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Our New Identity in Christ
Last week, I shared a short message on Newness in Christ. We reflected on the truth that we are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) because of His life, death, and resurrection, and that we are being continually transformed through the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit within us.
Today, I would like to focus more specifically on our new identity in Christ. Human beings were created in the image of God, yet sin has marred that image, leaving us bearing its scars. Christ came to restore and renew the image of God in us and to create in us a new self. If you believe in Christ and trust in Him and His saving work, you have been given a new identity.
Having served in Christian ministry for nearly forty years, I am saddened to observe that many sincere and God-loving Christians are either unaware of, or confused about, their new identity in Christ. This lack of understanding often affects their daily lives and decisions in negative ways.
In the following verses, Scripture reminds us of who we truly are in Christ and encourages us to rely on this reality and live accordingly, for God’s glory and for our own spiritual well-being.
If you believe in Jesus and trust in Him and His work on the cross, you are:
· A new creation: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
· Fully forgiven: “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7).
· A deeply loved child of God: “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God” (1 John 3:1).
· God’s handiwork: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works” (Ephesians 2:10).
· Set apart for a special purpose: “You are… God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).
· A temple of the Holy Spirit: “Your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God” (1 Corinthians 6:19).
These verses remind us that in Christ, as God’s children, we are forgiven, freed from condemnation, and released from the power of sin. We belong to God. We are precious to Him, called to live according to His will, and invited to be partners in His mission in this world.
Isn’t it encouraging to know and live out this new identity? The Holy Spirit is present and actively at work in us as we study Scripture together within God’s family, the Church. Through this shared life of faith, we come to know our Heavenly Father more deeply, experience His great love, and grow into the fullness of life as His children.
We are not yet perfect, and we will still stumble and fall into sin from time to time. But rather than remaining discouraged or trapped in our failures, we are called to humbly and confidently run to our Father, to be restored in our relationship with Him, and to grow through His grace.
As we celebrate the coming of Christ, may we fix our hearts on the new identity we have in Him. May we grow daily in that identity and reflect it in our lives. And may our celebration help others discover a new identity in Christ—the One whose coming we joyfully celebrate in this season.
Rev. Hendrik Shanazarian
Minister to the Union
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