Our Identity in CHRIST

In this world we are taught to be so consumed and hyper-focused on our identity.  We look around at all the different personality types of the people around us and wonder, "Where do I fit in here?"

We take personality assessments and search out our enneagram numbers - a secular numerology sequence disguised as something Christ followers should ascribe to....all to figure out who we are. 

The truth is, though - the answers are all written out for us right in the New Testament, my friend. It's a beautiful thing to know that the LORD created us - we are His workmanship, His "poiema". It was HIM who made us, who planted desires in our hearts so that He would use us for HIS good works...not our own. 

It isn't up to US to figure out who we are, it isn't up to us to "fit in" - we aren't supposed to "fit in" at all, we're supposed to stand out, to be set apart. Too often we get this all confused; we are in this world, but we are not of it. 

And we should meditate on these things and we should walk in them. Not just give our Bibles a flip, give the scriptures a passing glance and think, "Oh that's nice" on our way to our next thing. 

No. It is the one true living God, the Creator of the universe and all things on this earth and above it who also created us. 

As an avid journal-nerd, I am prone to purchasing a new journal for the upcoming year well before I'm ready to begin it. For my new journal for 2024, I decided to start it off on the firm foundation of who I am in Christ. I should walk in this, talk in this, behave in this, LIVE in this all the time - writing it all out FIRST before any ponderings, prayers and scribblings of insights has helped me so much this year. 

And I was thinking it might remind you who you are, too. 

Matthew 5:13: 

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? 

"I am the salt of the Earth - in Him - meant to preserve the goodness in a broken world. Taste=purposed. 

I am purposed in Christ. "

Matthew 5:14: 

You are the light (of Christ) of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 

Christ is the light of the world and dwells in us. Don't hide that, but showcase

that light in this dark world and let Him be seen. 

John 1:12:

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God. 

"I receive Christ and have the right to be a child of God. "

John 15:1, 5, 15-16:

(1) I am the True Vine and My Father the vinedresser. (5) I am the Vine, you are the branches. the one who remains in Me and I in Him bears much fruit. (15) No longer do I call you slaves, but friends. (16)You did not choose me, but I chose and appointed you. 

"I am a branch on the fine, sustained and cared for by the One who sustains me. 

I abide in Him and He will do all things in and through me. I am no longer

a slave, but a friend of God"s. I am CHOSEN and appointed in Christ."

Romans 6:18, 22

(18) and after being freed from sin, you became slaves to righteousness. (22) But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit resulting in sanctification and the outcome, eternal life. 

"I am not a slave to sin or to this world, but tied to righteousness. I am FREE of sin

with a new spirit, set apart and destined to a Holy outcome of eternal life."

Romans 8:14-15, 17:

(14-15) For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons and daught6er of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughter by which we cry out "ABBA! FATHER!". (17) and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. 

"I am led by the Spirit of God, a son/daughter of Him; no longer a slave to fear and sin, 

but family and coheir to our Father with Jesus Christ. I can approach the throne

of God and call Him, 'Father!' - any suffering I may go through in His name 

means I am also glorified with Him as brother/sister to Him."

1 Corinthians 1: 2; 3:16; 6:17, 19; 12:27; 15:10

1:2: To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ, saints by calling, with all whoin every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. 

3:16: Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the spirit of God dwells in you? 

12:27: now you are Christ's body and individually parts of it. 

6:17, 19: But the one who joins himself tot he Lord is one spirit with Him. (19) Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God and that you are not your own? 

15:10: But by the grace of God I am what I am and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God in me. 

"I am sanctified in Christ, set apart and a saint by His calling. I am a temple of God

and His spirit dwells in me! I am a part of of Christ and His body and one in 

spirit with Him, no longer my own but His. The grace of God makes me 

who I am in Him and all works are by His grace. "

2 Corinthians 5:17-19:

Therefore if anyone is in Christ {this person is} a new creation, the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation namely, that god was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their wrongdoings against them and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

"I am a new creation because of what Christ has done for me and my belief in and love of Him. Whatever I have done is paid for and forgiven because of His loving sacrifice for me. We are fully reconciled and my wrongdoings are no longer counted against me - I don't have to live IN or BY or UNDER what I did before."

