Who are you
For many of us, the struggle with personal identity in Christ is real. It's a journey we all embark on, a shared experience among many Christ followers. We often hear that our identity is found in Christ, that we are loved, favored, precious, valued, cherished, forgiven, children of the Most High God, etc. But what does that really mean? How do we know that that's how God feels about us?
Your true identity is in Christ because God created you, and Jesus died for you. We need to know that our identity is given to us by the Father; we are made in his image. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)
Identity formation begins with knowing that the Father loves you, and you must receive that love. His love is unconditional. It is not performance-based. He already validated and approved you; receive his patience, mercy, and kindness. We hear all these things being said, but we need to make the shift and make these promises our own. "You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God; you have received mercy (1 Peter 2:9). We need to personalize these truths, accept them in our hearts, and live as children of God.
But God not only states these things, He shows us in action. How so? In Jesus Christ. We are God’s workmanship. We are a fallen people marked by sin. However, God made it possible for us to be born again and to have a new identity in Christ. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
Whoever believes in Christ becomes a new creation. A change takes place in our thoughts and actions. This is "through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:5).
Jesus Christ died for you. He came and died for all humanity and paid the ransom we should have paid. We are of such immense value to God that he offered someone highly esteemed and precious to him to redeem another highly esteemed, valuable person: you. This act of sacrifice not only demonstrates our worth but also our significance in God's eyes. Because of the great price that Jesus was willing to pay for us, we belong to God. Our worth and value come from belonging to God. That identity empowers us to live confidently, knowing that we have been bought and paid for by Jesus Christ and belong to God, our owner.
