I have to admit that one of my favorite movies is not a healthy family movie. It is Jason Bourne. I like it because of the action and suspense, but the message behind it also intrigues me. He has lived a number of years of his life as someone who he thought he was, but wasn’t. Throughout the first movie, The Bourne Identity, he is searching for his true identity. He gets glimpses of who he really is, but he just can’t put it all together.
I’m not promoting the movie for people to watch, but I wonder if we struggle with the same concept as Christians today—living from an identity that is not who we really are or searching for our true identity in Christ. My concern is that our true identity in Christ has become a hidden truth in the church. Do we have a Lost I.D.?
Statistics show that most Christians do not know who they are in Christ. Many times we think our identity lies in what we do or how we feel, but it’s the opposite; who we are determines what we do, how we feel comes from our thoughts. We can only fake it for so long. The focus is not our behavior, it’s our being.
Once we are in Christ, we become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Our identity changes. Just like marriage, once you’re married, you’re married and no longer single, your identity has changed. The problem with some is that they still want to live like they’re single. Similarly in the Christian community, once we have given our life to Christ, we are no longer sinners, we are saints (1 Corinthians 1:2) and we have become children of God (John 1:12). The problem isn’t really that we want to continue to be sinners, but it's that we still see ourselves as sinners and our behavior bleeds through our perception of ourself.
If we could understand who we are as a child of God and learn all of the character traits we already have in Christ, our behavior will automatically change because of our perception of ourself. The point is not to behave well, the point is be more like Christ.
We are loved, forgiven, free, sanctified, justified, indwelt by the Spirit, and the list goes on. What an exciting revelation to know that we are free from sin and no longer slaves to it.
Maybe you are like I was; living not knowing who I really am in Christ. Maybe you’re searching to understand what that means and getting only glimpses like Jason Bourne. I challenge you to read the scriptures (Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, and more) and BELIEVE what they say about you even though you may not “feel” it yet. We do not base our identity on our behavior nor our feelings.
We love you all and pray that your journey continues to reveal the truth about who God is and who you are in Christ.
May your Lost I.D. be found.
Statistics show that most Christians do not know who they are in Christ. Many times we think our identity lies in what we do or how we feel, but it’s the opposite; who we are determines what we do, how we feel comes from our thoughts. We can only fake it for so long. The focus is not our behavior, it’s our being.
Once we are in Christ, we become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Our identity changes. Just like marriage, once you’re married, you’re married and no longer single, your identity has changed. The problem with some is that they still want to live like they’re single. Similarly in the Christian community, once we have given our life to Christ, we are no longer sinners, we are saints (1 Corinthians 1:2) and we have become children of God (John 1:12). The problem isn’t really that we want to continue to be sinners, but it's that we still see ourselves as sinners and our behavior bleeds through our perception of ourself.
If we could understand who we are as a child of God and learn all of the character traits we already have in Christ, our behavior will automatically change because of our perception of ourself. The point is not to behave well, the point is be more like Christ.
We are loved, forgiven, free, sanctified, justified, indwelt by the Spirit, and the list goes on. What an exciting revelation to know that we are free from sin and no longer slaves to it.
Maybe you are like I was; living not knowing who I really am in Christ. Maybe you’re searching to understand what that means and getting only glimpses like Jason Bourne. I challenge you to read the scriptures (Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, and more) and BELIEVE what they say about you even though you may not “feel” it yet. We do not base our identity on our behavior nor our feelings.
We love you all and pray that your journey continues to reveal the truth about who God is and who you are in Christ.
May your Lost I.D. be found.
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