Face to Face, Pt. 6: Identity in Christ
Victory Life Durant, Midweek — Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Readings:
NT: 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 (ESV)
Gospel: Mark 8:31-38 (NLT)
Quick Recap
Humans as God’s Image: Representation and Rule in partnership (with God and each other)
Humans turn away from God — sin, transgression, & iniquity — broken relationship, partnership
The whole biblical story is about God’s desire to take crooked people and the twisted world that we’ve created and to make everything right. Through Jesus, God invites us to become whole humans once again, people who can walk upright with God and with each other.
“Our brains draw life from our strongest relational attachments to grow our character and develop our identity. Who we love shapes who we are.” ~ Michel Hendricks
Identity In Christ
2 Corinthians 5:14–21 (ESV) 14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 16 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. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 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. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:16-17 (ESV) 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.
What’s true of Jesus becomes true of us.
Mark 1:11 (ESV) And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
Before Jesus performs any miracles, does any good works, teaches anything divine or profound, and before He completes the work of salvation on the cross and the resurrection, He hears the affirmation of His heavenly Father that He is loved and that He is good enough to bring His Father pleasure.
This shapes the necessary foundation of His true identity, the Beloved Son in whom the Father is pleased. This also shapes the necessary foundation for our identity in Christ: that we are Beloved children of God, that we are good enough in Christ, and that His pleasure is upon us in Christ.
“Only the love of God in Christ is capable of bearing the weight of our true identity.” ~ Pete Scazzero
Ephesians 1:3–6 (NKJV) 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
In Christ, I am…
Righteous, Blessed, Chosen, Holy, Blameless, Predestined, Adopted, Accepted, Beloved
I am NOT What I Do (Performance)
What have you achieved? How have you demonstrated your usefulness? What do you do? Most of us consider ourselves of value only if we have “scored sufficient successes.” When we don’t, we push harder, go faster, try harder, cram more into the schedule; we go inward into depression, shame, fear, and blame, afraid we might be a failure, and failures are not worthy, they are not enough.
An identity shaped by performance plagues our culture from previous generations. Whether it be defining people’s identity based on their sin or poor choices, or defining people’s identity based on their job, title, or success (or lack thereof), or determine people’s value by their contribution, is a temptation from the enemy.
Defining ourselves or others based on what they do (good or bad) or their success (high or low) or their contribution is a demonic temptation. Jesus resists that temptation by asserting that it is God’s Word that sustains us and defines us (Matthew 4:3-4). You will be tempted to determine your value based on performance. You have a deep-seated need to “make a difference.” However, meeting that need does not define who you are. You are not defined by the success or failure in your life or career.
In Christ, “what you do” does not define “who you are.”
You are in a world enamored with success and status. The world (and even many in Christian circles) will try to define you by your level of performance and success. You cannot allow yourself to be defined by your behaviors, successes, or failures, by your job or title, but by the Word of God.
I am NOT What Others Think (Popularity)
Many of us are addicted to what others think. A great fear that plagues our modern age is being invisible. We put ourselves out there, grasping and striving, to gain the approval of people. We place a higher premium on what people think than we realize. We often live in a trap of a pretend life out of an unhealthy concern for what people think of us.
“True freedom comes when we no longer need to be somebody special in other people’s eyes because we know we are lovable and good enough.” ~ Pete Scazzero
Instead of being content in our identity in Christ, being the loved and accepted child of God that we are, we express that discontent by compulsions of attention, of affirmation, and applause. In an attempt to be special, we become like everyone else, trying to prove we are something and being afraid that we are nothing. And yet, our true identity is that we are loved and that we are enough. Social media has made this increasingly difficult. We are surrounded by a world of “influencers” and the highlight reals of people’s veneered life, struggling with a nagging feeling that we are not good enough. But because of who God is and who He made me to be in Christ, you have nothing to prove. People’s acceptance and rejection of you does not define who you are.
In Christ, you have nothing to prove.
I am NOT What I Have (Possessions)
The devil plays on our profound issues of fear and the source of our security. The “consumer culture” we live in measures our success by what we own. $15 Billion a year is spent by marketers seducing children into believing their identity is found in the latest toy, trinket, device, or clothes. “Influencers” are people paid to convince you to buy things you need to be fulfilled and happy. And as adults we measure ourselves by comparison. Who has the most money, the most happiness, the perfect body, the best job, the most fulfilling marriage? Our sense of worth is found in possession and position. Other people’s success and possessions, their comforts and rewards may tempt us to believe that they are more loved or cared for by God. We struggle celebrating other people’s success because in our heart we want to be them, to have what they have. The enemy preys on such a struggle, feeding us the lies that we do not have enough and therefore are not worthy of love or admiration.
Yet Jesus models a surrender to the Father as the anchor of identity, that no matter what I have or do not have, no matter what others have or do not have, I am secure in the One who loves me and is pleased with me.
In Christ, you can trust the Father to be in control and you don’t have to grasp in life.
Mark 8:34–36 (NLT) 34 Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 35 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. 36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?
Conclusion
It is critical that our identity, how we see ourselves, lines up with the truth of God’s Word and our identity “in Christ.” Living in a “face to face” relationship with God means seeing ourselves as God sees us: loved equally as the Son is loved by the Father.
John 17:22-23 (ESV) “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”
What’s true of Jesus becomes true of us.
Galatians 2:20 (ESV) I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20 (TPT) My old identity has been co-crucified with Messiah and no longer lives; for the nails of his cross crucified me with him. And now the essence of this new life is no longer mine, for the Anointed One lives his life through me— we live in union as one! My new life is empowered by the faith of the Son of God who loves me so much that he gave himself for me, and dispenses his life into mine!
Questions
What did you hear? What stuck out to you? What resonated with you?
What did you hear the Holy Spirit say?
Optional Reading/Discussion: Ephesians 1:3-14; looking at all that we are and have “in Christ”