What does it mean to have your identity in Christ?

In the Garden

In Genesis (the first book in the Bible) chapter one, the Bible tells us that God created the heavens and the earth. He created the animals and the plants and was pleased with His creation, saying it was "good."

When God created humans (the very first ones being a man named Adam and a woman named Eve), there was something that set them apart. The Bible tells us that God created us in His own image, and deemed us "very good." (Genesis 1:27, 31)

Those two things are pretty significant traits, so let's break it down a little.

1. Being made in God's image:
   This is not necessarily saying that we physically look like God. It is referring to the fact that He created us to display His character. Think of a painting: in the same way paintings are designed to display an artist's talent, we were designed to display God's glory. God created us with a desire for love, community, to create things, to have a sense of humor, etc.; are all traits of God reflected through us! Because of sin, we cannot reflect God's character flawlessly, but it's important to note that our ability does not determine our inherent value to God. Being made in God's image is a huge honor, so with a gift as big as that, we should seek to be representing God well. A painting would be just a plain, blank canvas without the artist that painted it; in the same way, we would be nothing without our Creator.
2. "Very good."
   From the beginning of everything, God has set mankind apart from the rest of creation. He did this in a few different ways, two of which being: 1, while He called the rest of creation "good," He calls mankind "very good." And 2, He gave Adam and Eve the job to rule the earth (Genesis 1:28) and be good stewards of God's creation. That is why we don't have dolphins running for mayor, or ladybugs starting businesses. God gave humans the gift of leadership, and He entrusted us to take good care of the earth.

Responding to our Identity

Although God designed humans made in His own image, because of sin, it is no longer first-nature for us to seek His approval over the approval of other people. It doesn't matter how long you've been a Christian, this never stops being a challenge to some degree, but it also never stops being important.

Having your identity in Christ means that you're choosing to let Jesus be the one to define who you are. It's natural for our sinful hearts to want to create identities for ourselves based on our environment, how we grew up, what we've accomplished, talents and skills, friendships and relationships, social status, appearance, and a million other things.

While those things aren't necessarily bad, we can't let them define who we are. For example, I'm currently a college student. It's a big part of my life, but it doesn't determine my worth nor value because college didn't create me, and it's not eternal. For all I know, anything could happen and it could be gone in an instant.

If I based everything that I am from being a college student and built my sense of self around that, who would I be when I graduate? That identity would not be secure, and I would not know what to do once it was taken away. This can apply for an infinite amount of things.

Here's an analogy Jesus gives us about building our foundation (identity) upon things apart from Him (things from this world):
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

• Matthew 7:24-27

The reason the Bible tells us to place our identity in Jesus is because all other things are fleeting, and therefore will let us down, or cease to exist at some point. Whether it's being known as the athlete, the girl in a certain sorority, the guy in a certain fraternity, the straight-A student, one part of "the duo" or "the group", all things other than Jesus are not forever. Jesus doesn't want us to "fall with a great crash." That's why he tells us to put our foundation/identity in him, because He will never fail us.

Even if we lose absolutely everything in this world, we will still always have Him.

God Cares.

No matter how eternal you might think something is, if it's not God, you can't place your identity in it. It's hard, but it doesn't excuse us from it. No one is perfect at this, but asking God to help you is something He is happy to do. He will never be annoyed with us continually asking Him to help us build habits of seeking Him. He sees your heart and hears your prayers, no matter how big or small.

God cares about the little things that are important to us! He is faithful, and always will be. The entire Bible is a narrative of how He continued to be faithful to mankind throughout several generations, despite mankind continually being unfaithful. God was so faithful, He sent His one and only Son (Jesus) to sacrifice himself for our sins, so we wouldn't have to. Because of Jesus' resurrection, we know that if we place our identity in the One who will never change, we can be secure in that foundation.

New Creation

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."

This means that whoever you were before coming to know Christ does not define who you are now. Because of Jesus' sacrifice, you are made clean. When we are in Christ, God sees Jesus when he looks at you. Hebrews 8:12 says that because of Jesus, God makes the conscious decision to never again bring our sins to mind. Instead of walking in our own ways, He invites us to walk in His light and into the new life He calls us into.

Approval of Man

It's important to note that being a new creation is not defined by having the right "look" or being a part of a certain social circle (this still can be letting appearance determine your identity!); it means that you are choosing to follow Christ, not a certain culture. The lies of the enemy (or even words from other people) can discourage you to think a number of things that are untrue, but above anyone else's word, hold the Word of God to the highest level of importance and truth.

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

• Galatians 1:10

Over any sermon, blog, or podcast (these are good supplements, but not the source!), study the Bible as truth, and establish your foundation and identity in that truth. Place your sense of self in the One who is eternal, and live to bring glory to the One who gave you your identity.

You are a son/daughter of the King! You are fearfully and wonderfully made. God didn't make any mistakes creating you, and you were born with a purpose. Jesus' work on the Cross is done, meaning you are already redeemed, you just have to accept that free gift. God wants you to live a life that is fulfilling, and full of things with eternal value, and is evident of the Fruit of the Spirit (AKA things that come from God in your life. They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control). Walk in that identity today.

As always, never be afraid to ask questions. If this is something that you want to walk into but don't fully know how, ask either a pastor or trusted Christian friend what this could look like for you! Or if you already consider yourself a Christian but don't think this is something you can say about yourself, pray about it, and trust that God will guide you.