If you desire to be a spiritual leader, then it is essential to understand your identity in Christ.
Far too often, we allow the people around us to define our identity. Alternatively, many attempt to define their own identity from within. And yet, Scripture offers us a different, more meaningful source of identity.
We are who the Creator, the God of the universe says we are. For those who believe and put their faith in Christ, our identity is tied to the work of Jesus. We do not have to earn God’s favor; we already have it because He has earned it on our behalf.
The Bible is filled with verses that help define our identity in Christ. In this article, we’ll explore those Scriptures so that we can have a better understanding of who we are. All Scripture verses cited in this article are from the ESV.
Verses on Our Union with Christ
One of the foundational themes of the Bible is that the identity of believers is tied directly to the identity and work of Jesus. When God looks at us, He does not judge us for our own work, but instead He judges us based on the work of His Son.
This is because we have been unified with Christ. Our former, sinful selves have been replaced by a new identity in Christ. We could not do this ourselves; we cannot earn God’s favor or fix our sinful nature. Jesus, however, lived a perfect life on our behalf and offered His righteousness to us.
Romans 6:5 – “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.”
Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
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.”
John 15:5 – “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
Scriptures about Our Standing with God
Because we have been unified with Christ, we also receive the righteousness of Christ. In most arenas of life, we are handed a verdict or judgment after our performance. Grades in school are based on test results, job promotions are handed out based on the merit of your work, and criminal cases are judged based on the evidence.
The same is true of most major religions, where our standing with God (or the gods) is based on performance. This is not the case, however, with Christianity. In his book, The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness, Tim Keller explains it this way, “Do you realize that it is only in the gospel of Jesus Christ that you get the verdict before the performance?”
In other words, we do not have to follow a set of rules to be considered righteous before God. We do not live our lives and hope we’ve done enough when we reach eternity. Jesus has done the work on our behalf, and His righteousness is applied to us. Therefore, we are already justified before Him–we have the verdict and can now live in that freedom.
Romans 5:1 – “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Romans 8:1 – “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 – “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Hebrews 10:14 – “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”
Bible Verses about Our Position in the Family of God
God does not simply justify us by rendering a legal judgment on our behalf. He goes much further—He adopts us and makes us His children. Through Christ, we become members of the family of God.
We aren’t second-class members of His family either; we receive all the benefits. We are called “heirs” and get to call the Father “Abba,” a title that is often translated as “daddy” today. This is not simply a formal adoption; God, in His great love for us, has called us to the very center of His family.
John 1:12-13 – “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
Romans 8:16-17 – “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”
Galatians 4:6-7 – “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”
1 John 3:1 – “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”
Verses about Our Standing in the Kingdom of God
Scripture uses another analogy to describe our identity in Christ. Jesus frequently speaks of the kingdom of God, which stands in stark opposition to the kingdom of the world.
The world is ruled by sin and selfishness; it is a dark place. The kingdom of God, however, is ruled by Jesus and filled with life and light. When we receive justification, we are moved from the old kingdom into God’s kingdom.
We are called to live as representatives of that kingdom, representing light to a world that is consumed by darkness. We are called to live in freedom from sin and as subjects of the King. We are no longer slaves, but we are called “friends” of the King—this is an incredible thing!
Colossians 1:13-14 – “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
Galatians 5:1 – “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
John 15:15 – “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”
Ephesians 2:19 – “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,”
Philippians 3:20-21 – “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”
How Our Identity in Christ Shapes our Living
Our identity is a core factor in shaping our behavior. If you were an apple tree, then you would produce apples. If you are unified with Christ, then you should produce the fruits of the Spirit.
It is important to remember the order here—we do not act like a member of God’s kingdom to earn an invitation into His kingdom. Rather, God invites us into His kingdom so that we can start living like His people. He paid the price for our salvation. We cannot earn it ourselves, but we can live in the freedom He has earned for us.
Therefore, we are called to represent Him to the world. We are called to live as lights in dark places. We are called to spread the good news and invite people to be reconciled with God. We are called to do good works, for He has made us for a special purpose. We are called to encourage one another, meeting together frequently to remind ourselves of the truth and live as the family of God.
Matthew 7:16–18 – “You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.”
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
1 Peter 2:9-10 – “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. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
2 Corinthians 5:20 – “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
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.
Hebrews 10:22-25 – “let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
Conclusion
Our identity in Christ is a marvelous thing that should give us confidence and clarity in our purpose. The world is a dark and broken place, but the Kingdom of God is at hand. We are no longer members of the old kingdom, but while we still live in this broken world we are ambassadors and representatives of the King.
We do not serve a King who is distant or far off, however. We serve a King who calls us “friend,” who has adopted us into His family, and has made us heirs. The world will tell you that you are not worthy, and Satan will hurl accusations at you because of your sin.
But the truth is, we have been justified through the work of Christ. We have a firm identity in our union with Christ, and nothing can change that. It is important that we continue to meet together, to encourage one another, and to remind each other of our identity.
We need the Church; we need to spend time with the family of God. While there are many ways to engage with the family, we believe that life-on-life discipleship is foundational and essential. In the same way that Jesus discipled the apostles, we are called to disciple others, reminding them of the truth and encouraging them to live in their new identity in Christ.
To learn more about life-on-life discipleship, check out these 19 Essential Scriptures on Discipleship.