Finding Your Identity in Christ
If you are not intentional to learn who God says you are, you will define yourself in ways resulting in a warped perception.
Once you learn who God’s Word says you are, you might be surprised to discover deeply ingrained beliefs you didn’t realize you had about yourself.
Beliefs that are lies.
Lies about who you are, your worth, and what you can do.
This was true for me.
Decades of my life were spent in strongholds of insecurity and low self-worth.
I was taunted by condemning thoughts that reinforced my belief that I was stupid, worthless, and broken.
I felt unlovable. Undesirable. Unredeemable.
I remember the stench of despair and overwhelming hopelessness from the pit of insecurity where I once resided. Fearful and anxious thoughts preoccupied much of my thinking.
I had many misconceptions about myself. Numerous lies were embedded in the fabric of my belief system.
I was captive to these strongholds before I surrendered my life to Jesus – and after.
Here’s the problem: You don’t know what you don’t know.
If you’ve never taken the time to learn who God says you are, then you’re ignorant to the truth!
It wasn’t until I began to study God’s Word that I could discern truth from lies — and break free from the strongholds that resulted from them.
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God set me free from the chains of insecurity and poor self-worth. Now He’s calling me to teach others how they can experience the healing and freedom that accomanies your identity being grounded in the Word of God.
That is the crux of the message of the most recent Bible study I wrote, Anchor Your Identity in Christ, A Study of Ephesians. This in-depth Bible study goes through the book of Ephesians, verse-by-verse.
This Bible study will equip you to say goodbye to insecurity and anxiety and embrace the confidence and peace of Christ.
Anchor Your Identity in Christ is perfect for small groups or individual study. Get the first chapter FREE:
The video below serves as a great introduction to this Bible study on your identity in Christ:
What is your Identity in Christ?
Self-help books to inner discovery sell like hotcakes.
Trendy ways to define oneself appeal to many people’s curiosity in the hopes of finding clarity and confidence in who they are.
Quick Fix formulas promising purpose and fulfillment entice people by the droves.
It doesn’t take long for individuals to discover the guaranteed results in the above resources fall short, resulting in disappointment and despair.
The search continues as they pursue other avenues to answer the question, “Who am I?”
We all long to understand who we are, but God did not appoint us to the task of defining ourselves.
God did not leave His people to wonder who we are, nor did He shroud our identity in mystery.
God’s Word defines your identity in Christ, my friend.
You have a choice and responsibility to learn who God says you are, believe Him, and then abide in His truth.
Don’t miss the crucial three verbs in the previous sentence:
- Learn
- Believe
- Abide
Why is it important to know your identity in Christ?
I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ when I was 20 years old.
I was redeemed. My soul was secure, and the Holy Spirit took up residence in me the moment I professed Jesus as my Lord.
I had a new identity, but I had NO idea what that meant!
Redemption occurs in a moment. Learning the implications of your redemption is a process.
If you’re not intentional to learn who the Bible says you are, you’re not going to know!
Part of having a Biblical worldview is seeing yourself as God sees you.
It was not until I began to seriously study God’s Word that I recognized the lies I integrated into my thinking and incorporated into my belief system.
I was in shackles of captivity… as a child of God.
My friend in Christ, please hear me as I say to you no child of God needs to remain in a place of spiritual captivity. We have been equipped for victory in a spiritual battle every time we engage.
No follower of Jesus needs to remain captive to a spiritual stronghold! You can break free!
Why do people struggle to keep their identity in Christ?
Learning who God says you are is not a one-time occurrence!
You must continually look to the Word of God and then integrate His truth into your belief system. This deliberate mindset requires you to use Scripture to filter the thoughts you entertain and integrate into your belief system.
The truth is, you’re bombarded by messages throughout the day that tempt you to put your identity and worth in places other than Scripture.
3 sources tempting you to place your identity and worth outside of God’s Word
It’s important to recognize other sources we’re tempted to define our identity that are inconsistent with God’s truth.
Society
Society urges you to seek significance in exterior variables.
Consider a few examples:
- How you look
- Your financial situation or economic class
- The things you have — or don’t have.
- The things you do — or don’t do.
