My Identity in Christ: A New Person in God

Explore the transformative reality of our 'Identity in Christ' and uncover how this foundational Christian belief impacts self-perception and life purpose. Learn how being rooted in Christ changes one's spiritual outlook and empowers believers to lead a life aligned with Godly principles.

Identity in Christ Bible Meaning

The concept of "identity in Christ" is central to Christian theology and is derived from several New Testament scriptures. This idea encompasses the transformation and new identity a believer receives when they come to faith in Jesus Christ. Here are some key biblical passages that discuss this transformative identity:

2 Corinthians 5:17 - This verse is perhaps the most direct statement about the new identity believers have in Christ:

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

Galatians 2:20 - Paul describes his identity as being fundamentally connected to Christ's life and sacrifice:

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

Ephesians 1:4-5 - This passage speaks about believers being chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world and having an identity that is rooted in being children of God, redeemed and forgiven:

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—

Romans 8:1-2 - It emphasizes the new status of believers who are not condemned but live under the grace of Christ:

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death."

Ephesians 2:8-10 - This emphasizes that our new identity includes being God’s workmanship, created to do good works in Christ:

"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

These passages collectively emphasize that identity in Christ means believers are viewed as new creations, living in freedom from past condemnation and called to live a life that reflects their new status. This identity is not based on personal accomplishments but on what Christ has done and the believer's relationship with Him.

Who are you, and what defines you? What is your identity? That’s a question many people struggle to answer. 

Too often, people base their identities on what they do (from their jobs to their roles in relationships), defining themselves by those pursuits. But by doing so, they significantly limit their lives. The truth is that God intends for all people to find their identity in Christ.

14 Attributes of Your Identity in Christ

If you’re a Christian, your identity encompasses all the abundance of being a beloved child of God. Here’s how you can start living fully in Christ, remembering that your identity is found in Christ. Use this list of things God calls you and how He identifies you to remind yourself who you are in Christ.

1. You’re a saint.

The fact that you’ve placed your trust in Jesus Christ is enough to qualify you to be a saint. Even though you’ll still struggle with sin while you live in this fallen world, your core identity as a Christian is as a saint, not a sinner – and you can always count on Jesus’ help to overcome sin in your life. Rely on His help to resist temptation. When you do sin, confess and repent. Maintain attitudes of humility and gratitude for God’s grace.

Ephesians 2:19: "Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and the household of God."

Colossians 1:11-13: "Being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light..."

Psalm 31:23: "Love the Lord, all you saints! The Lord preserves the faithful..."

Ephesians 3:17-18: "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height."

2. You’re blessed.

God has given you the greatest blessing of all – Himself. No matter what other blessings God may or may not choose to send into your life, you can always be confident that God Himself will be with you, loving you and working everything out for good purposes when you trust Him to do so. God also brings many different, specific blessings into your life regularly. Reflect on those blessings every day (or every week) and thank Him for them.

Psalm 1:1-3: "Blessed is the one who does not walk in the step with the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is a like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose lead does not wither - whatever they do prospers."

2 Corinthians 9:8: "And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 

No matter what season of life you are going through, God continues to shower you with blessings. Download our FREE Verses for God's Blessing Guide to see how God is working in your life right now.

3. You’re appreciated.

God notices and appreciates every good choice you make, even when other people don’t. So change the way you live as a result. Exchange grumbling for praying, competing for celebrating, bitterness for thankfulness, performing for serving, and boasting for encouraging.

1 John 3:1: "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"

Zephaniah 3:17: "The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing."

4. You’re saved.

Thanks to Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, you’re saved from sin, death, Satan, your old human nature, and a pattern of worldly living. You can respond in gratitude to your salvation by doing good works that God has prepared for you to do, to help others discover relationships with Him and help redeem this fallen world.

Romans 10:9-10: "If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved."

2 Corinthians 5:21: "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

John 5:24: "Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life."

5. You’re reconciled.

Jesus has spiritually reconciled you to God and other believers. Since God plans for all Christians – from all the diverse types of backgrounds on Earth – to live harmoniously together in heaven forever, you should do your best to live harmoniously here and now. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you be peaceful, humble, and compassionate toward other people.

