Who Am I?Намуна

Day 2: The Impact of Sin on Identity

Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans that we “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23). I think we all know we’re not perfect, it would take a high level of pride to think that we’ve never erred!

Perhaps though it comes more easily to think that we’re ‘not too bad’, especially living in a culture constantly saying to ‘live your own truth’. But Paul goes on to say in Romans 6:23: ‘For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ Right back at the Garden of Eden, when sin first entered the world, Adam and Eve faced consequences for their sin (Genesis 3). They believed the lies of the enemy that knowledge would give them power, and by placing their confidence, their identity in the quest for knowledge, they drove a wedge between themselves and the God who loved them. Ultimately the cost of their sin, and our own, is death.

But Ephesians 5:2 tells us God’s amazing rescue plan, and Hebrews 4:16 shows us that because of Jesus we have access restored to the very throne-room. So, what do we do now?

Hebrews 12:1-3 instructs us to throw off sin, and 1 Corinthians 6:20 sets it out clearly too - ‘You were bought with a price. So honour God in your body.’
You wouldn’t buy a Chanel dress and then tear it up and use it as toilet-roll, would you? Because it has great value, and the value dictates its purpose. So, in the same way, we, who have been bought at the greatest price, should live according to our value. Lives that honour Jesus and the price He paid for us.

So our new identity in Christ dictates that we should step away from sin, from anything that drives a wedge between us and God. But, the good news is that Romans 6:6 says that we don’t have to do it all in our own strength – our sin was crucified with Christ, so now our work becomes to commit to lives trying to walk more closely with Him, a pattern of continued repentance leading to ongoing, increased restoration.

1. In your life, can you see lies about your identity that you’ve believed which have led to patterns of behaviour that steer you away from God?
2. Does seeing yourself as valuable change your perspective about sin? You are not being deprived of ‘fun’ things; you are being redeemed into the ‘glorious’!