“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
Every man, woman, child, teenager – every person has an identity.
What’s yours?
You could be a contractor, a CEO, a doctor, a high school jock, or a homecoming queen. Or maybe your identity is in your marital status: married, single, divorced, or widowed. Perhaps, you are known as an adulterer or a liar, or maybe you’re known as a kind and responsible person. All people are known by something that, in some way, identifies who they are.
God’s Word tells us that we can take on a new identity when we are compelled by the love of God that is found in Christ. In other words, when our spiritual eyes are opened, and we finally see how much God loves us, we can’t help but respond to His love and give our hearts and lives to Christ in faith.
Here’s some really good news. Paul, who wrote the words in 2 Corinthians 5:17, had been a religious terrorist. He was headed out to arrest, persecute and kill Christians when he encountered the Risen Christ. He repented (which means he changed what he thought of Jesus in a way that changed the focus of his life) and became a devoted follower of Christ.
From a religious terrorist to a Christian. How’s that for a complete change of identity? If that can happen to him, I promise it can happen to anyone reading this devotion.
Trusting Christ means believing with our minds what the Bible tells us who Jesus is. He’s the Son of God. It involves believing that He died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead. That’s all-important, but believing that with our minds doesn’t make us Christians. It is an essential part, but true belief is also entrusting our hearts and our lives to Christ completely. We want to follow Him. It’s a decision of the heart and of the mind.
Have you made that decision?
Have you taken on a new identity as a follower of Jesus?
He promises to give us a new identity – forever – when we trust in Him.
Written by Bryant Wright, Founder, RFTH
