Our Identity in Christ

Over the last 8 weeks our Bible Fellowship Group at church has been going through a study called Gripped by the Greatness of God. We have studied God's holiness, awesomeness, sovereignty, His works, and what it means to be gripped by the worship of God. This last week was the last week and we studied how to be gripped by our identity in God which inparticularly hit home with me. Isaiah 43:1 says, " Do not fear, for I have redeemed you, I have called you by name, you are Mine." Is that not so reassuring? James McDonald, the author of the study said, "Only in our Creator can we discover all we are and were made to become."


The author gave an illustration of how his son was in a serious car accident and had some major injuries which could have been life threatening but by the grace of God his life was spared. But he talked about how he played over and over in his mind the variations of how the story could have ended up and even the possibility that he could have lost his first born son. It was then that he realized how important it is to not base our identity on anything but who we are in Christ and who He has created us to be. When our identity is found in our children, career, family, possessions, or accomplishments, and trajedy strikes our life such as a loss of a child or spouse, job, etc.., it seems like we have no reason to keep living because in a sense, our identity is gone. However, if our identity is found in Christ and we truly grip that He has redeemed us, has called us by name, and that we are chosen, only then can we begin to cope with and deal with tough times in our lives. After all, Christ has already ordained and set my life out and as hard as it may be to understand, whatever happens in my life is a part of His ordained plan.





As a mom, it is so easy for me to find my identity and my sense of worth in my children and family. My mind can't help but think about Steven C. Chapman's family and how they have had to face the trajedy that every parent fears and I pray somehow that the Lord will forbid that from our family and anyone elses, however, the truth is that it is not beyond any of us. I am learning from situations like theirs, the importance of my identity being in Jesus Christ. I can't even imagine or fathom the grief i would experience if I were a Chapman right now, but I do know that the only way they can even begin to cope is for them to remember who they are in Christ and what Christ put them on this earth for. "God lovingly uses hardship and painful circumstance to teach us how badly we need Him," according to James McDonald. This is definitely becoming a process for me and I pray that soon I can say that I am completely gripped by my identity in Christ so that when hardship comes my way that I will be able to glorify God and let Him use me for His glory.



This week we studied five different ways that our identity is based upon who God is, how He chooses to relate to us, and then how these thoughts produce healthy attitudes in us.



God's Character /My identity/ My attitude

1. God is personal /I am chosen/I can have confidence

2. God is present/ I am strong /I can have perseverance

3. God is loving/I am valued/ I can have security

4. God is faithful/ I am heard /I can have peace

5. God is patient/ I am forgiven/ I can have praise



I hope you are able to find your complete identity in Christ and remember that "Until we can honestly affirm 'I am who God says I am, and that's all that matters,' our lives will be restless indeed."