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Day Four: The Joy of Our Identity
My identity consists of experiences, abilities, accomplishments, interests, values, beliefs, and more, as does yours. This is a fairly common understanding of identity, though simplistic, held by both psychologists and philosophers, and it is compatible with a biblical worldview.
What does it mean to say that our identity is in Christ? Because I belong to Jesus Christ by responding to His call and placing my faith in Him for the forgiveness of my sins, I am no longer condemned by my sin. I am clean, set free, released from my bondage, filled with the Spirit of God, and awaiting an inheritance as a child of God. I am able to live by His power to resist and to overcome the brokenness in me and in this world. I am accepted by God. This is who I am in Christ.
How does this truth change us? You may be a fearful person, but in Christ you have been given a spirit of power (2 Timothy 1:7). You may have a disability, but in Christ you can endure hardship (Philippians 4:13). You may be an addict, but in Christ you have been set free from the bondage of sin (Romans 6:15–23). You may be fatherless and an orphan, but in Christ you have a place in His family and have a countless number of spiritual brothers and sisters (Romans 8:12–17). You may be one worthy of condemnation because of what you have done, but there is no condemnation for those in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:1).
How remarkable that in Christ we can become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). This is either a hopeful and unbelievably true thing about you or something that can be yours today. Call out to God. Today can be the day your sin is exchanged for God’s righteousness (Romans 10:9–10).
Let us abandon the pursuit of finding identity in relatively trivial things and begin to live securely in the reality of what and who we are. Our uniqueness is not what makes us special but is a gift nonetheless. Let us each consider, then, the ways we can encourage one another to use our uniqueness for the glory of God and the good of others. And let us see how who we are might affect what we are called to do.
What does having your identity in Christ means to you? Ask Jesus to remove anything that links your identity to something other than Himself.
About this Plan
What makes life meaningful? Having a definitive answer to that question is fundamental to a life of value and significance. This week, pastor, apologist, and teacher Michael Sherrard walks us through the process of asking good questions to gain better answers. Life is only meaningful if God exists, and that essential fact provides clarity for the most important questions we will examine together, discovering meaning and hope along the way.
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We would like to thank Baker Publishing for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/bakerbooks
