Finding Your Identity in Christ
In the world today, shifting labels and self-made identities can easily mislead us away from the unshakeable truth of who we are in Christ. Rather than anchoring ourselves in titles or roles or lists of accomplishments, our value and purpose are found in an eternal relationship with Him. Knowing He is ours is to embrace a sense of peace, security, and direction this world cannot offer.
Anchoring Our Identity in Christ Alone
True identity starts with Christ. The wins and losses do not define it, nor by personal desires one may have. It emanates from a relationship with Jesus; the One who has called us out of darkness and into His marvellous light. We are "a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation" set apart to reflect the glory of God in all that we do.
That will be more than the identity crisis of the worldly identity around us because in Christ-through His love is a purpose that surpasses the temporal and a value much greater than our titles. A call to life as new creations.
The Call to Image Christ in Everyday Life
Knowing who we are in Christ empowers us to live confidently and purposefully. Every day becomes an opportunity to show the world what it means to belong to God. As "God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works" says Ephesians 2:10, our lives are designed to model His love, grace, and truth.
It's not an identity that we attain or even concoct; it's a gift of grace. We're invited into a life of purpose, walked out by an already sure path by a loving Father.
Living with the Confidence of His Love
We have God's promises to cling to when doubts confront us, when self-condemning seems insurmountable, or when feelings of inadequacy want to overwhelm us. Christ has called us His own, and no one can change that. "I know in whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've committed unto Him" 2nd Timothy 1:12. These remind us that our identity in Him is secure irrespective of what others may say or even how we may feel.
Let us learn to live freely and uninhibited from self-definition pressures, holding fast to who we are in Christ as sons of God. It's that kind of confidence we wear to a world desperately needing hope, clarity, and love.
This blog post is based on a sermon delivered by Pastor Graham Murray on November 3, 2024, at the City Church Swansea