At some point in our lives, we all ask this question: Who am I? The way we answer this question is important. Some people will identify with their nationality and say things like “I am an American.” Many people will identify with their family name and say, “I’m a Smith,” or “I’m an Anderson.” Others will identify with their career and say, “I’m a farmer,” or “I’m an electrician.” Some will put their identity into their creative arts: “I’m a singer, an artist, an actor.” And of course, many will identify with a combination of all the above.
The Heart of Our Identity
However, none of this gets to the heart of the question of identity, because everything mentioned above can be taken away from you. Your nation could be overtaken, the flags stripped from the government buildings and replaced with new ones…your family could disown you…your career could change or you could find yourself in retirement…your fashion choices could go out of style or you could outgrow a certain style and take on a new one. Even your creative impulses could take a turn as life goes on.
Is there any way to discover a lasting, enduring, permanent identity? Is there a way to have an identity that is eternally true?
For us as believers, the answer is, of course, a resounding yes! We have our identity in Christ. The opening chapter of Ephesians uses the phrase “in Christ” repeatedly, to drive home the point that this is the central reality of who we are. We are a people, as believers, who have faith in Christ, are clothed in Christ, baptized into Christ, and made a member of the household of Christ.
What Does Identity in Christ Look Like?
So, what does this identity look like? For starters, it means we are beloved. God truly loves His children. The Bible says in 1 John 3:1, “See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are!” (NLT). God has identified us as His very own children, through faith in Jesus, and as His children we have access to His perfect love.
Secondly, our identity in Christ means that we are made holy. Jesus’ blood washes away our sin, and in Christ we are truly united to His holiness and righteousness. First Corinthians 1:30 says, “God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; He made us pure and holy, and He freed us from sin” (NLT). Through being in Christ, we have been separated from our sin. This means our identity is one of purity, that we are fit for heaven. This means we can live fearlessly, that there is no condemnation or judgment over us, and we are free from the fear and weight of guilt. We are made holy in Christ.
Thirdly, our identity in Christ privileges us with the benefits of being Jesus’ brothers and sisters. We are empowered in Christ to approach God’s throne boldly in prayer and ask anything of Him (Hebrews 4:16), we are given the right to judge the angels on the Day of Judgment (1 Corinthians 6:3), we are to rule and reign with Christ over the Kingdom of which we are co-heirs (2 Timothy 2:12, Romans 8:17).
As baptized believers, we are made sons and daughters of God. Our identity is found in His Kingdom and covered by His grace. This identity seals the reality that we are loved eternally, made holy by the blood of Jesus, and empowered to rule and reign as princes and princesses in the Kingdom of God. And this identity can never be stripped from us, because when God saves us and adopts us, His promise is unwavering. This is where we as believers should find our core identity.
At the beginning of each day, meditate on your identity, and say to yourself “I am a child of the King, loved, made holy through Christ, and empowered to live in His Spirit. This is my core identity, and it can never be taken from me.” You will feel the difference when you start your day this way; it is a lot more powerful than putting your identity in something fleeting.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for making us Your children by faith in Jesus. Thank You for clothing us in His righteousness. Thank You for giving us access to the fullness of Your Kingdom. May our identity always be rooted in Your grace and mercy over our lives. You are an awesome God. In Jesus’ name, amen.