Galatians 3:26, 28; 4:6-7

3:26, 28: For you are all sons and daughter of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (28) there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 

4:6-7: Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His son into our hearts, crying out, "ABBA, FATHER!" Therefore, you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. 

I am a child of God, a son/daughter through my faith in Jesus Christ - I am one with all 

other followers of Christ. The Spirit of God indwells in me; I am no longer a slave

to this world and its ways, but an heir to the Kingdom of Heaven. 

Ephesians 1:1

Paul, an apostle of Christ by the will of God, to the saints at Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus...

Eph 2:6, 10, 19 and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the Heavenly places

(10) We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them

(19) So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and are of God's household. 

I am raised up with Christ and seated with Him in the Heavenly places. 

I am the Lord's workmanship - His poiema - created in Christ for His good

works through me that he prepared long ago, and He wants me to 

walk in them. I am a citizen of God's household with all the saints! 

Ephesians 4:1, 24

Therefore I, prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called. 

(24) and to put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and Holiness of the truth. 

(30) Because we are parts of His body. 

I will walk in a way - God's way - a way worthy to Him who has called me

to what he is having me do. I am a new me and I walk in that, created in righteousness

and Holiness IN HIM. I am a part of His body - He makes me so. 

Colossians 3:3-4, 12

For you have died and your life is hidden in Christ with God (4) When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory (12) So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 

The old me is gone and now I am in Jesus. Through Jesus I am revealed in His glory! 

I am chosen, holy and beloved and through Him, am compassionate,

kind, humble, gentle and patient. I walk in His ways. 

1 Thessalonians 1:4-5

Knowing, brothers and sisters, beloved by God, His choice of you for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction, just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for our sakes. 

I am beloved by God. He chose me as part of His testimony of the gospel of Jesus. 

This call is in the power of the Holy Spirit sent to me, living in me!

Hebrews 3:14

For we have become partakers in Christ if we keep the beginning of our commitment firm until the end. 

I am committed to Christ and partake of His life!

1 Peter 2:5, 9-11

You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a Holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

9-11 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light, for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as foreigners and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul. 

I am a living stone - I'm built up in HIM and part of a royal priesthood! I am CHOSEN!

I belong to God to proclaim His excellence through my life - He called me out of 

darkness and into His marvelous light and I am OF HIM!  I will behave like it

and keep from my own fleshly desires, as they will only try to pull me asunder.

1 John 3:1-2, 5:18

See how great a love the Father has given us, that we would be called children of God; and in fact, we are. For this reason the world doesn't know us gbecau8se it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We known that when He appears, we will be like Him because we will see Him just as He is. 

5:18 We know that no one who has been born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps Him and the evil one doesn't touch him. 

God loves me and calls me His child. I will see the Lord! Since I am in Him,

and Him in me, evil cannot touch me.

 

Romans 5:1, 6:1-6, 8:1

5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

6:1-6 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? Far from it! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who've been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection. Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin.

8:1 Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus. 

Christ died and justified my sin. He was tortured and beaten and murdered to pay

the price, a price he didn't owe, so I would be free. 

How can I continue sinful life knowing this and believing this truth? 

The old me has passed away and I am new in Him. 

1 Corinthians 1:30, 2:12, 16; 6:19-20

1:30 But it is due to Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. 

2:12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the spirit who is from God so that we may know the things freely given to us from God. 

2:16 For who has known the mind of the Lord that He will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ. 

6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not on your own? for you have been bought for a price, therefore glorify God in your body. 

I have the spirit of God in me and He fills me, teaching me, guiding me and correcting

me. I have the mind of Christ! This body is a temple of the living God, the spirit 

who lives in me, and I will treat it well. 

2 Corinthians 1:21; 5:14-15, 21

1:21 now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed  us is God. 

5:14-15, 21 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this that one died for all, therefore all died and He died for all so that those who live would no longer live for themselves but for Him who died and rose on their behalf (21) He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 

I am established in Christ and anointed by God! He died for me and saved me from

living in and for myself, and so made me righteous with Him.

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me; and the life which i now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me. 

I am no longer of or for myself, but in and for Christ. He gave me new life, by faith, by 

giving himself up for me.

Ephesians 3:12

in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. 

I have boldness and confidence through Him. I can operate in His gifts by this faith.