believing either changed or should have changed. If nothing changed overall then you’re still thinking, acting, and believing as you did before. That in itself will keep you in a continual identity crisis loop—always unsure of what is yours as a believer and what you’ve already received through Jesus. It will keep you striving to do more to make sure God is pleased with you.

TRUTH: Understand that right now as a believer, YOU are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. You are made in the image of God and created for good works. Furthermore as Jack Elder says, you have within you the spirit, the power and presence of God Almighty. That means ALL Jesus is in this world, so you are IN HIM.

It’s time to renew your thinking to the way God thinks—especially the way He thinks about you! Your identity is in Christ. It is through His finished work on the Cross where God has placed you and I in Christ. Apart from Him, we are nothing. Your spirit is now alive in Him. Jesus is in us—in you—assuring you of eternal salvation and Heaven as your eternal home with Him.

Your true identity is in Christ alone. It is a spiritual union. We could say it this way: it’s organically united to Christ who is the Tree of life and we are connected to Him as part of the Tree. He is the vine, and we are the branches receiving life from the vine/tree.

That’s why Jesus told His Disciples that apart from Him, they could do nothing. In and of ourselves, in our own power or small ability, we cannot save ourselves. We cannot manufacture peace that sustains. We are not the source. Only Jesus is the Source—our provision for all that we need in this earthly life.

The moment you hook into God’s love through Jesus is the moment you are united with Him, He comes to live IN you, and daily you can receive more of His goodness, blessings, favor—all that you need to be a victorious believer in this world.

And the exciting fabulous aspect in all of this is that there is more you can hook into every day. God’s ability, provisions, love, favor, grace, etc. doesn’t end or diminish. His mercies are NEW every morning as Lamentations 3:22-23 NASB says. “²² The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions (mercies) never fail. ²³ They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.” That means as you continue growing in your identity IN CHRIST, you have inexhaustible resources waiting for you whenever you need them. Did you catch that?  Whenever!

APPLICATION: You’ve heard the term I’m sure, where the rubber meets the road…well, this is where the rubber meets the road. Where you come to terms with the truth of WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST, and allow that truth to permeate your mind, your thinking, your decisions, etc.

It’s where you change how you’ve thought about yourself before. It’s where you change how you think. You begin to think like God. Think about yourself like God thinks about you—as a dearly loved child He is eager to bless, encourage, and strengthen. He’s on your side.

It’s also changing your mind. But unless you have the truth of the Word to give you the foundation on which to build, it’s hard by yourself to change your mind. Just making up your mind to think more positive things won’t fully change anything because the emphasis is on you doing something. Yes, you are involved, but it is the Word that brings about change and transformation, renewal. The world and things of the world want to pull you their way. But the more you embrace—hug and hold on tight to the revelation as God’s beloved child—receive, and walk in the truth of who you are in Christ—the more you’ll live in the reality of God’s promises and provisions.

These are good verses to plant in your heart and meditate on daily.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NASB– “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

Make It Personal: I am IN Christ and am new because my old life is gone and in God all things are now new. It’s a new beginning for me.

2 Corinthians 5:21 NASB – “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Make It Personal: Jesus took my place, and I am no longer a dirty rotten sinner because Jesus took my sin and gave me His righteousness.

Lamentations 3:22-23 NASB – “²² The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions (mercies) never fail. ²³ They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”

Make It Personal: God’s lovingkindness for me doesn’t stop or run out. His mercy and grace never fails but everyday there is more because He is faithful.

ASK YOURSELF:

Are there ways I am still thinking as a sinner?

What scriptures are helping me release a better picture of myself as God’s loved child?

How am putting into practice the truth of who I am in Christ Jesus?