If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, you’ve probably heard the phrase identity in Christ.
You may have read books about it, attended Bible studies on it, or even memorized verses that describe who you are in Christ.
But despite all of that, many Christian women still struggle to truly believe what God says about them.
Why?
Because we often say our identity is in Christ while continuing to define ourselves by something else.
We define ourselves by our past.
By our failures.
By our wounds.
By what other people have said about us.
By our fears and insecurities.
And little by little, those things become the lens through which we see ourselves.
The Lie
One of the biggest lies Christian women believe is that their identity is determined by what has happened to them.
Perhaps you’ve thought:
I’m the woman who failed.
I’m the woman who was rejected.
I’m the woman who was abandoned.
I’m the woman who never measures up.
I’m the woman who keeps making mistakes.
Those experiences may be part of your story, but they are not your identity.
The moment we begin defining ourselves by our past instead of by Christ, we lose sight of one of the most powerful truths of the gospel.
What the Gospel Says
The gospel is not simply that Jesus forgives our sins.
The gospel also tells us that we have been made new.
Scripture says:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
When Christ died, our old self died with Him.
When He was buried, our old identity was buried with Him.
When He rose again, we were given a new life and a new identity.
That means your identity is no longer rooted in your failures, your hurts, your mistakes, or your past.
It is rooted in Jesus Christ.
What Defines You?
If you belong to Christ, Scripture says you are:
Forgiven
Redeemed
Chosen
Adopted
Loved
Accepted
A child of God
These truths do not change when your circumstances change.
They do not disappear when you fail.
They are not based on your performance.
They are based on what Christ has already accomplished on your behalf.
Living From Your Identity
Many of us spend years trying to earn what God has already given us.
We strive to be enough.
We work harder.
We try to prove ourselves.
But biblical identity works in the opposite direction.
We don’t obey God so that we can become accepted.
We obey God because we are already accepted in Christ.
We don’t pursue holiness to earn God’s love.
We pursue holiness because we are already loved by God.
When we understand who we are in Christ, our behavior begins to flow from our identity rather than our identity being determined by our behavior.
A Question to Consider
What have you been allowing to define you?
Is it your past?
Your failures?
Your fears?
Or is it the truth of God’s Word?
What happened to you may be part of your testimony, but it is not your identity.
Your identity is found in Jesus Christ.
And that changes everything.
Want to go deeper into your identity in Christ?
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This is so good!!! Thank you so much 💖
Identity is something I keep having to relearn instead of just believing. Glad this is being talked about.