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My New Identity in Christ
There are only two possible spiritual identities – “in Adam” or “in Christ”. We are all born onto planet Earth “in Adam” and we can all be born again “in Christ”. It is our spirit that ultimately determines our identity. Read God’s Design for Man for a better understanding of this.
Recall, we are all born separated from the life of God because of Adam’s sin in the garden (You may want to go back and review Part 3 in this series). The moment we receive Christ by faith, we are baptized into his death, burial, and resurrection. (Rom. 6:1-6) This is a spiritual baptism (no water in sight). What this means is that our old human spirit along with its sinful nature is crucified and buried with Christ (Gal. 2:20). It’s gone forever! We are also resurrected (born again) with a new spirit that is permanently joined with Christ’s spirit who now lives in us (1 Cor. 6:17). Thus, our new identity is said to be, “in Christ”, i.e., “in union with Christ”. As a result of our new spiritual birth and union with Christ, we become something/someone we were not before; we become a new creation!
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5.17 (ESV)
In Union with Christ’s Life
To better help you understand this union we have with Christ, let’s take a closer look at Romans 6.5. - “For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,”.
“have become” - speaks of a past completed action with a permanent result.
The word “united” literally means “planted together” or “to make to grow together”. Consider the following example of grafting a tree branch -
Suppose you take a peach tree limb off a peach tree and attach (unite) it to a nectarine tree. At that point, there is no more “peach tree life” flowing to that peach tree limb. It now has a new source of life which comes from the nectarine tree. This new life flows up from the roots of the nectarine tree and into the grafted peach tree limb.
And so it is with us when we receive Christ. He becomes our new source of life. (Col. 3:4; Gal. 2:20) Read my commentary on Romans 6 for a better understanding of this.
It has always been God’s plan to restore his life and thus, his image within mankind. He chose to do this through his beloved Son, Jesus. (Gen. 3:14-15; John 3:16; Rom. 5:18; 2 Cor. 4:4; Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3)
United but Distinct
Although our new human spirit is united with Christ’s spirit, we are not Christ! We are still human and distinct from Christ. A great example is the marriage of a man and a woman. We are told in scripture that it is a picture of Christ and the church (Eph. 5:22-32). In a marriage, the man and woman become “one flesh” (Gen. 2:24; Eph. 5:31), but remain distinct individuals.
The Real Deal
Our union with Christ is a real union. It is not “just positional” as some might suggest. It is not “just how God sees us” or “just in a legal sense” that we are united with Christ. Perhaps the best evidence for this is seen as we surrender to the leading of the Holy Spirit. This allows the life of Christ to be manifest through our unique personality, resulting in a supernatural life that could never be achieved by man’s self-effort (flesh) or explained by man’s “wisdom”!
So, please don’t think of Christ Jesus as being far away, but think of his spirit being within you, united with your spirit.
Remember - Our identity is based on our birth, not our behavior. We were born a sinner in Adam. We are born again, a saint in Christ.
How do you see yourself? Do you see yourself as God sees you? Don’t be deceived into believing that you obtain your identity by your performance. When you know and understand who you are, your performance will naturally flow from your true identity.
Know this - You cannot consistently behave in a manner inconsistent with how you see yourself! I often hear people say, “You just need to have a positive self-image”. We don’t need a positive self-image; we need a proper self-image. You are a child of the Most High God. Live accordingly!
Scripture References – John 3; 15; Romans 6; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:27-28.
There is much more that comes with our new identity in Christ. I had originally planned to list those things here but decided to list and discuss them over the next several weeks in a new series entitled, A New Creation in Christ. I hope you will join us.
Back Next – A New Creation in Christ