Identity in Jesus, Not Conditions of Life.

Author: Tanner Reuss, Team Member

Ephesians 2:1-10, 1 Corinthians 6:17, Genesis 1-2

What are you defined by, friend? Where do you place your joy?

If you take a moment to think, what are the words that come first to mind? Are you defined by titles like your marital status, or your success in your career field, or even, your skills as a woman (ability to take care of people, homemaking, mom-hood, etc.) More often than not, the things we are defined by are the things we place our identity and joy in. The knowledge of who we are shapes so much about us as people and impacts how we see the world and when that knowledge is blurred or distorted, it’s easy for our identity to be misshapen. That knowledge comes from nothing other than looking to God because He has created us uniquely.

For many years of my own life, I had a misconception that identity was what we made it, who we decided to be, the things we enjoyed, the things that happened to us, etc. Let’s debunk that together right now — identity outside of Christ breeds confusion, disorientation, and chaos because we don’t have the moral capacity to find righteous identity on our own as sinners living in a very broken world.

Because God is our creator, he knows us more intimately than anyone else ever can and when we accept His sacrifice and allow Him to infiltrate our hearts and truly begin to experience union with Jesus, those questions of “who am I?” begin to fall away. If we have recognized Jesus and His sacrifice, even though we are far from perfect, we can begin to take on his identity and understand that God views us the way he views Jesus because Jesus defines who we are and how we are going to live.

Adam and Eve were made perfect, bearing the identity that God originally intended for them; reflecting Him as their creator. However, that identity was quickly morphed and distorted as they allowed their hearts to rebel while listening to the evil of the snake in the garden. Their carnal sin was disobedience.

Disobedience is the root of nearly all identity issues.

Whether our identity is in relationships, health status, or career success, the result is the same; corrupting our sense of self completely. But, what happens when those circumstances change? That job lays you off or, you find out you’re going to be sick for the rest of your life? We fall apart — that’s what happens. Because our identity is placed on shaky foundation and that was never God’s intention.

Ephesians 2 discusses the truth that God loves us despite our sin and that is the reason for Jesus’ sacrifice. He moves us from being dead in sin, as Ephesians discusses, to being alive in Him. Through acceptance of his sacrifice and love for us, we become one with Him and receive the Holy spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17). As we do this, we take on Jesus’ identity — the righteousness, the sacrificial nature, the longing to be obedient to a magnificent God.

Here’s the truth, friend — Jesus never changes and He will never let you down. He will never leave or forsake you. Placing your trust in Him is vital for a corrupted identity to be reconfigured.

Our hope is that wherever you are in this season of life, you have union with Jesus; whether it’s for the first time or you are in the process of allowing that connection to deepen. We are praying for you, friend.