Our Identity in Christ

Text: 2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Introduction:

I want to start today with a simple question: Who are you?

If you’re like most people, the first thing that comes to mind is your name, maybe your job, or your role in your family. You might say, “I’m a teacher,” “I’m a father,” “I’m a student,” or “I’m retired.” Some of us might define ourselves by our successes: “I built a good business,” “I graduated with honors.” Others by our struggles: “I’m divorced,” “I’m broke,” “I’ve failed too many times.”

The truth is, the world around us is constantly trying to tell us who we are. Culture says, you are what you achieve. Advertisers say, you are what you buy. Social media says,you are what other people think of you. Your value usbased on the number of followers you have. But God says something very different. He says, you are who I say you are in Christ.

And that changes everything.

Today we’re going to talk about what it means to have our identity in Christ. Because if we don’t know who we arefoundationally, we’ll live a life of confusion, a life of insecurity, and a life of compromise. God designed us perfectly to fulfill a calling and purpose.  We are so often striving for something more - success in business, financial wealth, status, a bigger house.  No matter what we have or achieve, it never satisfies.

We can’t find fulfillment unless it is conjunction and in unity with what we were designed for.  So it is vitally important to know who we are in Christ. When we understand our identity, we can live with confidence, we can live in freedom, and live with a purpose.  

2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

This verse reminds us of three things:

1. Who we were without Christ.

2. Who we are now in Christ.

3. How we are called to live because of that new identity.

Let’s walk through each of these together.

I. Our Old Identity Without Christ

Before we can celebrate who we are in Christ, we need to remember who we were without Him.

Ephesians 2:1–3 says:

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world… carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”

That’s not very flattering, is it? Dead. Separated. Broken. Enemies of God.  That is the nature of fallen man in a fallen world.  We can’t do things well enough, holy enough, to overcome it.

Without Christ, our identity is defined by sin. We may cover it with nice clothes, accomplishments, or good behavior, but underneath it all, we were lost. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Think about it like this: imagine wearing a white shirt and spilling a dark stain on it. No matter how hard you scrub, the stain won’t come out. Sin stains our identity in the same way. No matter what mask we put on, deep down, we know something is wrong.

Some of us lived wild and rebellious lives before Christ. Others may have lived relatively moral lives. But without Christ, the Bible says we were all in the same boat—dead in sin.

Church, here’s why this matters: If we forget who we were without Christ, we will never fully appreciate who we are now in Christ.  We were hopeless, lost and destined for destruction.  But God…

II. Our New Identity in Christ

Now comes the good news. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.”

Notice that: not will become, not might be, but is. The moment you put your faith in Jesus, something radical happened. Your old identity died, and a new one was given to you.

Let’s unpack some of the new names and identities God gives us in Christ:

1. We Are Children of God

John 1:12 – “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

This means you are no longer a stranger, no longer an orphan, no longer fatherless. You have a heavenly Father who loves you, provides for you, and will never abandon you.

Illustration: Think about adoption. When a child is adopted, they get a new name, a new family, a new inheritance. Their old life may have been marked by abandonment,abuse, or neglect, but their new life is marked by belonging, acceptance, and love. That’s what happens when God adopts us.

2. We Are Forgiven and Free

Romans 8:1–2 – “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”

That means your past no longer defines you. Shame no longer chains you. Guilt no longer condemns you. In Christ, you are forgiven and free.

3. We Are Chosen and Adopted

Ephesians 1:4–5 – “He chose us in him before the foundation of the world… In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ.”

That means you are not an accident. God knit you together in your mom’s womb as David describes in Psalm 139. God wanted you. He called you. He chose you.

4. We Are Citizens of Heaven

Philippians 3:20 – “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

We still have flesh so we will continue to struggle.  But we are to have a heavenly mindset. This world is not your home. You don’t belong to the values of this culture.

5. We Are God’s Workmanship

Ephesians 2:10 – “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

That word “workmanship” can be translated to masterpiece. God didn’t just save you from something; He saved you for something. Your life has purpose, calling, and design.  When He knit you together in your mom’s womb, He designed you for a purpose.  

