Personal identity is described as a composite of all your personality traits, beliefs, values.  It includes your physical attributes, abilities, aspirations and other identifiers that make you who you are.

We live in a world where many people are struggling with their identity in the natural. Many are deceived as to who they are or who they should be.  However, many believers who are called by Christ are struggling with their spiritual identity.  The word says, "while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; but the thing which are not seen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18). It is imperative that we as Christians make our spirit man a priority over all else.

According to the Bible, "every scripture is divinely inspired, and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16). If we as christians base our lives upon biblical principles and precepts, the scriptures should be the final authority on who we are and what we posses spiritually in Christ Jesus.

Many believers use the phrase "You need to know who you are and whose you are".  Through personal study of the word, prayer and revelation we can begin to really comprehend the depth of who God says we are and the spiritual authority he has given us.  

Who Am I

We are a peculiar people according to the word (1 Peter 2:9). When I looked up peculiar in Webster's dictionary, it is defined as different from the usual or norms.  I believe that is why the scripture tells us do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Roman 12:2). Here is a small list of what God's word says that we are:

A New Creation - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come (2 Corinthian 5:17). Being a new creation is a gift we received from Christ through faith.  It also in no way means we are perfect. So the challenge would be receiving the gift of a new creation and living the life of a new creation.

A Chosen Race, A Royal Priesthood - But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). In the old testament the people needed a priest to go before God for the people.  Now, the believer is his own priest before God and can boldly go before the throne of grace.

His Workmanship - For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesian 2:10). 

Fellow Citizens - So then you are no longer strangers or aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God (Ephesian 2:19)

The Light - For at one time, you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (Ephesians 5:8)

Children of God - But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12)

Friend - No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. (John 15:15)

The Branches - I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)

Justified - Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1)

Heirs of God - and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him (Roman 8:17)

Redeemed - Fear Not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; You are mine (Isaiah 43:1)

Forgiven - I am writing to you who are God's children because your sins have been forgiven through Christ Jesus (1 John 2:12)

Victorious - But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthian 15.5:7)

More Than Conquerors - No, in all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:37)

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made - I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knowers right well (Psalm 139:14)

Loved With Everlasting Love - The Lord has appeared of old to me saying: "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you (Jeremiah 31:3)

Rewarded - But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently see Him.

The Scripture says, God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

Spiritual Authority Given to Me

"Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. And whatsoever you loose on earth shall be loose in heaven. Again, I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they ask shall be done for them of my father which is in heaven.  For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:18-20).

"Thou shall also decree a thing and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon they ways" (Job 22:28).

"Behold I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you" (Luke 10:19).

"For through we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.  On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captivity every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Corinthian 10:3-6).

These are just some of the truths that God has spoken regarding his chosen people in his word.  There is so much more God's says about our true identity.  God Says, that greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.

Spiritual Gifts

Supernatural gifts are given to us when we receive the gift of salvation.  These spiritual gifts are a special divine empowerment bestowed on each believer by the Holy Spirit. It is meant to accomplish a given ministry God's way according to His grace.  These gifts are received by faith and given by our father in heaven. 

Isaiah 11:1-3 - There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. 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. and his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.  In this scripture it lists:  Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude (Might), Knowledge, Piety (Devotion or delight in the Lord) and Fear of the Lord.

Romans 12:4-8 -For as in one body we have many members, and the member do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.  

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the who contributes, in generosity; the who lead, with zeal; the who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. In this scripture it lists:  Prophecy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Giving, Leadership and Mercy.

1 Corinthian 12:4-11 - Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties or service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the one is given through the Spirit of utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same  Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 

All of these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

These gifts are provided not for us but to serve others and bring glory to God. But of all these the gift love is what matters most.  The Bible says, "and if I have prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing (1 Corinthians 13:2). 

God does not desire that his children be spiritually naive but to walk with confidence in who he has call us to be, the spiritual authority and gifts he has freely given us through Jesus Christ.

Challenges to Believing in Your Identity

Past Sins

The Bible says, that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus (Romans 3:23). There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit (Romans 8:8).

Psalm 103:12 says, as far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us; God's mercy is the cause, the removal of sin the result.

Lies of the Enemy 

Satan is called the accuser of the brethren, this is because he is constantly bring up your sins before God.  He reminds you of what you have done. He says to you, God could not possibly love you after all you have done.  Satan will lead you down a path of destruction and leave you to bear the consequences of your actions.  Just know that God loved us so much that he gave is only son, that whomever believes in him shall have everlasting life.

My prayer is that the scriptures provided will cause you to desire to know more of God, your identity will always be in him. We as christians, do not to look to societal norms or social media to tell us who we are. 

The Bible says, that he has engraved us in the palm of his hands (Isaiah 49:16).  He knows the number of hairs on our head (Luke 12:7). Jeremiah 1:5 Says, before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I sanctified you. 

If God knows all of these things about us surely he would be able to help us to understand who we are in him.  Just ask him. Lord, who do you say I am?