True Identity: Becoming Who God Says You Are
Knowing who you are in Christ is the beginning. But learning to live from that truth—that’s where the battle is fought daily. This post is about moving from head knowledge to heart confidence. From performance to rest. From trying to prove yourself to walking in the freedom of being fully known and fully loved. If your identity is secure in Christ, then your life can be built on something unshakable.
Here’s how to live like it.Knowing your identity in Christ is one thing.
Living from it? That’s the real challenge.
We’re constantly bombarded with voices that question our worth, distort our calling, and tempt us to revert to old patterns. But if you’ve been made new in Christ, you don’t need to hustle for identity anymore—you get to walk in it.
Here’s how to move from knowing who you are… to actually living like it.
1. Embrace Grace: Stop Performing
You are not on a probationary period with God.
You are not on a treadmill of self-worth.
You are fully accepted in Jesus.
“We can know we are valuable because of the high price God paid for us through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.”
(Ephesians 1:7–8, paraphrased)
The world says: “Earn your worth.”
God says: “You were worth the blood of My Son.”
Tim Keller put it like this:
“Every other system says: If you perform, you’re accepted.
Christianity says: You are accepted in Christ—therefore, you perform.”
You’re not working for approval. You’re working from it.
2. Be Renewed in God’s Image
Even as new creations, we’re still being shaped—refined into the image of Jesus.
“You have taken off your old self… and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”
(Colossians 3:9–10)
This isn’t about behavior management. It’s about transformation.
The more we fix our eyes on Christ, the more we become like Him.
Daily renewal requires:
- Spending time in God’s Word
- Listening to His voice above all others
- Letting the Spirit rewire how we think, love, and live
3. Walk With Brothers Who Know Your True Name
You can’t live out your identity in isolation.
You need brothers who remind you who you are—especially when you forget.
Find your “foxhole friends.” Guys who will:
- Call out the lies you’re tempted to believe
- Remind you that your past doesn’t define you
- Push you closer to Christ when you feel stuck
“Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.”
(James 5:16)
Vulnerability leads to healing. Community leads to strength.
4. Share Your Story
Your identity in Christ isn’t just for you—it’s for others too.
When you share what God has done in you, it helps others believe He can do the same in them.
Ted never forgot the night he wept in front of a room full of men and said nothing—just cried. Those men prayed, embraced him, and let him be seen. Weeks later, Ted wasn’t the same. He said:
“My life is different. Jesus has forgiven me. I have found a band of brothers. I can finally breathe.”
You have a story. And it might be the key to someone else’s breakthrough.
Real Identity Leads to Real Rest
You don’t need to impress God. You don’t need to perform for people.
You can rest in the truth that your identity is secure—not because of what you’ve done, but because of what Christ has done for you.
Reflection Question
What’s one step you can take this week to live more securely in your identity in Christ?
Key Scriptures
Coming up next: Living from Identity, Not for It, where we’ll bring the series full circle and explore what it means to walk out your God-given purpose every day.
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