WHO AM I IN CHRIST?
Romans
[MKJV] 12:1-3 I beseech you
therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is
your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order to prove by you what is that good and pleasing and perfect will of
God. For I say, through the grace given to me, to every one who is among you,
not to think of himself more highly than
he ought to think. But set your mind to be right-minded, even as God has dealt
to every man the measure of faith.
Dear fellow
travelers,
Is the transgender movement all about
sex-orientation or is it mostly about seeking identity?
Biblical repentance is centered in godly rethinking
producing godly life-change. (Rom.12:1-3)
Action sans Scriptural belief is not
repentance. (Mt.4:17; Mk.1:15; Lk.13:3-5; Rom.12:1-3; Act.3:19-21)
I’m still hearing professing Christians
answer the title question improperly; Husband, wife, father, mother, student, professor,
preacher, teacher, mechanic, accountant, baker, pilot, football player, coach,
retiree, Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, et al are not who we are. They are what
we do. Even saying “I’m a Christian.” may be no different.
We live according to how we identify
ourselves. It is impossible for us to do otherwise. (Pr.23:7)
John 1:12 believers are indwelled by God’s
Holy Spirit. (Jn.14:26; 1Cor.6:19-20) Improper identification quenches God’s
Holy Spirit (IThes.5:19), and in doing so leaves us feeling guilty, inadequate,
shameful, rejected, insecure, and in worse mental, emotional, and physical
condition than before trusting Lord Jesus Christ as our redeemer. (As a young
Christian I suffered this condition.)
Understanding our new birth identity in
Christ provides Jesus’ abundant peace with accompanying empowering sense of security
providing eternal meaning to life here and now.
Below is description of our identity as
followers of Christ. I compiled the following list from several that are
available. Instead of leaving you to look up Bible verses, using ESV
translation I provide full verse. I do however encourage readers to look verses
up in their favorite text and also look up and read additional references in
brackets.
Additionally, please do keep copies handy to share
with others.
To serve Him all
our days,
Edwin B. Bullock 4th
WHO I AM IN CHRIST
·
I am God’s child. Jn.1:12-13 “But to all who
did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children
of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the
will of man, but of God.”
·
I am
Jesus’ chosen friend. Jn.15:15 [Jesus explained] “No longer do I call you
servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have
called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known
to you.”
·
I have
been justified. Rom.5:1 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
·
I am one
spirit with the Lord. 1Cor.6:17 “… he who is joined to the Lord becomes one
spirit with him.”
·
I belong
to God. 1Cor.6:19-20 “… do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy
Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were
bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
·
I am His
family, a member of the Body of Christ. 1Cor.12:27 “Now you are the body of
Christ and individually members of it.”
·
I am a
holy saint. Phil.4:21 “Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are
with me greet you.” (Act.9:13; Rom.16:2; 1Cor.1:2; Eph.4:12; 5:3)
·
I am
adopted as God’s child. Gal.4:4-5 “ … when the fullness of time had come, God
sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were
under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”
·
I, as a
saint, have direct access to God. Eph.2:18-19 “For through him we both have
access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and
aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the
household of God,” (Heb.4:16)
·
I am
redeemed and forgiven of all my sins. Col.1:12-14 “giving thanks to the Father,
who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He
has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom
of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
·
I am
complete in Christ. Col.2:8-10 “See to it that no one takes you captive by
philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the
elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the
whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is
the head of all rule and authority.”
·
I am
forever free from condemnation. Rom.8:1-4 “There is therefore now no
condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of
life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God
has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own
Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,
in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us,
who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Rom.4:18-25;
Jam.2:23)
·
I am, as
a lover of God, assured that all things work together for good. Rom.8:28 “And we
know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those
who are called according to his purpose.”
·
I am
without condemning charges. Rom.8:31-34 “What then shall we say to these
things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own
Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give
us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who
justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who
was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.”
·
I cannot
be separated from the love of God. Rom.8:35-39 “Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written [Ps.44:22], "For your
sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be
slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through
him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor
rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor
depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the
love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
·
I am
established, anointed and sealed by God. 2Cor.1:21-22 “And it is God who
establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put
his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”
·
I am
confident His good work in me is assured. Phil.1:6 “… I am sure of this, that
he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus
Christ”
·
I am a
citizen of heaven sojourning on earth. Phil.3:20-21 “… our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our
lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to
subject all things to himself.”
·
I am
hidden with Christ in God. Col.3:1-4 “If then you have been raised with Christ,
seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of
God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
For you have died [Rom.6:2; Eph.2:1], and your life is hidden with Christ in
God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him
in glory.”
·
I have
not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. 2Tim.1:7
“… God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
·
I am
able to find merciful grace when needed. Heb.4:15-16 “… we do not have a high
priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every
respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with
confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find
grace to help in time of need.”
·
I am
born eternally of God and Satan cannot rob me of my soul. 1Jn.5:18-19 “We know
that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was
born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch [Gr. “attach oneself
to”] him. We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power
of the evil one.”
·
I have
utmost purpose in life. Mt.5:13-14 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has
lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for
anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. You are the
light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.“ 2Cor.5:17-20 “Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold,
the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to
himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was
reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them,
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are
ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.”
·
I am a
branch of the true vine, Jesus. Jn.15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches.
Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart
from me you can do nothing.”
·
I am
chosen and appointed by God to bear fruit. Jn.15:16-17 “You did not choose me,
but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that
your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may
give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”
·
I am
Christ’s personal Spirit-empowered witness. Act.1:8 “…you will receive power
when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
·
I am
Christ’ ambassador of reconciliation. 2Cor.5:15-21 “[Jesus] died for all, that
those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their
sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to
the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we
regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from
God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of
reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself,
not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of
reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal
through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our
sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the
righteousness of God.”
·
I am
God’s coworker. 2Cor.6:1-2 “Working together with him, then, we appeal to you
not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says, "In a favorable time
I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you." Behold,
now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.’
·
I am
truly now alive and seated with Christ in the heavenly realm. Eph.2:1-7 “And
you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following
the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the
spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once
lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and
the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But
God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by
grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in
the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show
the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
·
I am
God’s workmanship, created for good works. Eph.2:8-10 “For by grace you have
been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of
God, not a result of [our] works, so that no one may boast. For we are his
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
·
I may
approach Most Holy Sovereign God in freedom with confidence. Phil.3:11-12 “This
was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our
Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in
him.”
·
I am
loved by God. Rom.5:6-8 “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ
died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though
perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for
us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (1Jn.4:8)
·
I am a
joint-heir with Christ. Rom.8:16-17 “The Spirit himself bears witness with our
spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God
and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may
also be glorified with him.”
·
I have
been given wonderful promises. 2Pet.1:3-4 “His divine power has granted to us
all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who
called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his
precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers
of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world
because of sinful desire.”
·
I am
never left alone. Heb.13:5b-6 “… [God] has said, "I will never leave you
nor forsake you." So we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear; what can man do to me?" (Deut.3:16; Jos.1:5; 1Chr.28:20)
·
I have
access to God’s wisdom. Jam.1:2-5 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet
trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces
steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be
perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him
ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given
him.”
·
I am a
serving priest. 1Pet.2:9-10 “But
you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own
possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of
darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are
God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
·
I am
temporarily this side of physically being in heaven. 1Pet.2:11-12 “Beloved, I
urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh,
which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles
honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your
good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” (2Cor.5:6-8)
·
I am
able to see what the unregenerate cannot. Jn.3:3 “Jesus answered him [Nicodemus], "Truly,
truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of
God."