- The people you associate with
- The groups you’re a part of
- Whether or not you attend church – and if so… where
- The car you drive
- The technological stuff you use
- Your job, career, or position
Trying to find our identity or worth in exterior variables lends to a mindset that we need to acquire our identity and worth… that we must strive to achieve and pursue them.
Rather than pursuing our identity, God tells us to REST in our identity.
Self
There are a few ways we’re tempted to be our authority when it comes to our identity:
Your thoughts
What you think cannot be the final authority.
If your thoughts do not align with God’s Word, you must choose God’s Word over your thoughts.
Let’s suppose you struggle with thoughts of God abandoning you
You might think God could become so fed up with you that He might leave you one day.
Despite our thoughts, God will always be faithful to His Word. He will always keep His promises. Hebrews 13:5 tells us, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Your Feelings
Your emotions are real and valid, but they cannot be your basis of truth.
Let’s keep with the same example of fearing God may abandon you, but this time shift our focus to highlight our feelings.
You feel so lonely and you feel God might abandon you at some point.
Once again we must look to God’s Word as our authority, and His Word states, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).
I’m so thankful we serve a God who invites us to pour out our hearts to Him.
When we’re tempted to doubt, we can trust God’s Word over our feelings. Even when we’re in total despair and only God can help.
Your Experiences
We are all shaped by our experiences. The good, bad, and everything in between.
Perhaps you can relate to well-known Bible teacher Priscilla Shirer who grew up in a loving, Christian home, and it was not until she entered college that she realized she had a choice to make. Shirer states:
“I knew what the Word of God said about me, but it wasn’t until I was sort of out of that protective bubble and I was around people who were saying different things, who had different ideologies and philosophies and values and morals, that I had to make my own choices about whether or not I was going to live in accordance with what other people thought who I should be and the labels they were placing on me, the freedoms that they thought, I should have that made sense to them coming from their worldview and their frame of reference. Or whether or not I was going to let the freedoms and the boundaries and the identity and the value and the morals that God says me, whether I was gonna let that actually frame my perspective, frame my thinking, and govern my behavior.”
Some of us have endured traumatic experiences. They impacted you. Deeply wounded you.
How I wish we were sitting across from each other as I say to you:
Your past does not get to define you.
Your trauma does not get to attach itself to you and become who you are.
If you’ve experienced abandonment from people in your life you loved and trusted, you may fear that God will leave you at some point.
Once again we turn to the truth of Hebrews 13:5, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you,”
Satan
Our enemy will try to deceive you regarding your identity.
He will also do his best to cause you to doubt God’s truth regarding who you are.
He wants to fill your mind with all types of lies.
Lying, after all, is his native language. (John 8:44)
Satan knows when you stand firm in your truth you will experience healing, wholeness, and freedom.
He also knows you are the guaranteed victor in spiritual battle, and his fate is defeat. Our victory has been made secure by Jesus Christ on the cross… we just need to appropriate and walk in our victory.
This means we need to approach spiritual battle with the mindset of a victor – not a victim.
Identity in Christ Bible Study
Are you ready to dive into God’s Word and learn who God says you are?
It’s time to be free from any false identifies and claim your true identity in Christ.
As you work through this study, you’ll discover a newfound confidence from knowing who you are in Christ. You will experience increased courage and boldness as you learn about your spiritual possessions and spiritual position in Christ.
This Bible study on identity in Christ is for individual or small group study.
Anchor Your Identity in Christ: FREE Download
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Your Identity in Christ verses
While there is no way to make the following a comprehensive list, here are just a few statements of truth regarding followers of Jesus Christ:
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the richness of God’s grace that He lavished on us” (Eph. 1:7-8).
“And you were also included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance, until the redemption of those you are God’s possession – to the praise of His glory (Eph. 1:13-14).
“But, because of God’s great love for us, God who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved” (Eph. 2:4-6)
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).
“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of His household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself the chief cornerstone” (Eph. 2:19-20).
“For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3).
Your Identity in Christ Ensures Victory in Spiritual Battle
I created the FREE resources to equip you for victory in spiritual battle, The Spiritual Warfare Toolkit.
Biblical principles and personal application questions in this toolkit will help you create a personalized blueprint for victory!
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Break Free from Insecurity and stand in the confidence of Christ when you know and believe who God says you are!
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