Your Identity in Christ

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 (Jn 3:3; 1Pe 1:23)
• Born of the Spirit (Jn 3:6)
• A new creation (2 Co 5:17)
• Forgiven of my sins (1 Jn 1:9; Heb 8:12; Rev 1:5; Is 1:18; Psa 103:3,12; Isa 43:25; Ez 18:22; Mt 6:14-15)
• Washed, cleansed, and purified (1 Co 6:11; 1 Pe 1:22; Rom 8:1; Jn 15:3; 1 Jn 1:7; Eph 5:25-26; Heb 9:14)
• Saved by grace through faith (Eph 2:8-9; Ro 5:9)
• Created to do good works (Eph 2:10)
• The righteousness of God in Christ (2 Co 5:21)
• Raised with Christ (Col 3:1)
• Seated in heavenly realms with Christ (Eph 2:6)
• Hidden with Christ in God (Col 3:3)
• A citizen of heaven (Phil 3:20)
• On my way to heaven (Jn 14:1-3; 1 Jn 5:13; 2 Cor 5:1)
• A saint, called to be holy (Phil 1:1; 1 Co 1:2; Eph 1:1; Heb 12:14)
• Called by God (1 Pe 1:1; Jude 1:1)
• Chosen by God (1 Pet 1:2; Col 3:12; Jn 15:16; Eph 1:4;1:11)
• A child of God (1 Jn 3:1; 5:19; Rom 8:14,16; Jn 1:12-13; Gal 4:4–7)
• A child of the King (Rev 17:14; 19:16; Is 53:10)
• An heir of salvation (Col 1:12; Tit 3:7)
• An heir of God and joint-heir with Christ (Rom 8:17)
• A servant of the Most High God (Col 3:23-24; 1 Co 4:1)
• Followed by signs (Mk 16:17)
• The temple of the Holy Spirit (2 Co 6:16; 1 Co 6:19; 3:16)
• A member of Christ’s Body  (1 Co 12:27)
• One with Christ (1 Cor 6:17; Eph 5:31,32; Ro 6:5)
• A true Jew (Rom 2:29)
• A child of Abraham, an heir of promise (Gal 3:29; 5:28)
• A friend of God (Jn 15:14-15)
• A witness for Christ (Ac 1:8; Mt 28:19; Mk 16:15)
• The salt of the earth (Mt 5:13)
• The light of the world.  (Mt 5:14)
• Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, purchased of God (1 Co 6:20; Eph 1:7)
• Christ's own possession (1 Co 3:23; 6:19-20)
• Loved by God (Jn 3:16; 14:21,23; 15:9; 16:27; Rom 5:8)
• Fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps 139:14)
• A vessel of honor (2 Tim 2:21)
• An undeserving object of God’s mercy (Rom 9:23-24; 11:32; Lam 3:22-23)
• Followed by goodness and mercy (Ps 23:6)
• Blessed with every spiritual blessing (Eph 1:3)
• Served and protected by angels (Ps 91:11; Heb 1:14)
• A king and a priest (1 Pet 2:9; Rev 1:6; 5:10)
• Existing to do God’s will (1 Pe 4:1-2; 1 Jn 2:17; Mt 7:21)
• Living for Christ ( 2 Co 5:15)
• Crucified with Christ (Gal 2:20)
• A branch connected to Christ the Vine (Jn 15:5; Ro 11:17-18)
• Dead to sin (Ro 6:4,11)
• A living sacrifice (Rom 12:1)
• A soldier of Christ (2 Tim 2:3)
• Being transformed from glory to glory into Christ's image (2 Cor 3:18)
• Accountable to God (2 Co 5:10; 1 Co 3:13-14; Ro 14:10-12)
• Free in Christ, free not to sin or do evil. Free to love and be who He’s created me to be (Jn 8:36; 8:32; Rom 6:18; 6:22; Gal 5:13; 1 Co 7:22)
• Victorious (2 Co 2:14; 1 Jn 5:4-5; 1 Cor 15:57)

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 have also created another version of this article called Your Identity in Christ -- Full Version, which quotes each verse in full that I have referenced in this article. I strongly encourage you to either look up these verses in your Bible or read the full version, which is much meatier than this one.

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. It contains only the Scripture references, not the full text of each verse. 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: 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.