7 Practical Ways to Live Your Identity in Christ
Have you ever felt unworthy of God’s grace and struggle to truly embrace your identity in Christ? Some of us struggle with baggage, regrets, shame and guilt, even as daughters of the King. However, your new identity in Christ means you can walk in the freedom of God’s grace and you’re no longer a slave to sin.
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What does it mean to have a new identity in Christ?
I believe this is one of the most important questions Christians should ask themselves. The answer to it alone can unlock our journey to having a full and abundant life in Christ.
From the moment we enter into a personal relationship with the Lord, we’re covered with grace Jesus poured out for us at the cross.
We have a new beginning in Christ and we are no longer the same. (Amen and hallelujah!)
Therefore, we need to understand what our new identity is all about and how God sees us.
To fully understand this, there are four key areas Scripture shows us about our identity in Christ:
- Through our creation by God Himself and the fact that we were created in His image. (Genesis 1:27)
- In rebellion through our sin nature and innate desire to crave things other than Christ. (Genesis 3)
- By salvation and our need for a Savior who breaks the curse of sin. (Romans 3:23)
- Through restoration with God, and a life that’s to be lived for the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
When we embrace where we were, dead in our sin, and the transformation that happens once we accept God’s gift of grace, we are able to walk in God’s freedom.
Also, we understand that we’re no longer a slave to those struggles of the past. We truly are made new and are no longer the same.
While the refinement of our lives is not instant and is a journey, the more we seek the Lord, the more God grows us.
Then, over time, we start displaying the Fruit of the Spirit as a reflection of the heart change within us.
As a child of God, we should live in awe of the grace of Jesus and rejoice at how far God has brought us. In Him, we truly are a new creation and the old identity is gone!
Inspiring Bible Verses About Your Identity in Christ
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
This verse emphasizes that in Christ, you are a new creation, freed from your past and given a fresh start. What a powerful reminder to release your shame, guilt, and failures at the foot of the cross, for good!
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
As a child of God, the power of Christ lives in you! Your identity is now intertwined with Christ and you are not the same. You can move forward from the shackles of your past because of Christ’s sacrifice at the cross.
Ephesians 1:3-4
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
Never forget you are chosen, blessed, and seen as holy because of the blood of Jesus. Thank you, Jesus, for your cleansing blood!
Colossians 3:3-4
For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
As Christians, our true identity is intertwined with Christ and secure in Him. When Christ, our very essence, is revealed, we will share in His glory.
1 Peter 2:9-10
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Your identity in Christ means you’re part of God’s chosen people, set apart for His purposes and filled with His mercy and light. (Yes, YOU are!)
Romans 8:15-17
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
This passage reminds us that we adopted into God’s family and entitled to the inheritance of His kingdom.
1 John 3:1
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
This verse reaffirms our identity as beloved children of God, lavished with His love and set apart from the ways of the world.
Practical Ways to Embrace Your Identity in Christ and Live in Abundance
Release shame, guilt, and failures of the past
As you turn your new life towards Christ, you can begin to shed off shackles of the past. His grace and mercy give you the ability to accept that your slate has been washed clean and the power to believe you are truly FREE in Christ.
You are not a slave to your failures or missteps, yet they can be used as a powerful testimony of God’s love and salvation in Jesus.
Start a regular Bible study and prayer time
Living an abundant life in Christ means He becomes the forefront of everything you do and say. To pursue a relationship with Him, you need to establish a regular time of fellowship.
A daily quiet time with God should be the cornerstone of your life and a time in your day to be still before God.
While Bible study can feel intimidating, you can study the Bible on your own, even as a beginner. Choose a passage to read, use a simple Bible study method to help you understand what you read, and then, pray. (These free morning prayer prompts are a great place to start!)
Trust me, you won’t “get it right” at first, but you can have a thriving relationship with God and learn to read the Bible, even if you never have before. And God will meet you in your imperfection and grow you as you seek Him!
Need some help getting started with Bible study? Discover how this Bible study road map can help!
By spending time in God’s Word, you’ll discover joy, hope, strength, and learn to stand firm in faith when hard times or temptations come.
Get to know the character and faithfulness of God so you can start walking in your identity in Christ.
Renew your mind with biblical truths
Renewing your mind involves meditating on God’s Word and refreshing your heart with His promises.
First, seek the Lord daily and develop a quiet time routine. Then, as the day goes on, use Christian affirmations to keep the truth about your identity in Christ at the front of your life and mind. Use the affirmations as daily mantras, for prayer journaling, or as you pray.
Consider memorizing Scripture and learning God’s Word. That’s a simple way to reflect and meditate on Truth throughout the day. You’ll also be equipping your spiritual armor to withstand the darts of the enemy.
Walk in the ways of God, not the world
Let go of the world’s standards for doing life. Scripture warns us time and time again about the world’s ways and how they lead to destruction.
We should be renewed in the mind daily, always ready to combat the lies of the world with God’s truth. Don’t compare your life to those who are in the world but by God’s word alone. Make seeking to honor God in all areas of your life your top priority.
Seek the Lord’s will for your life
Pray about God’s will for your life and where He wants you to go. Pay close attention to what He speaks to you through His Word, prayer, and from other trusted believers (mentors, teachers, prayer warriors, etc.).
Set goals that align with biblical principles and follow through with God-glorifying tasks. Know that your mental strength comes from God alone and you don’t have to walk through this life alone.
Create daily habits that allow you to live on purpose for God
Live on purpose and manage your life for the glory of God. This can be accomplished by creating habits and routines that help you have breathing room in life.
Also, this breathing room then opens the door for helping others in need, ministering to others, and discipling. Create a daily schedule and set goals that will leave room for you to grow in faith and disciple your family well.
Also consider creating routines that help you get the necessary things in life (homemaking, chores, work) done well and efficiently so you can live what matters most.
Embracing your identity in Christ doesn’t have to be a sprint, and quite honestly there is no finish line on this side of life.
Go forward with the perspective of striving to glorify God and live like Jesus every single day. Then, friend, you will know and understand what it means to live in abundance.
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Free Bible Study Worksheets and Printables for Women