Identity and worth in Christ

 Christian selfhood is not defined in terms of who we are in and of ourselves. It's defined in terms of what God does to us and the relationship he creates with us and the destiny he appoints for us. God made us who we are so we could make known who he is. Our identity is for the sake of making known his identity.

One of the first places that you can be tempted to look to is your career. Spending your time and energy pursuing your career can cause you to feel like it is a defining characteristic of who you are. After all, a job that you are dedicated to is likely to take up most of your time and attention. 

Jobs and careers are closely connected to other places where you can search for your identity, such as financial success and status. But it doesn’t stop there. We also ask our relationship statuses, appearance, grades, and reputation to provide a sense of identity.

Any or all of these may feel like solid foundations, but none of them are permanent. Any of them could change without warning. If you base your identity on things like success, wealth, power, physical appearance, and so on,  you are setting yourself up for  great disappointment. A sudden job loss could leave you questioning your choices in life. One piece of gossip aimed your way could destroy your reputation, even if it is untrue. Your appearance will change as you get older.

God, however, is unchanging. He is reliable. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. If you find your identity in Him, you will never ultimately be let down because He has proven time and time again to be trustworthy. 

It is important, as you define your identity, that God not be just an aspect of who you are, like “I am a Christian,” or ”I am religious,” or “I am spiritual”.  Understanding your identity in God starts with understanding who He is, what He says about Himself, and what He says about you. Your identity can be defined by who God is making you to be in His image.

Featured Resource: “What Is Justification and How Does It Work?”

How God Sees His Children

To be able to understand your identity as a follower of Christ, you need to understand how He sees you. It’s tempting to build your identity on what you accomplish, but this is not a stable foundation.

Your true identity is ultimately based on what God has done for you. In the Bible, God tells us often about how He views His people. Let’s take a look at what He says about you, if you received Him as your Lord and Savior. (Learn how to have a personal relationship with God and ask Him to be your Lord and Savior.)
 

You Are Loved

In Christ, you are loved. You were created with a purpose. You are not just a convenient carbon copy of someone else. You were created uniquely and with intention. God lovingly designed every detail of your person. Can you imagine the love involved with that intricate design?
 

You Are Chosen

In Christ, you are not only loved but chosen. God sent His own Son to earth to die in your place so that you could be included in His family. 

God was not obligated to choose you based on your performance or credentials. He chose to carry out an intricate plan that involved the death of His own perfect Son, which allowed you the opportunity to be a child of God.

You are no mistake. You are chosen and wanted.
 

You Are Forgiven

In order to be counted a child of the perfect Father, you had to be free of sin — that is, you had to be perfect with regard to doing right and not doing wrong. That is a tall order considering no one but Jesus was or is perfect and no one can attain perfection by their own effort. 

However, because Jesus, who was without sin, died the death you should have on the cross, you can be forgiven of sin. What you’ve done wrong is not counted against you, and all that Christ did right is counted for you. This forgiveness allows you to be considered a child of God. 

Therefore, in God’s eyes, if you have accepted what Jesus did for you, you are completely forgiven. From His perspective, you are without sin. It’s not that you won’t sin, but when He looks at you, He calls you forgiven. That is something on which you can build your identity. 
 

You Are Redeemed

What does your forgiveness mean? You are redeemed — that is, Christ’s sacrifice has bought you back from the forces of sin and evil that once owned and controlled you and made you His.

When God looks at you, He does not see a former sinner. He does not see you in light of who you once were. He sees you as redeemed: a new creation that has been made whole. 

You do not have to define yourself in light of your past mistakes. God does not do that. You can walk in the identity of someone who is made new in Christ.
 

You Are Adopted

What does it mean to be considered a child of God? It means that you have been adopted into His family. You are considered a legitimate child of the God of the universe, having all the rights and standing of Jesus His Son. 

God sees you as a cherished child who bears His name. Just as earthly adoption is a legally binding process that names you a permanent part of a family, heavenly adoption is just as permanent and binding. You are His child, and He will never take that away.

YOU ARE VALUABLE

As we’ve learned in recent studies on Romans 12, He wants us to surrender to Him. That includes understanding YOUR worth and value. 

You cannot love other people if you don’t love YOU. This requires being honest about who you are, Who created you, and being able to say: 

I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I matter. God has a plan for me. I have the right personality. I have the right gifts. I don’t need to be like anyone else.

Unfortunately, most of us spend a great majority of our time and energy trying to be like someone else. To be honest, sometimes we wish we were someone else. 

We dress like other people, act like other people, and spend time and energy trying to be a replica of someone else. And yet God made us uniquely, and nobody else on the entire planet has the same DNA. 

You were created just as the Creator intended because He has a purpose for you. He wants to do something great in you and then something significant through you.

How can you begin to come to grips with the real you? Start by learning what your Creator has to say about the real you.

10 Powerful Bible Verses That Reveal Your True Identity In Christ

1. Romans 8:29

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

God’s dream is to make you like His SON or DAUGHTER. He wants us to conform to the image of Christ.

2. Matthew 5:48

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

We are called to maturity, which is a process that includes discipline and endurance.  

Be encouraged: 6 Bible Verses That Reveal Profound Truths About God’s Love For Us 

3. Romans 12:3

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. (Romans 12:3)

Take inventory but do it soberly—be honest about who you are. God already knows (and He loves you). Think ACCURATELY about yourself. 

4. Psalm 139:13-14 

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

God uniquely created you. Resist the lie that says you have no purpose. You are ETERNALLY VALUABLE.  

Download a printable poster of this verse today and post it in your office or home. Be reminded daily that you were created wonderfully!

5. 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.

God gifted you to fulfill His purpose. You are IRREPLACEABLY SIGNIFICANT. 

6. Romans 12:4-5 

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 who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

As part of the body, you are set apart and you have a unique purpose within the body of believers. Being a member of this family is part of your true identity. You have a ROLE to fill. 

7. Romans 12:6-8 

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.  

What brings you joy? Where is your naturally leading gift? While you serve the body, consider your gift. Discover and DEPLOY your spiritual gift.

Serving the body of Christ is part of your true identity. What brings you joy? Where is your natural gifting? Discover and deploy your spiritual gifts. CLICK TO TWEET 

8. Ephesians 3:19

And to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 

God placed you in His family where you will experience His love and fullness. You are UNCONDITIONALLY ACCEPTED. 

9. Ephesians 4:13 

…until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Exercise our faith within the body of Christ. Work out your faith within CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY.

Been hurt? 3 Healing Steps To Forgive Those Who Have Hurt and Betrayed You

10. Joshua 1:8

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 

Remember these words of Truth. MEDITATE on God’s Word.

Once you begin thinking accurately about yourself and grasp your true identity in Christ, it will change you. It will alter your marriage, your attitude, your parenting, and your responses to the challenges of life. 

Ultimately, you will realize that you were made with purpose, for a purpose, and there is no one like you. That is your true identity.