When it comes to word identity, what comes to mind? Do you think of your driver’s license? Or maybe your job title? Think to yourself and ponder this question. On what does my identity rest? Or in other words, where do I get my identity? The Webster Dictionary describes it as: To make to be the same; to unite or combine in such a manner as to make one; to treat as being one or having the same purpose or effect; to consider as the same in any relation. As we see from that definition, an identity is more than just how we see ourselves. It becomes a part of us. It consumes us and controls us. When we make decisions, we look to our identity before we make them. For example, how many times have you said to yourself that you couldn’t do certain things because you believed you would fail? Or how could God love me after the life I have lived? When we see it through this perspective we are looking to what we have done, or are doing, instead of looking to what Christ did on the cross to save us.
Let’s rethink the word identity and look at it in another way. Think of your identity as a set of clothes. It is what others see us as; it also shows others what we want them to think of us. Our identity is what we put on or in other words, it is like wearing a pair of sunglasses. We can view our own identity by the world, relationships with others and opinions of important people in our lives. Let’s look at where we get our identity. Does our identity come from our job, relationships, what others think of us or is it from our relationship with God? When we think about whom we are, what comes to mind? Our identity can also come from our fallen nature. Do we line up our identity with our sinful nature? Think about a habitual sin in your life. Is that where you get your definition of whom you are? When we look at a person with an addiction, do we see an addict or a child of God? Now turn that eye on yourself. What do you see when you look at yourself? Do you trust in the opinion of others, or maybe what you believe about yourself?
Ever thought of changing your identity? Had a desire to be something or maybe someone else? We may see an identity that we aren’t very happy with, or we may even want to run from. If we are to live in a new identity generated from God’s Word, we will have to be honest about what we believe about ourselves. We will need to ask God for His help to change our ideas of ourselves, from a worldly view to a life that glorifies Him.
So let’s take a look at why we have a hard time changing our identities. When we decide of change, we may feel pulled back into our old views of thinking. Let’s look below at what Paul says about that subject in the book of Romans.
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. (Romans 6:1 – 7)
If we look at the words in these verses, we see Paul calling our old nature the “old self" or as the King James states it, the “old man”. The Greek definition for the old man it means to be a worn out human being. When the word “old self” is used in this verse, I want you to think of it as your old identity apart from Christ. Now when you look at your old self do you see a worn out identity? Is that identity still working for you? Does it fill you with joy, peace and contentment? Or does it call you away from your true spiritual relationship with God?
Our old identity will always fight against our new self in Christ. When we accept Christ, our old identity was crucified with Him, and we are risen with a new identity. That brings us to a problem when we want to change from the old self, to the new self. As Charles Swindoll states it, “a crucifixion is a slow and painful death”. So our identity is going to be something that will change slowly if we make the desired changes. External forces can also pull us away from God. Bad relationships, addictions or even difficult circumstances are just a few to name. We can allow the flesh, the world or Satan to influence our beliefs about how God views us and how we view ourselves. We may even allow our feelings to dictate how or if we will accept God’s love into our hearts. As we read God’s word, we need to remember what He says about us is truth. Our relationship is not based on ourselves but on what Christ did on the cross. And if we look to Christ as our example and strive to be obedient to God’s commands, we will no longer look to ourselves or others to define who we are. Think to yourself, how your life would be different if you were to live fully in the new identity Christ has given you.
Discussion Questions
Answer the questions as honestly as possible, asking God to help you take a deeper look at the person you believe you have become.
List a few names by which you identify yourself. List the ones you call yourself and also what others may call you. Separate them into two columns, List the positive ones to the right and the left negative ones to the left.
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Look them over and write down how they have shaped your life.
Which column has shaped your life more, the positives or the negative ones? Why?
How do you see yourself through God’s eyes? If He were to define you, what do you believe He would say?
O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD [Psalm 139:1-4]
When you think of God knowing you completely as in the verse above, what thoughts and feelings come to mind?
What are some internal and external forces that keep you stuck in an identity apart from Christ?
What fears come up when you think of accepting God’s view of you and letting go of your old identity?
When you hear the names God uses for you, such as: saint, righteous and holy or the light of the world what comes to your thoughts?
If you were to change your identity from the world’s view to God’s view, how would your life be different?
What could you do to live more readily in your new identity?
Is it easier for you to trust in your feelings or trust in what God says about you in His Word? Why?
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