What Christian does not know that they are loved, forgiven, and that their eternal destiny is secure? If you’re like me, you might even be able to rattle off Scripture verses citing these truths and their references. But do we know it? Are our lives transformed as a result of this knowing?

If you are a Christian, your identity in Christ is by its very nature, secure. It’s a fact that you are loved (e.g. Romans 5:8). When you confess your sins, they are forgiven (1 John 1:9). The Holy Spirit of God lives in you (Ephesians 1:13-14).

But often our knowledge of our identity in Christ is insecure and even flaky. Facts become debatable. We feel insecure or unlovable. We doubt the truth of Biblical statements. Therefore our identity isn’t secure… right? Not.

I’m not here to convince you of the truth of your identity in Christ. (There are many resources that do just that – here is one example.) I am here to remind you of why it is so important that we hold fast to these truths until we own them, until they are part of our very essence, until they shape our lived experience, and until their opposites are unthinkable and even laughable.

Honestly? I’m writing this blog from a place of feeling crushed by the pressures of life. I feel stressed and overwhelmed and unaccomplished. But I know that my feelings don’t define me. My identity is secure in Christ. I hope to lean into my identity in Christ as I write to remind myself of truth! So here are some thoughts on living from a place of owning the truth of our identity in Christ.

We know we are loved unconditionally when:

• We hold our heads high, no matter our past.
• We love ourselves as God loves us, extending self-compassion.
• We love others unconditionally as God loves them, extending compassion and grace even if they hurt or disappoint us every time. (We still uphold firm boundaries.)
• We don’t need to judge others or compare ourselves to them.
• We are like someone in love: We greatly desire to spend time with God and know Him more.
• We trust God through everything. We trust His character and His judgement.
• We lose any sense of self-consciousness.
• We are willing to give up everything for God, who gave up Himself for us. We make ourselves “bondslaves” to Him for life. This flows out in unhesitating obedience.

When we know we are fully forgiven:

• We go about our days abounding in gratitude.
• We share our stories without shame.
• We are humble, thinking of ourselves neither too lowly nor too highly.
• We are acutely aware of our wretchedness and our desperate need of God’s mercy. (Read more about God’s grace here.)
• We are “fluent” in the receiving and giving of grace.
• We forgive others easily and fully (while still upholding firm boundaries.)
• We are not hard on ourselves, but are rather honest, humble, and accepting of who we are.
• We relate with other sinners, rather than judging them.
• We are in awe of God’s mercy and grace and we respond spontaneously in worship.

Being fully assured of our eternal destiny in God’s presence means:

• We wake up lighthearted, regardless of our circumstances.
• We eagerly share our hope, overflowing with desire to see others know this same hope.
• We can freely give away our earthly possessions when we feel God nudge us to do so; we are not bound to material possessions (or titles or reputations).
• We live with our focus on eternity, and we have no need to strive for earthly measures of success.
• We live unafraid of death or suffering or evil.
• We draw comfort from our heavenly vision when faced with earthly suffering.
• We are constantly astounded by God’s desire to include us in eternity.

When we are confident of the Holy Spirit living in us:

• We trust the leading and guiding of the Spirit.
• We ask for and receive the wisdom of the Spirit.
• We exercise the authority we have in Christ.
• We expect to see evidence of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.
• We expect to move in the power and gifts of the Spirit for the building up of the body of Christ.
• We are filled with the fear of the Lord, desiring to please God in all we do.
• We look after our bodies and care for others, upholding their dignity.

I need help!

So far we have established one thing: very few people live from a place of knowing that their identity is secure in Christ! I have a lot of room to grow! But remember, this is a snapshot of the ideal, the goal as far as identity goes. Let the Holy Spirit guide you in the next step to grow in owning your identity.

Owning your identity

How do we get from where we are (sort-of believing some of these things some of the time) to being fully confident in our identity in Christ? Here are some suggestions.

• Choose one Biblical truth about identity in Christ that you would like to grow in. It may be one of the points above, or it may be another aspect taught in Scripture. (See Ephesians 1!)
• Tell God that you want to own this truth.
• Repent for doubting what God has said and for giving more weight to opposing voices.
• Ask God to help you understand and internalize His truth. Ask Him for a revelation.
• Find, memorise, and study Scriptures that teach this truth.
• Choose to trust God’s Word rather than your emotions or external evidence. (Don’t be afraid to bring seemingly opposing evidence to God. Lazarus was clinically dead. That didn’t mean his life on earth was over. Will you trust God’s Word over the evidence?)
• Work through any experiences from your past that oppose God’s truth about you. For example, if someone spoke words of hatred or abused you, you will need to forgive the person and renounce those words. This includes words you have spoken over yourself. Or if you are struggling to receive God’s forgiveness for a habitual sin, you need to speak to your pastor or other trusted Christian who can help you.
• Keep praying for this truth to be established in you.
• Don’t forget to thank God when you see your prayers answered. (You can thank Him in advance in faith too!)

Well, friends, I am greatly encouraged by writing this. Although I am far from living every moment of every day from a place of fully owning my identity, I have taken my eyes off my circumstances and placed them onto God. I still face the same responsibilities for the day, but I no longer feel crushed by them. The Holy Spirit has helped my emotions come into line with the spiritual reality of God’s truth, rather than succumbing to the physical realm. May the same be true for you.