Finding my identity in Christ Jesus alone

“God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him…” (Genesis 1:27 NASB).

“…and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch” (Acts 11:26 NASB).

The wonderful creation account of Genesis indicates and highlights the uniqueness of Man. How Man received a design far above every other creature the Lord God made, either in the heavens or in the Earth. Adam was supposed to mimic the Creator in all aspects of his life. In other words, who he was, his identity, was bound up in being the image and representation of God on the Earth. The horrible news is that this image, this identity, has been almost completely lost in Adam and his descendants due to his disobedience. Evidence for this is that since the expulsion from the Garden, mankind has searched and searched everywhere on the planet and outside of the planet for a new identification that can give meaning, purpose and hope, albeit without success.

This crisis of identity loss has reached levels in modern times never seen in human history before. Many people today just don’t know whether they are males or females, humans or animals, the special creation of God Almighty or the product of mindless, purposeless, and design less evolutionary forces. And even if they know what and who they are, they are just not content with that reality anymore, to the point that many are using surgical interventions to make life compliant to their fantasies. Of course, we can cosmetically change our appearances, but it’s impossible and ridiculous to try to change our genetics. The Scriptures say “consider the work of God,
for who is able to straighten what He has bent?” (Ecclesiastes 7:13 NAS95). In other words, what the Creator has made, no one is or will be able to change ever.

The good news is that our God and Maker knowing all along that we would never find fulfillment and meaning apart from Him has provided a way for us to be reconciled to Himself through the cross of His Son, Jesus, and in being reconciled, He provided for our lost identity, which is only found in Messiah. The Lord in His earthly ministry talked about a union with Himself and His Father that through His death and subsequent resurrection, believers would enjoy forever. As a matter of fact, He, acting as our High Priest, petitioned the Father that this union would occur (John 17:11, 20-26). In addition, the revelation that the Lord’s apostles received further confirmed this teaching of disciplines receiving a new identity via Christ Jesus. For example, Paul mentions this phrase ‘in Christ’ in many of his letters to highlight the union between the Church and its Savior. Peter also acknowledges that New Testament believers are “in Christ” (1 Peter 5:14). Paul again goes a step further when he says that true Christians are one spirit with the Lord Jesus, members of His body and the temple of the Holy Spirit ( 1 Corinthians 6:15-20). WOW!!! This is a real and intimate union, never experienced in human history before.

Moreover, true followers of Christ share a deep relationship not only with the Son of God and His Spirit, but also with God, the Father as well. Jesus was the first human being ever to call God, His Father, in a very personal way. Yes, the Jews knew about the universal fatherhood of God over all humanity due to creation and with regards to Israel as God’s firstborn son (Exodus 4:22), but no Jew at any time thought or even called God his or her Father in a personal way. Why? The Mosaic Law never afforded that privilege to anyone; if anything, the Law kept all Jews far away from their God, let alone providing a father/child relationship between the them and Yawheh. On the other hand, Jesus always called God His Father; the unbelieving Jews at one point tried to stone Him because they thought He was blaspheming (John 10:31-39). What’s more, He even said that we would become God’s children through Him as well. When He taught us how to pray, the first thing we would say was “…our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name” (Matthew 6:9, ESV). So this God who is Jesus’ Father has become the Father of all believers as well.

It is sad to see people having an identity crisis and not knowing right from left because they refuse to repent and confess Christ as Lord, so as to receive forgiveness of sins, eternal life and a new identity that can never be taken away. As for me, I am in Christ, a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). I will never be alone because the Spirit is within me (John 14:17), and I can call God, my Abba! My Father! (Galatians 4:6).Amen.