The question “Who are you?” can often lead us to be taken back. It can stop us because the answer can seem complicated or even changing. There’s voices all around us shouting, “THIS IS WHO YOU SHOULD BE!” There’s our careers, relationships, social media, our past mistakes, and the list goes on and on. You may see cultural pressures telling you who you should be and what you should think. Many believers struggle with identity confusion. Am I enough? Am I doing enough to have God accept me?
We live in a performance based world. This drives so much of how our worldly view of “identity” is shaped. At some point, we’ve likely all had these thoughts or been asked: “What have you done for me lately?”, “People can’t change.”, “I’ve done so much in the past that I can’t be a godly person.”
There was a collision of cultures in the first century. The formation of Jesus’ church was fully in motion and newly converted Jews and Gentiles were being brought into one church body. There were arguments about who they were to be and how to grow in Christianity. Paul writing to the Galatian churches confronted the thought of law-keeping as a path to acceptance. He gets to the heart of the gospel of grace in Galatians 2:20. “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. A the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and have himself for me.” Paul and Peter had a public confrontation (Gal 2:11-21). Peter withdrew from Gentile believers to appease Jewish teachings that undermined justification by faith alone and going back to legalism. Legalism meaning that works must pay a part in justification. Paul insists that a new identity has arrived by union in the crucified and resurrected Christ.
Let’s look at the reality of how our new identity in Christ, and how grace, faith, Christ’s death and resurrection, replace our identity that is self-focused. What do we know from Scripture about our identity in Jesus?
I. Christ Defines It
It is Christ, and Christ alone, who defines our new identity. In Him, our old self has been crucified and a new life has been brought into reality. Paul declares in Gal. 2:20 that our old self was “crucified with Christ.” The Greek uses the perfect tense here. And why is that important to point out? The perfect tense of “I have been crucified with Christ” means a past completed action with present and ongoing effects. MacArthur gives us great exposition around this thought, “If a man is convicted of a capital crime and is put to death, the law obviously has no more claim on him. So it is with the believer who dies in Christ to rise in new life.” You see, the old “I” who was rebellious, self-righteous, cursed, and sin driven person died when Christ was crucified. The accuser stands no more. There is no more prosecution arguments left. Because Christ rose from the grave, you no longer live but Christ has brought new life to you by His resurrection. You live in a new eternal union with Christ who is victorious over sin, death and Hell. Romans 6:6 tells us “Our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing.” 2 Cor 5:17 states, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” So, new life = new identity. If you have repented of your sins and believed on Jesus for your salvation, there is nothing that can separate you from the love of God. Christ purchased you by His own blood, that pays for any condemning sin. The reality is none of us is worthy, has done enough good, or earned our way into salvation. We stand at the level ground at the foot of Calvary and cry out, “God have mercy on me, a sinner.” “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Eph 2:8-9) This is the good news of the Gospel! Paul also says in Col. 3:3 that our lives are now “hidden with Christ in God.”
Rodgers put it this way: “we have been delivered to live an executed life, an exchanged life, and an energized life.” Meaning, we are crucified with Christ, He lives in us, and we live by faith in Him. What is the identity of a disciple of Jesus Christ? Your identity is not in achievements, labels, past failures or any story you tell yourself about who you are. A true disciple is someone who has been spiritually united with Jesus in His death and resurrection. Everything flows from belonging to Christ. In the home, the workplace, at church, on vacation, etc. – you belong to Christ, and that defines you.
II. The Spirit Develops It
Your identity is positionally changed the day you surrender your life to Christ, and that works itself in action on a day to day basis. Paul would go on in Galatians to talk about the “Spirit-filled life.” Chapter 5 tells us that we “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” The Spirit takes the crucified and risen man, and begins to form him into the image of Jesus. This produces fruit in us of love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. This is the testimony of our new identity in Christ. The Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13-14) is our seal and guarantee of our inheritance. God himself has sent the Spirit of His Son into our Hearts. (Gal 4:6). It is the Spirit that brings us liberty from self-righteousness and law keeping for justification, and brings us into the freedom of the Gospel. This will be a gradual and ongoing process. Do not surrender to despair, but embrace slow and consistent growth. May we devote ourselves to prayer, meditating on God’s Word and submitting to accountability with one another and our local church.
III. God Declares It
The Father has sovereignly declared that our identity in Jesus is secure and without question. Justification in Christ alone is God’s final Word on the path for salvation. In Christ, you have been declared righteous. You are now a joint heir with Christ and an adopted son/daughter of God Himself. (Eph 1:5, Romans 8:15-17) Paul writes in Romans the triumphant delegation for this who trust Christ, “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.” Who can cancel your new identity in Christ? What past sin can separate the justified elect from God? What have you done in your past that you cannot be made righteous in Christ? God declares that those who repent of their sin and place their faith in Christ will be saved. Those who have believed now have an identity immovable and unshakeable. This frees us from the guilt of the past, and freedom from self-righteous demands. This is the legal reality before the throne of God.
Closing Thoughts
In a world that defines identity as something fluid and undefinable, we look to Christ to define us. Our old self has passed away and we have the privilege and joy of denying our old self, taking up our cross, and following Jesus – daily. We have the joy of communing with God, bearing fruit that reveals a changed heart for Christ, and fulfilling the Great Commission of making disciples who make disciples. Your identity is defined by the Cross of the Son, developed by the Spirit’s working power and the declaration of your identity in the Father’s grace. We now live for the glory of God with the correct view of self. We are only new because of God’s plan of salvation. May we live each day as Paul said, “by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” What a mighty God we serve. He alone is worthy of our lives and worship.