Your Identity in Christ - Full Version

In my previous article, Identification with Christ, I explained how the believer has total and complete union with Christ and identifies with Him in every way. In this present article, I would like to help you understand your specific identity in Christ. The reason this is so important is that the devil comes to accuse, tempt, and deceive, and if you don't know your true identity in Christ, he can more easily accomplish his goals. You must know who you are so that you can resist him. Do you realize who you are in Christ? Here is what the Scripture says.

I am...

Born Again

"Jesus answered and said to him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.'" (Joh 3:3)

"for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God." (1Pe 1:23)

For more on this, see my article, You Must Be Born Again.

Born of the Spirit

"That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'" (Joh 3:6-7)

A New Creation 

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." (2Co 5:17)

Forgiven of My Sins

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1Jn 1:9)

"For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more." (Heb 8:12)

"and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—" (Rev 1:5)

"'Come now, and let us reason together,' says the LORD, 'Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.'" (Isa 1:18)

"I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins." (Isa 43:25; Eze 18:22)

"For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions." (Mat 6:14-15)

For more on this, see my article, God Forgives and Forgets.

Washed, Cleansed, and Purified 

"Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God." (1Co 6:11)

"Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart..." (1Pe 1:22)

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Rom 8:1, KJV)

"You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you." (Joh 15:3)

"But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." (1Jn 1:7)

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word." (Eph 5:25-26)

"How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Heb 9:14)

Saved By Grace Through Faith 

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Eph 2:8-9)

"Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him." (Rom 5:9)

For more on this, see my article, By Grace Alone.

Created To Do Good Works

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." (Eph 2:10)

For more on this, see my article, Faith Works. 

The Righteousness of God in Christ 

"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2Co 5:21)

Raised with Christ 

"Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God." (Col 3:1)

Seated in Heavenly Realms with Christ 

"And raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus..." (Eph 2:6)

Hidden with Christ in God 

"For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God." (Col 3:3)

A Citizen of Heaven 

"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." (Php 3:20)

On My Way to Heaven 

"Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 'In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.' " (Joh 14:1-3)

"These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life." (1Jn 5:13)

"For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." (2Co 5:1)

A Saint, Called to Be Holy 

"Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons:" (Php 1:1)

"To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:" (1Co 1:2)

"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus:" (Eph 1:1)

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:" (Heb 12:14)

For more on this, see my article, Saints Alive and Holy Living in a Perverted World.

Called by God 

"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia..." (1Pe 1:1)

"Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:" (Jud 1:1)

Chosen by God 

"You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you." (Joh 15:16)

"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." (Col 3:12, NIV)

"Who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:" (1Pe 1:2, NIV)

"Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love." (Eph 1:4)

"In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will..." (Eph 1:11, NIV)

A Child of God 

"See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him." (1Jn 3:1)

"We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one." (1 Jn 5:19)

"For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." (Rom 8:14)

"The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God." (Rom 8:16)

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." (Joh 1:12-13)

"But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!' Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God." (Gal 4:4-7)

For more on this, see my article, Children of God. 

A Child of the King 

"These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful." (Rev 17:14)

"And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, 'King Of Kings, and Lord of Lords.'" (Rev 19:16)

"But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand." (Isa 53:10)

An Heir of Salvation 

"Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light." (Col 1:12)

"So that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (Tit 3:7)

For more on this, see my article, An Incomparable Inheritance.

An Heir of God and Joint-heir With Christ 

"And if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him." (Rom 8:17)

For more on this, see my article, All Things Handed Over to Jesus.

A Servant of the Most High God 

"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve." (Col 3:23-24)

"Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God." (1Co 4:1)

For more on this, see my article, Having a Servant's Heart. 

Followed by Signs 

"These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." (Mar 16:17-18)

The Temple of the Holy Spirit 

"Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (1Co 3:16)

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?" (1Co 6:19)

"Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, 'I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.' " (2Co 6:16)

A Member of Christ’s Body  

"Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it." (1Co 12:27)

One with Christ 
"But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit." (1 Cor 6:17, NIV)

"For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection." (Rom 6:5)

"For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church." (Eph 5:31-32)

A True Jew 

"But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God." (Rom 2:29)

A Child of Abraham, an Heir of Promise 

"And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise." (Gal 3:29)

"And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise." (Gal 4:28)

A Friend of God 
"You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you." (Joh 15:14-15)

A Witness for Christ 
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." (Act 1:8)

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit..." (Mat 28:19)

"And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.'" (Mar 16:15)

For more on this, see my article, Being a Witness for Christ.

The Salt of the Earth 
"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men."(Mat 5:13)

The Light of the World

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden." (Mat 5:14)

Christ's Own Possession 
“I have revealed You to those whom You gave Me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word." (Jn 17:6, NIV)

"And you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God." (1Co 3:23).

"You are not your own." (1 Cor 19b, NIV).

Redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb, Purchased of God 
"For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." (1Co 6:20)

"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace." (Eph 1:7)

Loved by God 
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." (Joh 3:16)

"He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." (Joh 14:21)

"Jesus answered and said to him, 'If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.'" (Joh 14:23)

"Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love." (Joh 15:9)

"For the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father." (Joh 16:27)

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom 5:8)

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." (Ps 139:14, NIV)

A Vessel of Honor 
"Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work." (2Ti 2:21)

An Undeserving Object of God’s Mercy 
"And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles." (Rom 9:23-24)

"For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all." (Rom 11:32)

"It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." (Lam 3:22-23. KJV)

Followed by Goodness and Mercy 
"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever." (Psa 23:6)

Blessed with Every Spiritual Blessing 
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." (Eph 1:3)

For more on this, see my article, Partaking of the Divine Nature.

Served and Protected by Angels 
"For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways." (Psa 91:11)

"Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?" (Heb 1:14)

A King and a Priest 
"And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." (Rev 1:6; cf., 5:10)

"But you are a chosen race, A royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." (1Pe 2:9)

For more on this, see my article, The Priesthood of All Believers.

Existing to Do God’s Will
"Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God." (1Pe 4:1-2)

"The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever." (1Jn 2:17)

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter." (Mat 7:21)

For more on this, see my article, Walking in the Perfect Will of God.

Living for Christ 
"And He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf." (2Co 5:15)

Crucified with Christ
"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." (Gal 2:20)

For more on this, see my article, Crucified with Christ.

A Branch Connected to Christ the Vine 
"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." (Joh 15:5)

"But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you." (Rom 11:17-18)

Dead to Sin 

"Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life." (Rom 6:4)

"Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus." (Rom 6:11)

A Living Sacrifice 

"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." (Rom 12:1)

For more on this, see my article, Living sacrifices in Consuming Fire. 

A Soldier of Christ 
"Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus." (2Ti 2:3)

Being Transformed from Glory to Glory into Christ's Image 
"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit." (2Co 3:18)

Accountable to God 
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." (2Co 5:10)

"But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, 'As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.' So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God." (Rom 14:10-12)

For more on this, see my article, Ultimate Accountability.

Free in Christ
Free not to sin or do evil. Free to love and be who He’s created me to be.

"So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed." (Joh 8:36)

"And having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness." (Rom 6:18)

"But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life." (Rom 6:22)

"For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." (Gal 5:13)

"For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is the Lord's freedman; likewise he who was called while free, is Christ's slave." (1Co 7:22)

Victorious
"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place." (2Co 2:14)

"For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1Jn 5:4-5)

"But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."(1Co 15:57)

For more on this, see my article, Overcoming the World.. 

Furthermore

• Apart from Christ I can do nothing (Jn 15:5) 
• I no longer live, but Christ lives in me (Jn 17:26; 2 Co 13:5; Col 1:27) 
• I have the mind of Christ (1 Co 2:16) 
• I have an anointing from the Holy One (1 Jn 2:20)
• I can do all things through Christ (Phil 4:13) 
• I shall do the works that Jesus did, and even greater works than these shall I do (Jn 14:12) 

Now that you know who you are in Christ, you can make these proclamations in response to the devil's lies. As the Scripture says, "I have believed, therefore I have spoken." (Ps 116:10; 2 Cor 4:13). When you begin to reclaim and proclaim your true identity in Christ out loud, you will be victorious over the enemy.

I was going to quote each verse in full that I referenced in this article, but decided to simply give you the references, in the hope that you would look them up in your own Bible. Please take the time to do that.

I have also created a three-fold, quick-reference card that you can print out, which lists your identity in Christ, just as I have laid it out in this article. This keeps it concise enough to fold and keep handy in your Bible or hang on the front of your refrigerator to remind you who you are. If you would like one, simply click on one of the following links: Who Am I? (3-fold card) or Who Am I? (2-fold Portrait)

Meanwhile, if you have not yet come to know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then I'd like to share what you need to begin to understand about your own identity. If that's you, then please see the section at the end of this page titled, "Do You Want to Know Him?"

Attribution Notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, copyright the Lockman Foundation, used by permission. Other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible NIV, where noted, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Image may subject to copyright, used according to the Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes.

Author's note: If you would like to receive free training in becoming a disciple of Christ, I highly recommend that you consider enrolling in our Doulos Training School.

I recommend reading the following articles: You Must Be Born Again, Identification with Christ, Overcoming the World, God's Amazing Plan for Your Life, Covenant Prayer,  All Things Handed Over to Jesus Christ, Supernatural Power for All Disciples, An Incomparable Inheritance, The Cost of Discipleship, Persecuted or Popular?, The Priesthood of All Believers, and Having a Servant's Heart. I also invite you to read my daughter's poems, called The Cost and Mirror of Christ. You can also find my complete collection of blogs at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.