Who are you in Christ? Who does God say you are?

As a Christian pursuing a relationship with God, I have come to realise the importance of knowing your identity in Christ as this is the foundation of our Christianity. Being a child of God should not be a statement said without any understanding of what this involves. We must see being a child of God as a privilege. As 1 st John 3:1 says, it is because of God’s love for us that He has called us his own. With this understanding, we are to reflect our Father and exercise our authority. Now I ask you, do you know who God says you are? 1 st Peter 2:9 talks about us being a ‘royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people’. To be peculiar means to be unique. As children of God, although we are in this world, we are NOT of this world. That means that the things that worry and trouble the world should not shake us. The reference to ‘royal priesthood’ allows us to understand how we are to conduct ourselves which will also determine how others treat us.

Why is it important to understand who you are?

I believe that when you have knowledge, you have power. By understanding our identity in Christ and the authority we carry, this is the beginning of conquering this journey of life. As a result, our approach to life and the way we handle situations should change. The truth of the matter is that our identity is not rooted in our professions because that is what we do but that does not make us who we are. Furthermore, our jobs can not give us the security which God can. In Colossians 2:10 it tells us that ‘in Christ we have been brought to fullness. He is head over every power and authority’. This is very eye-opening, the Bible says ‘In Christ’ NOT in our jobs, possessions or in human beings. It is Christ we should look up to when we need to fill any void in our lives because He alone can make us complete and give us total joy. With this knowledge, we can rise above adversity because we know who to call on in times of need. The Bible says that our Father is head over every power and authority yet at times it feels like our problems and situations are defining who we are. Here is the good news, God can also change our identities. In Genesis 17:5, it says that God changed Abram’s name to Abraham and made a promise to him that he shall be ‘a father of many nations’. This means that God has long been in the business of changing stories and He is more than able to give you a new story. As you catch this insight, I pray that the God of Heaven and Earth will give you a brand-new identity.

So how do we affirm your identity in Christ?

I believe there are four principles needed for every Christian to affirm their identity in Christ. To activate our power as children of God, we must first KNOW who we are. As Hosea 4:6 says ‘My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge’. This knowledge of who we are in Christ Jesus has to become a part of our lifestyle and for this to happen we have to THINK it all the time. The mind is a powerful weapon, as such we should take heed to our thoughts. Instead of negative thoughts, reflect on the promises of God and think of yourself as blessed and lifted. As Proverbs 23:7 teaches ‘As a man thinks in his heart so he is’. Therefore, paint a picture in your mind of your glorious future and act upon it and it will begin to unfold before your eyes. Many of us know that words can provoke either positive or negative outcomes in our lives. In Proverbs 18:21, the scripture declares that ‘death and life are in the power of the tongue’. It is only until we continuously sow good seeds through speaking the right words that we can reap good fruits. When life becomes overwhelming, it is then you should SPEAK and contend for your life. Declare your victory in Christ Jesus and proclaim your healing and freedom from bondage. Lastly, I will say that when you are conscious of your identity in Christ you have got to ACT like it, you can not continue to act defeated. It should always be in our minds that we are representatives of God and His light should shine through us in any environment we find ourselves in.