40 Days In Christ - Week 2: Identity
Adrian Thornton

One question that everybody will ask themselves at some point is, “Who am I?” It’s a really important question about identity, and how you answer it is even more important.

It might sound like an odd question, but here is why it matters. Identity grounds you. Identity puts worth on your life. Identity helps you form healthy relationships. Identity gives you resiliency. Identity provides you with a moral compass.

When you know who you are, you don’t get tossed around by every opinion or trend. You make purposeful choices. You build healthy and secure relationships. You stand firm in trials. Identity is really important.

The challenge with knowing who you are in Christ is separating all of your life experiences that have contributed to how you see yourself. There is nothing wrong with calling yourself a musician or a mother, for example. However, it isn’t okay to call yourself a failure or somebody who is worthless because of the way you were treated growing up.

This is why knowing who you are in Christ is important. Paul said there is no longer Jew or Gentile. Why? Because those factors are no longer the main thing regarding identity. The main thing is being one in Christ (Gal 3:26-28).

So what is our identity in Christ? The Bible has a lot to say about this. Here is what Paul said to a group of churches scattered around the province of Asia.

You were chosen, sought out, created to be holy and blameless, and adopted as children into God’s family. You are a son or a daughter. That’s your identity! Further in verse 11, Paul says (in the words of Eugene Peterson).

Can I encourage you not to look to the world for your identity or let it be attached to something that isn’t found in Christ. The truth is that our world is trying to explain identity from a place of brokenness and it is only causing confusion.

Gideon thought he was the least of the least because of his position in his clan and his clan’s social position in society. That’s not how God saw him though, and that wasn’t his true identity. God called him who he really was, a mighty warrior (Ju 6:12).

Here are some scriptures to remind you of who you are in Christ.

You are a child of God (Gal 3:26)
You are chosen (1 Pet 2:9-10)
You are created (Ps 139:13-18)
You have a purpose (Eph 2:10)
You are loved (Rom 8:38-39)
You are known (Ps 139:1-4)
You are are citizen of heaven (Eph 2:19)

All of this speaks to your dignity, value and worth. It’s who you are in Christ. When you know who you are in Christ, you begin to realise your life now counts for something and is not just taking up space.

So, as we continue these 40 days, let’s draw near to Him. Let’s discover, again and again, that everything we need—our healing, our purpose, our identity—is in Christ.

[1] Write down your prayer requests
- Personal needs
- Friends and family who are yet to discover Christ

[2] Join us in a daily 8am prayer call on WhatsApp

[3] Attempt a fast. This could involve giving up one meal a week or one meal each day, fasting for one day a week, or undertaking an extended fast at various times during the forty days. There is no pressure or expectation on anybody. This is simply an invitation to respond as you feel led by the Spirit.

At the end of the forty days, I will be asking us to reflect on what God has done. My hope is that all we are seeking from God is found in Christ.