Who Does Jesus Christ Say You Are?

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”— 2 Corinthians 5:17(NIV).

If you were asked to identify yourself, what would your answer be? Would you reply with your name? Maybe your answer would be more detailed. Would you add your vocation or some other title?

For example, before I discovered my true identity in Jesus Christ, I identified myself as one of the following: Carol Round—wife, mother, high school teacher. But what if those titles change during your lifetime? Divorce happens. Retirement or job changes happen. Would that leave you feeling lost? I’ve been there.

How would you reply if someone randomly asked you, “Who does Jesus Christ say you are?” In other words, have you discovered the real you? The “you” created by God to be the best version of yourself. To become a new creation. Become a follower of Jesus Christ?

Understanding Your Identity in Christ

If you’re lost because you’ve let others define you, then it’s time to discover who Jesus says you are. I was in my late 40s when I reached out to God. Oh yes, I was lost. I’d spent most of my life letting others define me. As a people pleaser, I was addicted to pleasing others, not God.

Although I was a believer, I wasn’t His follower. And I didn’t find my identity through His Son. Oh, the release I felt when I became a new creation in Christ. Jesus set me free to look in the mirror to see the person He sees and not as the world does. It’s humbling and comforting.

John 1:12 says, “Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God…” Becoming a child of God gives us rights. We have an inheritance more precious than gold.

More Precious Than Gold

Once you become a dedicated follower of Jesus Christ, material things cease to matter. It doesn’t happen overnight, but as you grow in your identity as a child of God, possessions lose their glitter. I recall selling or giving away all my gold jewelry. Eventually, because I also had a large collection of costume jewelry, I started paring down, giving much of it away. It simplified my life.

Scriptures abound in the Bible to help us grow into our identity. Look up the following: John 15:15, Romans 3:24, Romans 6:6, Romans 8:1, Romans 8:17, Romans 15:7, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 3:28, Galatians 4:7, Galatians 5:1, Ephesians 1:11, and Ephesians 2:4-5. This is just a partial list, but they affirm our new identity.

If you’re lost or not completely convinced who you are in Jesus, seek Him in the pages of scripture. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you. Grab a notebook or a lined journal and write down the scriptures above. Look up more scriptures to help you understand how much God loves you. He sacrificed His Son so you can have eternal life. Meditate on the scriptures. Let them settle into your spirit as you seek to understand who you are in Christ fully.

I always love hearing from my readers. Please e-mail me at carol@carolaround.com with your thoughts or visit my blog for more inspiration at www.carolaround.com. If you need a speaker or workshop leader, contact me at the above e-mail address or through my website. I’d be delighted to hear from you.                         

Photo by Amy Tram on Unsplash