THE CHRISTIAN’S IDENTITY IN CHRIST
In Matthew 3:17, right after Jesus was baptized, in other words having fulfilled all righteousness, we hear of a voice from the heavens saying “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Right after this declaration He was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. The first words that the tempter spoke were “If you are the Son of God…” From this we can see that the tempter set out to prove whether or not Jesus was truly the Son of God, in other words He was questioning the identity of Christ. (Read Matthew 3:13-17; 4:1-11)
If you are a Christian, the Bible assures us that the day you were born again you were made righteous before God. You fulfilled His righteous requirements for you to be reconciled to Him and on that day He declared you to be His beloved child. Furthermore, on that day you switched sides, getting on God’s side leaving the devil’s side and thus, because you sided with God, the devil became your adversary (Revelation 12:10). The devil is against you and he only seeks to destroy you (John 10:10, 1 Peter 5:8). One of the things the devil will question you about is you identity. (Read Romans 10:4, 1 Corinthians 1:30, 2 Corinthians 5:21)
The question of our identity in Christ is thus something we all have to answer and be very sure about. Someone once said that hell fights you over what heaven calls you, the issue then is to get assurance on whatever it is that heaven calls you and to rest in that assurance. The aim of this Bible Study is to help us get to know what heaven calls us and in so doing give us the necessary ammunition with which to fight against Satan (take “... the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…” Ephesians 6:17).
Memory verse: John 1:12,13.
In 2 Corinthians 5:17 the Bible tells us that everyone who is in Christ Jesus is a new creature, the old has gone and the new has come. This is just another expression of Jesus’ phrase “born again.” To Paul the Christian is one who has been made anew by virtue of being in Christ.
From 2 Corinthians 5:17, what is this old nature that has gone?
Romans 6:6, Ephesians 4:20-22, Galatians 5:19-21
What does Paul mean when he says “the new has come”?
Ephesians 2:10; 4:24, John 1:12,13, Colossians 3:10, Romans 8:29, 1 Corinthians 15:45-49
Does the old have to go in order for the new to come?
Romans 6:6,7; John 3:6; Ephesians 4:22,24
What are you to do then, if you are now a new creature?
Romans 6:12-14,19b, Romans 13:14, Ephesians 4:20-32; 5:1-21, Colossians 3:5,9,10, 1Peter 1:3-5, 1 Peter 2:1,2. Consider 2 Corinthians 3:18; 4:16-18; 5:1-5, James 1:25.
Just as in our lives generally, we are not just one thing, that is you are a student, brother/sister, child, cousin, nephew/niece, friend, mesho and many other things all at once, the same is true in Christ. What else, then, does the Bible say about the Christian? We cannot fully exhaust everything that we are in Christ, the Bible is full of descriptions of who a Christian is, so basically read you Bible and find out more. For now though we will briefly consider some of these descriptions.
Read: John 1:12 Romans 8:15-17,28-30,37, 1 Corinthians 3:16; 12:13, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Ephesians 1:6,13,14, Philippians 1:1, 1 Thessalonians 5:9, 1 Peter 2:9, Revelation 1:6 (NKJV). List some of the descriptions that have been given in the above texts.
You are a child of God. (John 1:12)
What manner of child are you? See Romans 8:15, Ephesians 1:5
What does this mean, i.e. that you are an adopted child of God?
What sort of relationship do we now have with God? How do we relate with Him? See also John 8:35
You are justified and accepted. (Romans 8:30, Ephesians 1:6) See also Romans 4:23-25; 5:1,9-11; 8:1
What does this mean?
You have put on the righteousness of Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21) See also 1 Corinthians 1:30,
What does this mean?
You are no longer a slave to sin. (Romans 6:17,18,22)
What does this mean?
You belong to God. (1Peter 2:9) Compare with John 10:28-30, 1 Corinthians 6:20
You have the Holy Spirit in you. (Ephesians 1:13,14) See also 2 Corinthians 5:5.
What does He do, why is He there? (Briefly) John 14:16,26; 16:7-11,13-15, 1 John 2:20,27, Romans 8:16, 2 Timothy 1:7
Remember then Ephesians 4:30.
You are a temple of the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 3:16) See also 1 Corinthians 6:19
What does this mean? What are you to do given this knowledge?
You are a priest. (1 Peter 2:9)
What are the duties of a priest as prescribed in the above texts and in other texts? (Briefly)
You are chosen. (1 Peter 2:9) Remember also Psalm 139:13-16, Jeremiah 1:5, John 15:19, 2 Thessalonians 2:13
Why are you chosen? See also John 15:16
You are a saint. (Philippians 1:1) See also Colossians 1:2, Ephesians 1:1
What does this mean?
You are light and salt. Matthew 5:13-16
You are commissioned. Matthew 28:18, Ephesians 2:10
You are a king. (Revelation 1:6) Compare with Romans 5:17 and Job 22:28, Romans 8:17
What does this mean?
You have been redeemed from wrath. (1 Thessalonians 5:9) See also Romans 5:9, Colossians 1:19-23
We are members of Christ’s body. Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, Romans 12:4,5.
What is this body?
What is your role in the body? See also Ephesians 4:15,16,29
How do you function in it? See also Hebrews 3:12; 10:25, Colossians 3:16
ASSURANCE OF SALVATION.
According to Romans 8:1 you are now no longer condemned if you are in Christ Jesus. Remember Christ did not come to condemn but to save (John 3:17) so if you are in Christ you are not condemned. If there is one who condemns, know that it is not Christ (Romans 8:33,34). The Holy Spirit only does the work of conviction (John 16:7-11).
He is also able to keep you and preserve you in Him (Jude 24, 1 Thessalonians 5:23,24, Philippians 1:6). He is not willing that you fall, but if you do fall, you can get up Jeremiah 8:4 (also Proverbs 24:16).
Finally, be sure to read the word of God because by it you will come to know more of who God considers you to be and if you have knowledge of His word you will have all the ammunition that you need to fight against the devil. Someone once said the language of God is His word so if you want to find out what He says about you, then check out His word. Others have called the scriptures His love letter, so read them.
Briefly explain what you have learnt from this study.
Note: Be sure to read through the scriptures that have been used in this study on your own.
