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Your Identity in Christ When the World Defines You by Success, Looks, or Roles
The world defines us by our success, looks, or roles, but what does the Bible have to say about our identity in Christ?
Guest Post by: Chrysanthemum Baloi
The Bible tells us that the devil is the god of the world (2 Corinthians 4:4), and the Lord tells us that we are the light of the world, meaning that without us, the world is pure darkness. As we are of the light because we are born (again) of the Spirit of God, what say can the world have on who we are and how we live? No say at all.
The world is void of what is spiritual. As believers, we have the mind of Christ; we have the Spirit who helps us discern all things. We should not behave or think as the natural man does. “But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3:1). True spirituality is walking as empowered by the Holy Spirit to not be in the flesh. It is spiritual because it is to do with the Spirit leading us as children of God.
The world defines us by our success, looks, or roles because, “This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.” (James 3:15). The wisdom of the world can’t help but be grounded in the physical world. But our identity in Christ is that we walk by faith because faith is our spiritual eyes that see the Invisible One.
Imitating Christ is Our Identity
As we are the light of the world because Christ is the Light of the world, we also share His love. God is love (1 John 4:8). The children of God are the only hope the world has of knowing love, of having light. We are defined by who Jesus is because it is His Spirit that leads us. It is the fruit of the Spirit that we practice and embody. Though we have unique human spirits, like a rose and a lily are both flowers, with the one mind of Christ, we are one, we are children of God the Father. Christ came so we could be like Him, so we could be sons and daughters unto the Most High God.
What does it mean for our sins to be paid for? It means when the Father sees you and me, He sees His perfect Son; He sees perfect children. How else would we have eternal life but unless we are perfect, for the Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48) and holy, for He is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16). And so because Jesus came to make our adoption unto the Heavenly Father legal, and has made us to be like Him, as the One who knew no sin became sin so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21), our identity is found in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
John 1:12-13 teaches us that we were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, but of the will of God, because we received the light that is Christ Jesus. Now imagine going from this to making your identity as a human being to be such as a doctor, a lawyer, a receptionist, a billionaire, or an astronaut, etc. Nothing is a higher occupation than being a child of God. Nothing is more glorious, honourable, blessed, or more precious than our identity in Christ– being clothed and embodied in our eternal identity.
“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.”
The One Mind of Christ the Lord
Who is Christ but the embodiment of the Holy Spirit of the Father? “And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.” (Isaiah 11:2). “Who, then, are those who fear the Lord? He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.” (Psalms 25:12). “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Romans 8:14). “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.” (Romans 8:19).
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31). That is to say, it is not dishonourable to be a doctor or a receptionist, but it is not who you are as a being, it is what you do. If we let the world define us by clothing ourselves with its worldly wisdom, how can we have the mind of Christ? Because the wisdom of Christ is from the Spirit of God, it’s from above. How will creation recognise us as the children of God so it can have relief from the darkness of the fallen nature?
God is our heritage. And so what is our success, how do we look, and what is our role? “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” - (Colossians 3:2). Our success is that we are heirs of the Father with Christ, for, we endure the world and overcome it through God’s Spirit (Romans 8:17). How we look is that we are Christlike, predestined to be in the Son’s image because He is the firstborn among many brothers and sisters (Romans 8:29). And what is our role? We are the light of the world and we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
OUR GUEST’S BIO:
Chrysanthemum Baloi writes about personal development and spiritual enlightenment through Christ on her blog In Milky Way. She delights in encouraging and edifying others with the knowledge of God for their well-being. She is the author of Spiritual Health Resource: A Guide to Holistic Mental Health, in which she guides readers toward lasting mental health.
