Humanity, since the creation of the world, has gone through life asking the question "who am I?". History has seen many different answers to that question. Whether it be fig leaves in the garden of Eden or a high-paying job, people usually define themselves by what they do/don't do and what they have/don't have.
For the believer, this question is usually answered by what we do/don't do for the Lord. Most of the time our sense of identity comes from our own feelings about ourselves. I don't "feel" loved by the Lord. I "feel" like the Lord will not bless me. My patterns of sin make me "feel" like I will never have victory. Or, the sometimes scarier perceptions can come as well. I have done so much for you Lord, You must like me more. I shared my faith today Lord, therefore you will bless me. I haven't sinned in three days (yeah right!), I must be acceptable in the sight of the Lord.
May I offer a different and Biblical way of thinking about our identity? The New Testament Epistles are very clear on this issue. Our identity rests solely "In Christ"! Not in the things we do/don't do. Not in how "good" we are. Rather, our identity is in the Risen Christ (who He is and what He has done). Paul makes this very clear when he writes in Colossians 3:3:
"For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God."
We must start viewing ourselves the way God sees us. It doesn't matter what others think about us. It doesn't even matter what we think about ourselves. What the Lord declares of us must be our focal point.
