Only Christ Can Reveal Your Kingdom Identity

Here’s how only Christ can reveal your kingdom identity.

God’s Workmanship

Here’s how only Christ can reveal your kingdom identity. God designed us as unique and incredible masterpieces. Only as we see our identity through His eyes and walk in His Spirit, will we thrive. Every other approach results in great loss. Eph 2:10 calls us to embrace this incredible life as it shares, For we are His workmanship (masterpiece), created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Forces Distorting Our Identities

Intentionally or not, many forces support or distract us from becoming God’s unique masterpieces. Those with the greatest impacts are generally families, ethnicities, religious affiliations, social groups and personal relationships. Most establish pecking orders and assign labels which falsely impact our perceptions of identity, value, and worth. Many categorize us according to human definitions of value, based on looks, academic abilities, athletic prowess, leadership and other cultural definitions of success. It’s very easy for us to internalize these and take on labels impacting not only how we view our identity, but also how we then walk through life.

Seeking God’s Validation

Some of us had parents and authority figures which identified our intrinsic value (hopefully in Christ). For others, these individuals piled mountains of brokenness on us by projecting or stating that we were no good or never going to meet their expectations. What kind of environments surrounded you as you grew up? What influences are you now experiencing? How have these shaped your self-image? Thankfully, our loving Heavenly Father calls us to shed these views like out-grown snake skins and permit Him to develop us into His incredible masterpieces. We are to seek only His validation, and rest in His all-embracing, unconditional love.

Cultural Impacts

Secular and religious cultures leave lasting impacts on our self-image. Many of these views are broken, or at least distorted. Consider the following examples and determine their impact on your view of identity and worth. Ask God to reveal others that He wants you to understand before you move forward with Him. Permit Him to reveal that none of these earthly definitions of worth and identity (accurate of not) represent your true identity in His eyes.

• You are really gifted intellectually. You are not college material.
• You are physically attractive. You are not so attractive.
• You are a gifted athlete. You are an average or poor athlete.
• You behave exactly as your parents, teachers, or coaches expect. You are different and hard for them to understand.
• You can quote Scripture. God didn’t give you that gift.
• You “act” exactly like a “good Christian” should. You are learning to permit God’s Spirit to live in and through you in every situation.
• You are very outgoing and the life of the party. You are quiet, capable and caring but are often not noticed or valued.

God’s Views of Mankind’s Identity

Scripture reveals God’s views of the identity of mankind. Below, we consider these in three categories: prior to salvation through Christ; following salvation – overall identity for all Christians; following salvation – His unique calling for each Christian. We are limited in the number of Scripture references presented here but refer below for a comprehensive evaluation.

Regardless of where you are in your search for identity, know that Christ’s love is unconditional. At my life’s lowest point, He personally revealed Himself and stated His truth that, “Nothing you have ever done or ever will do can change the depth of my love for you. It is eternal, and you cannot either earn it or lose it.” Psalm 36; 5, 7 (NLT) shares, Your steadfast (unfailing) love, O Lord, extends to the heavens … How precious is your steadfast love … This is true for you, just as you are.

God’s View of Mankind’s Identity Prior to Salvation

All humans share certain God-given characteristics, whether they are saved in Christ or not. Consider the following. Determine which you accept or reject them and how you would modify this list. What Scriptures support your views?

• Made in God’s image – Gen 1:27
• Loved by God – John – 3:16
• Given dominion over the Earth – Gen 1:28
• Unique – Psalm 139: 15,16
• Free Will: Consequences – Gen 3
• Eternal Beings – Matt 25: 46 ESV
• Unrighteous without Christ – Is 64: 6

God’s Overall Identity for All Christians

When we receive Christ, we are incredibly transformed. We become new creations. Second Corinthians 5:17 states; “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away; behold, the new has become.” We begin life-long individual journeys with God to be and become all He designed. Throughout this journey, God sees us as His finished work through the blood of Christ. Second Corinthians 5:21 says that God made “him (Christ) to be sin who knew no sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God.” Consider the Scriptures below which reveal God’s view of every Christian’s identity through Christ.

• We have holy callings – 2 Tim 1: 9
• We are His masterpieces – Eph 2: 10
• We are ambassadors for Christ – 2 Cor 5:20
• We have everlasting life with Christ – John 10: 26-28
• Our flesh died with Christ on the cross with Christ, and it is now Christ who lives in and through us (As we live under the control of God’s Spirit) – Gal 2:20
• We are commanded to not only be filled with but to walk in the Spirit – Eph 5:18b and Gal 2:25b
• Chosen to bear His fruit – John 15:16
• We have unique roles in His Body, the Church – 1 Cor 12: 18,19

God’s Unique Purpose and Calling for Individual Christians

You are His unique masterpiece. As such, Jeremiah 1:5 reveal that He knew and called you for incredible, unique, and specific missions before you were formed in the womb.

He also gives free will, and we must choose whether we will walk in His specific callings. Although our salvation is firm in Christ, we are engaged in a dynamic process of continuously choosing to either walk under or reject the Spirit’s Lordship and His unique plans. We thrive only as we permit God to teach how to consciously walk in His Spirit. Galatians 5:25 reveals, If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with (walk in) the Spirit. We are to focus on His specific missions versus filling our lives with every enticing opportunity. Our uniqueness is critically important and wonderful. First Corinthians 12:18, 19 instructs, God arranged the members in the body (His Church NKJ) each one of them as he choose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? God gives different gifts, and it is He, not us, who works these gifts in and through us. First Corinthians 12: 4, 11 states, there are varieties of gifts but the same Spirit … All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

One of the great tragedies and therefore opportunities in the Christian churches is that many, if not a majority of Christians, leave this earth with much of God’s incredible and unique calling left caged within. Be one who truly lives the masterpiece identity God designed, as you set aside all other distractions and doubts.

Application

Will you accept and embrace yourself as the unique and incredible masterpiece God designed and delights in, or will you choose to live in some broken image? Consider the follow under the direction of God’s Spirit.

• How do you view your identity differently than God does? Why do you think this is so?
• The mature Christian life is experienced by those who commit to the lifelong journey of “walking in God’s Spirit” (Ch 15). His incredible transformations are only accomplished in us by His Spirit, never through our flesh’s efforts. What is God’s Spirit revealing to you about who are determining your perspectives on your purpose, value, missions and journey with Christ? It may be you.
• What are the next steps the Spirit is revealing for you to embrace through Him?
• For a personalized journey, please join us in Parts Four and Five of Whose Life Are You Living?

Author’s Bio: Curt Martin is an author, speaker, seminar leader, and organization consultant. God has filled him with the passion to see every individual and organization become the unique and incredible masterpiece God designed. Little touches Him more than helping awaken all God placed within you, so you thrive in His freedom, purpose, and power as you learn to walk in God’s Spirit. Only those who commit to this journey experience the fullness of living God’s victorious life. Articles include excerpts from his award winning book, “Whose Life Are You Living.”

Here is some related reading for you: How to Fulfill God’s Will of Glorifying Him

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Tagged as: God's purpose, Identity, Kingdom