When you said yes to following Jesus, you gained a new identity. By turning from sin and accepting Jesus’ gift of forgiveness, you became an accepted child of God, an ambassador of His way of life, and a part of His global family—the church. That’s not all that God says about us, either. He also calls us overcomers, mountain movers, and even masterpieces.
Below, you’ll find out more about several meaningful, encouraging, and awe-inspiring truths from God’s Word about your identity in Christ.
Your Identity in Christ Is a Gift
God has a lot of good things to say about you. And while we know His words are true, they can feel too good to be true. God wants to remind you of your core identity as His accepted child, but other voices often compete with His.
Maybe someone said hurtful words about you that feel impossible to let go of—words like “useless,” “mess-up,” “unlovable,” or “unwanted.” Or perhaps you’ve been telling yourself hurtful words because of perceived flaws or past failures. These false beliefs might make you wonder if you’re the exception to God’s declarations of your identity and cause you to ask questions like:
- Am I still forgiven after what I’ve done?
- Could I really be accepted just as I am?
- How could I be a masterpiece after the life I’ve led?
It’s easy to read verses about our identity in Christ. It can be harder to embrace our identity and let it influence how we treat ourselves and others.
Your identity in Christ is given, not earned.
If you have a hard time accepting the truth of your identity, remind yourself that your identity in Christ is given, not earned. What does that mean? Read this first truth about your identity in Christ.
In Christ, You Are a Loved Child of God
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. ... 1 John 3:1 ESV
You’re not an accident or the product of random chance. You are God’s loved child. His handiwork made with intention and care. Before you were born, He knew you and loved you—not because of the choices you’d make or the things you’d accomplish, but because God is love. It’s who He is.
Love is at the foundation of your identity because you were made by God, who calls Himself love. Nothing can separate you from His love.
Constantly failing? You’re loved by God.
Making consistent, God-honoring choices? You’re equally loved by God.
Why does this matter so much? Because following Jesus is a love-fueled, generous, and sacrificial way of life. Remembering our identity in Christ as a loved child of God keeps us connected to the power source of love. But when we forget our identity, lies can drain our passion and energy.
We might believe we’ve failed God too often and missed out on our calling. Or we might think of God as a boss at work, more concerned with our performance than our heart.
In moments when you struggle to feel worthy or you feel overwhelmed with guilt, remember that you’re a loved child of God, built for a purpose.
In Christ, You Are a Forgiven Forgiver
“The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him ...” Daniel 9:9 NIV
When you said yes to Jesus, you were forgiven of your sins—past, present, and future. But just about every Christian has wondered at some point, “Could God really forgive the worst things I’ve done?”
If you look through the stories of Jesus in the Bible, you’ll find plenty of examples of Jesus forgiving people. Like Paul—he worked hard to end the Christian movement through violence. He even supervised the execution of an innocent Christian named Stephen. Yet Paul found forgiveness through Jesus, even after the awful things he’d done.
Jesus’ forgiveness wasn’t an endorsement of Paul’s sin. Instead, it was a gift that let Paul find freedom from shame so he could embrace his true identity as a forgiven follower of Jesus.
You’ve been forgiven, too, no matter what you’ve done—because you don’t earn forgiveness. It’s a gift you simply get to receive. No strings attached.
So, do you feel like you can’t possibly be forgiven because of what you’ve done? Then remember, forgiveness isn’t earned—it’s received. When we embrace our identity as forgiven people, we’ll find it easier to extend forgiveness to our friends, family, and neighbors.
In Christ, You Are a Work-In-Progress Masterpiece
You’re a masterpiece.
How do you feel when you read that sentence? Joy? Skepticism? Confusion?
Masterpieces are perfect, valuable, and often famous. Do you feel like that describes you? If you’re like many Christians, you might occasionally find it hard to identify as a masterpiece. Not just because you’re humble, but also because it can be hard to feel valuable, famous, and perfect.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 NIV
So why does God call us masterpieces?
