Identity in Christ
- Sydney Bond
- Jun 25
- 5 min read
What would be your answer if someone asked you today, "Who are you?" What title or label would you give yourself?
Most of us would say we are a wife or husband, a daughter or son, a mom or dad, a brother or a sister. Some of us may even give our answers related to the careers we have chosen or hobbies that we enjoy. But how often do you primarily identify yourself in the same way God identifies His children? After all, what God says about us is what matters most, right?
In addition to asking questions about who we are, we often find ourselves asking questions like, What is my purpose? Who has God made me to be? Why is this my role? Why wasn’t I given this role, job or promotion? At the heart of these questions is a lack of living in the fullness and joy of our identity being in Christ. When we ask questions such as the ones above and view ourselves only as what we do for a living or how we enjoy spending our time, we are not living in the fullness of life Jesus has given us. As those who have placed saving faith in Jesus Christ and made Him the Lord of our lives, we get to live in submission to and enjoyment of who our perfect Heavenly Father says we are.
Those Whose Identity is in Christ are Children of God
When we are in Christ, we are now children of God. This means that we have access to the Father, to a loving abiding relationship with Him through the work Christ has done for us on the cross. John 1:12 tells us, “but to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” To be His children means that He cares for and provides for us. He sees our every need and never leaves us lacking. My earthly father has always cared for me, he has always been there to provide encouragement and wise counsel. He has fed me and worked hard to ensure I have the things needed to function in life. Though I love my earthly father and he is a godly man, our sweet relationship is only a small, fractured glimpse of the perfect love that our Heavenly Father has for us.
Our worth and value comes from being a creation of the Divine Holy Creator.
As children of God, we are called to have confidence in our Creator. We are not called to find our identity in our gifts, talents, or skills, but in the Giver of these. In Christ, we are called to find our identity that we have been adopted by the almighty King of Kings and He has chosen us, as seen in 1 Peter 2:9. We are each worthy of love and able to love as Christ loves, simply because He loved us first. We can be sure of who we are and how God has created and formed us when we read Genesis 1:26, which tells us that we are made in His image. Our worth and value comes from being a creation of the Divine Holy Creator. We were not created for ourselves, we were created to do good works through the Holy Spirit’s help in our lives. We image God and glorify Him when we walk in obedience to Him and share the Gospel with those around us.
Those Whose Identity is in Christ Have Hope and a Helper
Living life fully aware of our identity being solely and completely in Christ will bring about peace and hope when we face the struggles, challenges and trials that life may bring our way. Living life fully aware of the truth that in Christ, we are His children completely changes how we view the hardships in life. As children of God, we do not live for validation or satisfaction from things of this world. Instead, we live in the midst of struggles, challenges and trials with confidence that our eternity is secure in Christ. We respond differently to hardships because we know that all things are for our good and the glory of God. We live with hope in the midst of difficult seasons to press on in obedience because we know that because of Jesus, we will spend eternity with God.
In Christ, we have been given power through the Holy Spirit to overcome sin and temptation as we abide in Him.
We must daily remind ourselves that in Christ, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit, as seen in Romans 8:9. Apart from Him, we can do no good. But in Christ, we have been given power through the Holy Spirit to overcome sin and temptation as we abide in Him. Since we are His children and we love Him, we are called to live to please Him with all our actions, words, feelings, thoughts and desires. God, in His abundant grace and kindness, does not leave us to do this work on our own. God’s Word brings great peace to know we have a Helper (the Holy Spirit) who is working in us, renewing our minds, and giving us grace and strength to fight sin and walk in freedom found in Christ.
We Exist to Know Christ and Make Him Known
I encourage you today to live life fully aware of who God is and who you are in Christ. Seek and search the Scriptures to know Him, trust Him, and love Him more. Then ask yourself the following questions again: Who am I? Why has God created me? What is my purpose in life?When you search the Scriptures with these questions in mind, you will see you were made for His glory. And there is abundant joy and fulfillment found when we realize our lives are for Him. The more you know the loving and gracious character of God the more confident, joyful, and steadfast you will be in living a life for His glory. This is why we exist, to know Him and make Him known to others. This starts with knowing each day that we are His and the implications of that for life are endless, abundantly found, and waiting for us in His Word.
Helpful Resources
Sydney Bond has been counseling for two years. She delights in seeing God use His Word to bring healing to brokenness. She holds a B.S. degree in Special Education from Union University and an MDiv in Biblical Counseling from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Sydney is a certified member of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors.
