I started writing this post last year before taking a long hiatus from the blog. I’d reached a place where I realized that my identity in Christ was skewed. My pursuit of sanctification was focused on what I was doing rather than a reflection of His sacrifice. I have dwelled often on this realization over the past six months.
I don’t know that I’ll ever capture it better than I did in my final blog post, last year: The good news of the gospel is not that you measure up. It’s that you don’t have to. But, I do believe that I have made progress leaning into my identity as defined by Him.
Identity in Christ is Rooted in Relationship
As Christians, our identity in Christ is rooted in relationship with Him. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we become children of God and are adopted into His family. Our relationship with Christ defines who we are–what He says and has done.
The scriptures are full of important truths which reveal the mindset of God toward those who follow Him. In my daily devotionals, I found myself repeatedly exposed to many of them. I will limit this post to a few of them. Perhaps I’ll write more later.
Perhaps the most incredible facet of coming to accept my identity as wholly given by Christ, I value and respect myself more today than ever before. I find myself recovering more quickly from my failures than ever before. I struggle less with shame; the very word of God defends who I am.
Aspects of Your Identity
There are a multitude of ways that Christ redefines us. So, the aspects of your identity in Christ are likewise manifold. That said, this is an incomplete list.
YOU ARE VALUABLE. The Son of God came to earth, lived, and laid down His priceless life for perhaps the most heinous method of execution mankind has ever developed. He willingly suffered all of this for the sole purpose of redeeming you. The ultimate arbiter of truth in our existence assessed your value as equal to that.
YOU DON’T OWE JESUS. It’s hard to look at the sacrifice which Jesus made. It’s painful to consider the way that He took your place and not feel intense obligation. But, part of what makes it unfathomable is that God set His plan of redemption into motion as a gift. No parent expects to be paid back for the gifts under the tree at Christmas; neither does Jesus.
YOU ARE A NEW CREATION: When you begin to follow Christ, you become a new creation in Christ. This means that your old self is gone, and you have a new identity as a child of God. You no longer have to carry the burden of guilt and shame for your past mistakes.
YOU HAVE HOPE: The same Almighty God who orchestrated your redemption through the death and resurrection of Jesus is the same being in control of your circumstances and future, today. He has promised that no matter what happens, He will be with you. We can endure all things, when we put our hope in Him.
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