1. Gospel Identity: Personal

As disciples, knowing who we are in Christ is essential! Gospel Identity will help us to explore this through looking into our personal identity, family identity and missionary identity as displayed in the Gospel.

What is identity?

Identity is who we are; It’s what makes you, you. Who we believe ourselves to be is crucial to all of life, because it shapes what we do and how we live.

i·den·ti·ty

(n) ‘the fact of being’. ‘Who a person is’.

Write a few sentences describing your identity.

 

Where do we get our sense of identity?

There are two different places we can get our sense of identity.

1. The world and society
2. The person of Jesus

 

 

Identity from the world and society: 

• “I am what I do” – This person gets their sense of identity from their performance and achievement. For example, “I am a doctor.” “I used to be a doctor but got let go.” “I am the top salesman in the company.” “I am a failure and have made too many mistakes.”
• “I am what I experience and feel” – This person gets their sense of identity from their day-to-day experiences. For example, “I am depressed.” “I am happy.” “I am an introvert.” “I was happy then, but ever since ______ I have been ________.”
• “I am who others think I am” – This person gets their sense of identity through labels that have been placed on them by others.
• “I am how I look” – This person gets their sense of identity by their outward appearance.
• “I am who my family has always been” – This person gets their sense of identity from patterns that have run in their family. For example, “I’ll never go to college because my parents didn’t.”

 

Identity in Christ:

As disciples of Jesus we get our sense of identity from Him.

Let’s begin by discovering more of our upward identity in Christ

We’ll start with four questions that will help us along the journey of understanding the gospel and its effects.

• Who is Jesus?
• What has he done? (Through His life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension)
• Who am I? (Because of who He is, and what he has done)
• What do I do? (In light of the first three questions)

 

Personal Reflection

Where do you usually get your sense of identity? Something you do, someone you love, a circumstance or experience?

To help you see yourself how God sees you, write a few sentences about yourself based on the truths you have discovered today.

 

Application

Begin to apply the truths from “who am I?” when you are tempted to get your identity from something other than Jesus.

These ‘Gospel Identity’ truths are often challenged in our everyday lives and we should learn to be aware of these challenges and use the truth to help us remember who we really are.