Identity in His Likeness
Your identity is transformed!
The moment that we surrender our lives to Christ, He changes our heart and our desires. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17) Our old identity is dead and we are given new life in Christ! What once was insecurity, now is boldness, What once was fear, now is peace. And what once was broken, now is healed. When you turn to the Lord, you are purified and cleansed from your sin. With that, comes a responsibility to pursue goodness, not only in your action, but also your thoughts, demeanor, and behavior. It says earlier on in 2 Corinthians, "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another." (3:18) Paul is telling the Corinthians that when we follow Jesus, a veil is lifted from our eyes and we see clearly how the Lord desires us to live. Knowing God's word, knowing of His grace, and living in order to glorify Him changes our identity. We are set apart from the identity of the world because of the grace of God!
You are the daughter of the King above all kings!
No matter what label has been placed on you, you can be sure of this: you are the beloved daughter of the Most High King. "In love, he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved." (Ephesians 1:4b-6) You are loved unconditionally by your Creator and He proved it by sacrificing His son's perfect life for your imperfect one. (Romans 5:8) God is the perfect example of love and He lavishes it on us! Despite what the world says you are, God will always call you His children. And God's reflection through us is the most important part of us!
You have a unique purpose in His kingdom and He has a plan for you.
God, in His mercy, gave us a new identity; as His child, but also as His vessel. Each one of us has a beautiful and complex soul, all designed for a different purpose. In John 15, God tells us that we are all (figuratively) attached to a vine. He is the vine, and His children are the branches. This vine is always full of nutrients to help each branch bear fruit, but if one is chopped away from the vine, it will not survive. We are connected with Christ just as the branch is connected with the vine. I want to encourage you to go read John chapter 15 because it does such a good job at illustrating our position in God's kingdom.
I struggle with anxiety about my future, as I know so many others do. But the Lord tells me that my future is not reliant on my own capabilities, instead on His. And my purpose is to glorify Him wherever He puts me. The Lord utilizes every person despite their past, their present position, or their plans for the future. Rahab is a great example of God using an unexpected woman to further His plans. Rahab was a Canaanite woman who lived in Jericho during the time that the Israelites destroyed the city. Two Israelite scouts climbed over the wall of Jericho in order to plan for the destruction of the city and follow the Lord's command. Rahab hid and protected them in her house because she had faith in God and was spared from the destruction. She was used to accomplish God's purpose in Jericho and with the Israelites. Because of her faith, she was spared, and went on to have children, and their children had children, and eventually Jesus was born into her bloodline. How incredible is that?
One step of faith led to the birth of the Savior of the world. And God can accomplish incredible things with you too! Your unique identity and your gifts can be used in any situation to lead others to Christ. Your identity is found in glorifying God!
-Sarah Avery Lange