Well, you’re valuable because God sacrificed Himself for you. And while you might not have millions of followers, you are known and loved by the Creator of the universe, which means that you can get away with calling yourself famous to God. And because you’ve been forgiven by Him, you’re seen as perfect in God’s eyes.
Of course, God knows we still have room to grow as we pursue our life-giving identity. But we don’t chase Jesus and avoid sin to perfect ourselves. We do those things because it’s how we were made to live—and we find the most joy in life as we love God through serving others.
We can be a work in progress and a masterpiece at the same time.
What does this mean? It means we can be a work in progress and a masterpiece at the same time.
Do you have room to grow as you follow Jesus? Of course. We all do. But you’re also a masterpiece, made by God to do good works. When feelings of shame, insecurity, and unworthiness creep into your mind, remind yourself who you really are, according to God, your Maker.
In Christ, You Are an Imperfect Overcomer
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39 NIV
Would you call yourself an overcomer? Whether you answer yes or no, the Bible uses this word to describe followers of Christ. Life is hard, we still struggle with sin, and so many things are out of our control—so it might not always feel like we’re sin-conquering overcomers. Why would the Bible describe imperfect people like us this way?
Because overcomer doesn’t describe us on our own—it becomes true through Christ’s work in us. When we say yes to Jesus, God doesn’t just change our identity—He begins living inside us. His personal presence, the Holy Spirit, guides, encourages, and strengthens us as we follow Jesus.
When we fail to overcome temptation, God’s forgiveness invites us to start fresh. When we respond with hurtful words in anger, God’s love encourages us to restore our relationships. And when we feel hopeless, God’s kindness gently pushes us toward hope.
On our own, we’re not overcomers. But through Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit, we can start overcoming our bad habits, negative thoughts, and unhealthy motivations.
We can be imperfect and overcomers at the same time because, with Jesus, we can always start fresh. When we fail, we don’t need to let shame, guilt, or fear cause us to quit. We can get back up and continue pursuing our calling.
In Christ, You Are an Accepted Ambassador
Did you know that saying yes to Jesus comes with a passport? Okay, it’s not a literal passport—more like a spiritual one. When you say yes to Jesus, you become a citizen of heaven. The nation you currently live in may be your home on earth, but your true home is with God.
We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20 NIV
We’re not just waiting for heaven while we’re here on earth, though—we’re God’s ambassadors. An ambassador helps people get to know their home country’s values, beliefs, and culture. As ambassadors of heaven, we get to show the world what heaven is like.
Now, you might be thinking, “Hold on, I’m not a theologian, and I’ve never been to heaven, so how could I possibly be God’s ambassador?”
Fortunately, you don’t need to go to heaven to find out what it’s like. Jesus gives us a glimpse of what it means to be a part of the kingdom of heaven throughout the four books of the Bible centered on Jesus’ life.
Heaven is a place free from decay, heartbreak, and other types of pain. While on earth, Jesus worked to relieve people’s pain by meeting physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. He provided food, welcomed outsiders, and forgave people who felt far from God.
When we look for opportunities to help people through our actions, words, and prayers, we get to show others what heaven is like. And as we represent heaven, we’ll also invite others to join us as co-ambassadors of God’s kingdom.
If all of this feels too much for you, remember you can start small. Simple acts of kindness like encouraging a friend or buying coffee for a coworker will help you embrace your identity as God’s ambassador.
God rescued and redeemed you because He loves you—and you were set apart to share His love with others. As you embrace your identity in Christ more fully, you’ll become more effective in spreading this same life-changing truth to the people He puts in your sphere of influence.
Embrace Your Identity in Christ
The Bible is full of wonderful, inspiring, and sometimes hard-to-believe words that describe our identity in Christ. We embrace these truths by remembering that God has made us new in a moment, but following Him takes a lifetime.
So when you don’t feel forgiven, remember that your identity wasn’t earned; it’s a gift we get to receive.
When you feel less-than, remember that God made you a masterpiece.
When you feel alone, remember you’re part of a global family.
And when you feel like life’s challenges are too much for you to handle, remember that God is fighting for you and loves you even on the days you fall short.