Romans 5:10-11: "For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."

Colossians 3:13: "Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."

Ephesians 4:32: "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

6. You’re afflicted.

Everyone in this fallen world – Christians and non-Christians alike – must endure suffering. However, as a Christian, your suffering can accomplish good, redemptive purposes. Rather than asking “Why?” when you suffer, ask “Who?” instead, shifting your focus from trying to figure out something that you may not understand to seeking God Himself, who promises to always be with you. Ask Jesus to use the suffering you experience to make you more like Him and point more people to Him.

1 Peter 5:8-10: "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."

2 Corinthians 4:16-17: "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all."

John 16:33: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

7. You’re heard.

God always hears and responds to your prayers when you’re connected to Him through Jesus. Feel free to confidently express any of your thoughts and feelings to God at any time, expecting Him to listen to you and answer your prayers according to what’s best for you.

Jeremiah 29:12-13: "Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

1 Peter 3:12: "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

1 John 5:15: "And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him."

8. You’re gifted.

God has given you special abilities that He wants you to use in the Christian ministry work He calls you to do – both inside your church, and out in your community. You can discover those gifts by asking yourself questions like: “Whom/where do you have a passion to serve?”, What do you have a burden to do?”, “What needs do you see in the church?”, “What do you find joy in doing for others?”, “What opportunities has God already provided for you to serve others?”, “What things are you best at and have the most success in?”, “What have godly people commended you for doing?”, and “What acts of service have given you the deepest sense of satisfaction?”

Ephesians 2:10: "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

1 Peter 4:10-11: "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen."

Romans 12:4-8: "For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully."

9. You’re new.

Jesus placed a new spirit within you when you began a relationship with Him, so, at your core, you’re a new person than who you were before you became a Christian. However, you’ll keep learning and growing every day for the rest of your life as you gradually become more like Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"

1 Peter 1:3: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."

Ephesians 4:22-24: "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."

10. You’re forgiven.

Since Jesus paid the price that God’s justice demands for your sin and took God’s wrath for you upon Himself, you were forgiven for all of your sins (past, present, and future) when you placed your trust in Jesus. You can thank Jesus for forgiving you by obeying His commands to forgive others who have harmed you and seek forgiveness from those you’ve harmed.

Ephesians 4:32: "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

Psalm 103:11-12: "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."

11. You’re adopted.

. As a Christian, you’ve been adopted into God’s family. The work of your big brother – Jesus – on the cross has made it possible for you to become one of the sons or daughters of God the Father. So make your main goal of life learning how to know, love, and trust God as your Father.

Romans 8:15-17: "The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."

Galatians 3:26-29: "So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise."

Ephesians 1:4-5: "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will"

12. You’re loved.

While the people who love you can’t do so completely unselfishly, continually, or perfectly, God does. As a Christian, nothing can separate you from God’s great love for you.

Romans 8:37-39: "In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

1 John 4:7-11: "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. "

13. You’re rewarded.

God will reward you for everything faithful and holy that you do as a Christian. Although you can’t earn your salvation, you can earn rewards in heaven for your work serving God on Earth.

Colossians 3:23-24: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

Galatians 6:9: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

14. You’re victorious.

Jesus has given you the power to overcome evil, sin, and death. Use the spiritual weapons at your disposal as a Christian (truth, righteousness, the Gospel, faith, salvation, scripture, prayer, and the strength to stand) in spiritual battles, trusting that you can always emerge victorious.

1 John 5:4: "For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith."

John 16:33: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

1 Corinthians 15:55-57: "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Adapted from Who Do You Think You Are?: Finding Your True Identity in Christ, copyright 2013 by Mark Driscoll. Published by Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tn., www.thomasnelson.com.   

Whitney Hopler is a freelance writer and editor who serves as both a Crosswalk.com contributing writer and the editor of About.com’s site on angels and miracles. Contact Whitney at: angels@aboutguide.com to send in a true story of an angelic encounter or a miraculous experience like an answered prayer. 

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