Our Identity In Christ

  1. Indicatives & Imperatives 

The Scriptures speak of the heart of man as the wellspring of life, the seat of all that he is – his emotions, thoughts, desires, motivations, etc.

Since God is after the heart of man, the worship of that heart, and joy filled in his heart, and not solely his behavior or morality - what the enemy, the world, and the flesh attack is our identity, who the heart thinks it is.

This is why the biblical writers, specifically in the NT, always call us to an imperative (command, obedience) that stems first from an indicative – who we are in Christ, our identity.

So Paul will say in Ephesians 5:2 to “walk in love”. That is an imperative. We must walk in love; it is a command. But we can walk in love because of our identity in Christ. We are “beloved children” (v1) because “Christ loved us and gave himself up for us”, (v2) that is the indicative, who we are. So to the degree that you believe that you are a beloved child of God is the degree in which you can walk in love.

“So many of us cavalierly gloss over what he has done and zero in on what weʼre to do, and that shift, though it might seem slight, makes all the difference in the world. Our obedience has its origin in Godʼs prior action, and forgetting that truth results in self-righteousness, pride, and despair.” (Fitzpatrick)

This also means that our actions stem from who we think we are. Our behavior – habitual or not – doesn’t happen in a vacuum; our actions are not random, or even compulsive. They stem from our identity. The tension with the regenerated follower of Christ is that he has – in essence – two identities warring inside him.

“For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:15-25 ESV)

The fight is a fight against your personhood, the new self that was created in Christ Jesus. By mediating on, memorizing, and applying the many facets of who you are in Jesus, you can war against the lies that war against your true identity.

2. YOUR IDENTITY IS IN CHRIST

IN CHRIST:

  1. I am faithful (Ephesians 1:1)

  2. I am God's child (John 1:12)

  3. I have been justified (Romans 5:1)

  4. I am Christ's friend (John 15:15)

  5. I belong to God (1 Corinthians 6:20)

  6. I am a member of Christ's Body (1 Corinthians 12:27)

  7. I am assured all things work together for good (Romans 8:28)

  8. I have been established, anointed and sealed by God (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)

  9. I am confident that God will perfect the work He has begun in me (Philippians 1:6)

  10. I am a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20)

  11. I am hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3)

  12. I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self-discipline (2 Tim 1:7)

  13. I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me (1 John 5:18)

  14. I am blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3)

  15. I am chosen before the creation of the world (Ephesians 1:4, 11)

  16. I am holy and blameless (Ephesians 1:4)

  17. I am adopted as his child (Ephesians 1:5)

  18. I am given God's glorious grace lavishly and without restriction (Ephesians 1:5,8)

  19. I am in Him (Ephesians 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:30)

  20. I have redemption (Ephesians 1:8)

  21. I am forgiven (Ephesians 1:8; Colossians 1:14)

  22. I have purpose (Ephesians 1:9 & 3:11)

  23. I have hope (Ephesians 1:12)

  24. I am included (Ephesians 1:13)

  25. I am sealed with the promised Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13)

  26. I am a saint (Ephesians 1:18)

  27. I am salt and light of the earth (Matthew 5:13-14)

  28. I have been chosen and God desires me to bear fruit (John 15:1,5)

  29. I am a personal witness of Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8)

  30. I am God's coworker (2 Corinthians 6:1)

  31. I am a minister of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:17-20)

  32. I am alive with Christ (Ephesians 2:5)

  33. I am raised up with Christ (Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 2:12)

  34. I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6)

  35. I have been shown the incomparable riches of God's grace (Ephesians 2:7)

  36. I am God's workmanship (Ephesians 2:10)

  37. I have been brought near to God through Christ's blood (Ephesians 2:13)

  38. I have peace (Ephesians 2:14)

  39. I have access to the Father (Ephesians 2:18)

  40. I am a member of God's household (Ephesians 2:19)

  41. I am secure (Ephesians 2:20)

  42. I am a holy temple (Ephesians 2:21; 1 Corinthians 6:19)

  43. I am a dwelling for the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:22)

  44. I share in the promise of Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:6)

  45. God's power works through me (Ephesians 3:7)

  46. I can approach God with freedom and confidence (Ephesians 3:12)

  47. I know there is a purpose for my sufferings (Ephesians 3:13)

  48. I can grasp how wide, long, high and deep Christ's love is (Ephesians 3:18)

  49. I am completed by God (Ephesians 3:19)

  50. I can bring glory to God (Ephesians 3:21)

  51. I have been called (Ephesians 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:9)

  52. I can be humble, gentle, patient and lovingly tolerant of others (Ephesians 4:2)

  53. I can mature spiritually (Ephesians 4:15)

  54. I can be certain of God's truths and the lifestyle He has called me to (Ephesians 4:17)

  55. I can have a new attitude and a new lifestyle (Ephesians 4:21-32)

  56. I can be kind and compassionate to others (Ephesians 4:32)

  57. I can forgive others (Ephesians 4:32)

  58. I am a light to others, and can exhibit goodness, righteousness and truth (Eph 5:8-9)

  59. I can understand what God's will is (Ephesians 5:17)

  60. I can give thanks for everything (Ephesians 5:20)

  61. I don't have to always have my own agenda (Ephesians 5:21)

  62. I can honor God through marriage (Ephesians 5:22-33)

  63. I can parent my children with composure (Ephesians 6:4)

  64. I can be strong (Ephesians 6:10)

  65. I have God's power (Ephesians 6:10)

  66. I can stand firm in the day of evil (Ephesians 6:13)

  67. I am dead to sin (Romans 1:12)

  68. I am not alone (Hebrews 13:5)

  69. I am growing (Colossians 2:7)

  70. I am His disciple (John 13:15)

  71. I am prayed for by Jesus Christ (John 17:20-23)

  72. I am united with other believers (John 17:20-23)

  73. I am not in want (Philippians 4:19)

  74. I possess the mind of Christ (I Corinthians 2:16)

  75. I am promised eternal life (John 6:47)

  76. I am promised a full life (John 10:10)

  77. I am victorious (I John 5:4)

  78. I am chosen and dearly loved (Colossians 3:12)

  79. I am blameless (I Corinthians 1:8)

  80. I am set free (Romans 8:2; John 8:32)

  81. I am crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20)

  82. I am a light in the world (Matthew 5:14)

  83. I am more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37)

  84. I am the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21)

  85. I am safe (I John 5:18)

  86. I am part of God's kingdom (Revelation 1:6)

  87. I am healed from sin (I Peter 2:24)

  88. I am no longer condemned (Romans 8:1, 2)

  89. I am not helpless (Philippians 4:13)

  90. I am overcoming (I John 4:4)

  91. I am persevering (Philippians 3:14)

  92. I am protected (John 10:28)

  93. I am born again (I Peter 1:23)

  94. I am a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)

  95. I am delivered (Colossians 1:13)

  96. I am redeemed from the curse of the Law (Galatians 3:13)

  97. I am qualified to share in His inheritance (Colossians 1:12)

  98. I am victorious (1 Corinthians 15:57)