He gave you your physical makeup, your emotional makeup, your mental abilities, your talents and gifts all for the fulfilling of the purposes he designed you for.  He didn’t give you these things to just fulfill a job to make money or to be socially popular.  He designed you for kingdom purposes.

Church, do you see it? In Christ, you are new. You are beloved. You are forgiven. You are chosen. You are heaven-bound. You are God’s masterpiece.

So why do so many Christians still live like they’re the old person? Because we often forget who we are. We get caught up in the world and our flesh and the enemy want to draw us back to our old identity.

III. Living Out Our Identity in Christ

Now that we know who we are, the question is: How do we live out our new identity?

Colossians 3:1–3 says:

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is… Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

In other words, if your identity has changed, your lifestyle should change too.

Here are three ways we live out our identity:

1. Live with a Renewed Mind

Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”

We have a choice to make. We have to choose to stop believing the lies of the enemy and start believing the truth of God’s Word.  We talk about putting on the full armor of God.  We battle against an enemy whose only weapon is his lies.  It’s a spiritual battle.  

When Jesus went into the wilderness to be tempted, the first question that Satan posed to him was “If you are the son of God?”  He went after Jesus’ identity. Jesus knew who He was and he battled back by speaking and declaring scripture – truth over the lie. For example:

Lie: “I’m worthless.”

Truth: “I am God’s beloved child.”

If you don’t know your value and identity you will perceive everything through the lens of a victim.  If you don’t counter the lie with truth, you will struggle with worthlessness.

Lie: “I’ll never change.”

Truth: “I am a new creation in Christ.”

This truth isn’t because of your works or power, but comes as a result of the power of the Holy Spirit through the death and resurrection of Jesus.  Accepting Him as Lord and Savior allows the Holy Spirit to change us from the inside out.

Lie: “I’m defined by my failures.”

Truth: “I am forgiven and free.”

Think about the mindset of living life as worthless, that I will never change, and my failures will always define me.  That belief leads to hopelessness and when we are hopeless, we give up, sit in the pit, and are rendered useless just as Satan wants.

But when we live as a beloved child, a new creation, forgiven and free we are filled with hope. All things are possible.  God promises to prosper us, to give us hope and a future. Renew your mind and take every thought captive that is contrary to God’s truth.

2. Live with New Desires

When God changes your identity, He also changes your heart. You begin to desire holiness, love, and service instead of sin and selfishness.  There is something in you that needs to be reconciled with God’s purposes for our lives.  

When we aren’t walking in that or desiring that, we are convicted.  It is a battle.  Again, we still have flesh and temptations.  We have to be intentional to choose instead of giving in to our feelings.  We have to ask God to give us His desires.

Illustration: Think of a butterfly. A caterpillar crawls in the dirt. But once it’s transformed, it doesn’t go back to crawling in the dirt -  it soars and it flies. That’s what happens when we live out our new identity.

3. Live on Mission – Be Mission Minded

2 Corinthians 5:20 says, “We are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.”

What you were designed for is to be disciples. To love and demonstrate God’s love for others.  If our mission is earthly things we will only accomplish earthly things. Where our treasure is our heart is. As new creations, we don’t just sit back and enjoy our new status—we represent Jesus everywhere we go. In your job, in your school, in your neighborhood, you carry His name and His message. 

The mission field is everywhere we go. We need to be reconciled to our purpose.  Anything else will never satisfy. We hear all the time the question, “what is the meaning of life?”  Church, this is it.  There is nothing more important than Kingdom work because we can’t take anything else with us.

Conclusion

So let’s bring it all together.

Without Christ, we were dead in sin, lost, and broken. But in Christ, we are made new—children of God, forgiven, chosen, heaven-bound, and called for a purpose. And because of that new identity, we are called to live with a renewed mind, new desires, and a mission to represent Jesus.

So I ask you again: Who are you?

If you are in Christ, you can boldly say: “I am a child of God. I am forgiven. I am chosen. I am a new creation.”

And if you’re here today and you don’t yet know Christ, let me tell you: He’s offering you a new identity right now. You don’t have to keep living under the labels of this world. You don’t have to carry shame or guilt anymore. You can be made new in Him today.

Let’s close with 1 Peter 2:9:

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

That is who you are in Christ.