I do believe people desire to understand who they truly are.. I also believe some of us try way too hard to be someone we are not, and I also know that the world has skewed this term in many many ways. As for me, though, I feel to fully understand my true identity, I need to understand and believe what my identity is in Christ, and once I embrace that who I am in Him, I need to be doing something with it for Him.
So, what does the Word say who we are? Here are a few scriptures:
- You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden. (Matthew 5:14)
- But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name. (John 1:12)
- You are my friends, if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant doesn’t know what his lord does. But I have called you friends, for everything that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you. (John 15:15)
- Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. (1 Cor 12:27)
- For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them. (Eph 2:10)
- You are all children of light, and children of the day. (1Thess 5:5a)
- But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: who in time past were no people, but now are God’s people, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. (1 Pet 2:9-10)
- See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it is not yet revealed what we will be. But we know that when he is revealed, we will be like him; for we will see him just as he is. (1 John 3:1-2)
In Christ, we are lights, friends, God’s children, a chosen race, a royal priesthood, and love, all good things, no negatives. Our identity is not defined by our careers, by our status, or by any other outside things that we may do. Our identity is deep within us. God’s spirit dwells within our souls telling us that we are loved. We are forgiven. We are His. We are a part of God’s family. We are set apart. We are the ones to bring light to the darkness, so that others may come into God’s family.
Now the question is are we embracing who we are in Christ? I have found that sometimes I do not feel like I am embracing who God says I am. I make mistakes. I am imperfect. Yet, the Bible tells us that He already knows that. He died for us so that through Him we can be perfect. Think how freeing it is when you forgive yourself and believe in your identity in Christ. I truly believe that embracing our true identity will allow His spirit to work in us and through us. It will be the gateway for others to ask what is this hope we have within us. It will be the guide helping us walk in Christ daily, spreading His light wherever we go.
We were created in God’s image, and we need to believe it, embrace it, and walk it. It isn’t easy. The deceiver likes to try to get us to believe lies about who we are. He does not want us to embrace our true identity. He wants us to be down, fearful, doubting, confused, untrusting, unloving, etc… Yet, we have a Savior that tells us to hold every thought captive in Me, and I will give you the strength to overcome anything. So, embrace your true identity in Christ, live it, and “[s]et your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth” (Col 3:2) Hopefully, when everything is made right and glorious we all will hear the words: “Well, done my good and faithful servant.”