Mail Call from the old TV show M*A*S*H
I was asked-
"What does it truly mean and practically mean for us to find our identity in Christ? What does that look like daily?"
I know a lot of younger women ask this or wonder this.
I personally don’t think it’s as big of a deal as a lot of people think, but that could just be me.
Who are we?
Before salvation, we were in satan. After salvation, we are in Jesus. Having our identity in work, children, hobby, etc prior to salvation just means that it was a masked idol with satan behind the mask. If we find identity in those things after salvation, it’s sin blocking us from seeing Jesus.Our identity is "in Christ"
and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith (Philippians 3:9)
Actually, all of Philippians 3 is helpful. Also, this from RC Sproul is helpful here-
Our True Identity
But even if we are sinning in finding identity in other things besides Jesus, what does God see when He looks at us, whose identity does HE see? Jesus’. He sees the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to us by faith.
Where we begin to have questions about our identity is when we wonder if He sees that righteousness of Christ imparted by the Holy Spirit working its way out into our attitudes and behaviors. In other words, are we living it?
In practical terms, our identity IS in Christ. Nothing we think or say or do changes that. We can wonder, mull, question, or believe anything we want, but our identity is in Christ. That is how God sees it.
LIVING like we are in Christ is another thing. Daily, that means we--
--pray
--read our Bible
--give
--worship
--repent
--sacrifice for others (be a doer not just a hearer)
Just keep putting one foot in front of another every day doing the above, and we will daily know in greater measure that we are in Christ. The more we perform the outworking of our salvation the more we will see HIS outworking of our sanctification (via answered prayer, shifted affections, more diligent works, less pride, etc) and grow more sure.
PS focusing on our identity after a certain point, and only the individual would know that point, is navel gazing and not edifying. It’s a good question to ask, but obsessing over it is inward thinking and not outward Jesus focusing.
The Sproul piece is short.
