In Jesus You Are: Understanding Your Identity in ChristНамуна

Monday: In Jesus I am a New Creation

Read: 2 Corinthians 5:17, Colossians 3:9–10 

SOAP* : 2 Corinthians 5:17

“So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come!”

Who do you think you are? Said with a certain attitude, it’s a question that makes us feel defensive, out of place, or in the wrong. Asked with genuine interest, it can invite us to pause and reflect, considering all of the elements that make us who we are. Our ancestors, our work, our hobbies, our stage of life, and our relationships are just a few of the ways we identify ourselves.

In this study, we will spend time answering this question through a biblical lens as we discover who we are in Jesus. Who does He say we are? What titles and roles does He assign us? How does our relationship with Him impact our identity?

Today’s reading comes from 2 Corinthians, a letter in the New Testament that was written by Paul to an early Christian church in a city called Corinth. In this section of his letter, Paul was encouraging the early church leaders to understand that they had not only been reconciled to God through the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ, but they were to see themselves—and other believers—as new creations. 

It can be difficult to accept that someone we have known our whole lives has truly changed when we’ve only known them in one way. Paul was reminding the church, which includes us, not to focus on the outward identity of other believers but to focus on our new identity. In Jesus, we are a new creation. The old ways, thoughts, and motivations can be left in the past as we walk in freedom toward the next step in our journey in with Jesus.

Prayer:  Father God, thank You for sending Jesus to live and die and be raised again so I can become a new creation. I pray my words and actions would bring You glory so that I would be easily identified as Your child. Help me walk in freedom, leaving the old behind so I can fully embrace who You say I am. Amen.

* As we study the Bible, we use the SOAP Bible Study Method. The acronym stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. 

1. Scripture. Write out the verses at least one time. Slow down and copy the passage from the text, focusing on what you are writing. Writing it more than one time is always helpful.

2. Observation. Take time to carefully observe the passage. What do you see in the verses you’re reading? Who is the intended audience? To whom is the writer speaking? What cultural factors are at play? Are any words or themes repeated? What literary devices are being used?

3. Application. After carefully observing what is happening in the passage, determine the main message or truth of the passage. How can you apply this truth to your life?

4. Prayer. Pray God’s Word back to Him. If He has revealed something to you during this time, pray about it. Confess any sin God has revealed. Pray through the truth of the passage.