05/08/2026
Identity in Christ: True Peace
"What do you live for? What drives you to get up in the morning, day after day, year after year? Or who do you live for? Yourself, or other people? In the middle of the anxieties and burdens life brings, how can we find satisfaction in what we do and why we do it?
I find in my own life and the lives of those around me the growing importance to truly place our identity in Christ alone. An identity that, when you really believe and live it out, brings actual Peace, Hope, and Community. This is the first of three posts about how this happens.
The world, Satan, and yes, even our own selves, tries to deny the truth of the gospel. The truth that if we surrender our sin and burdens to Christ, He will transform us.
"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:1-3)
If you have "died with Christ", i.e. your sin and old self has been crucified with him, then you now have been "raised with Christ", and you are no longer defined by your sin and now "put on the new self" (v 10). The new self isn't automatically perfect but day by day is "being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator" (v 10) Here is one way I've seen change not only in my own life but in countless people around me who have placed their identity in Christ:
True Peace
We can live now, "forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive." (v 13) I don't know who, but I am willing to bet that you, like me, has been deeply hurt by other people. Think about who comes to your mind when I say that. How could you ever forgive them after what they've done? Culture says forgiveness must be earned, that the good people do must outweigh the bad for you to even consider forgiving them. But if your identity is in Christ, you understand that God chose to forgive you even while you were His enemy, choosing selfishness, pride, and lust rather than reflecting the image of our Creator (Romans 5:10). We as Christians are called now to forgive everyone (which is different than trusting everyone) even as Jesus forgave the very people crucifying him. (Luke 23:34) Not because they deserve it, not to enable their sin, but to reflect the unconditional grace and love of God, in hopes that they would also come to place their identity in Christ, after seeing what's different about us. Forgiveness doesn't remove the consequences for sins in this world, but gives us spiritual freedom to commit their sin and the situation to God, rather than trying to bring vengeance and justice ourselves. We can choose to love rather than hate those who hurt us. And we can do this and find peace knowing that justice will come no matter what, whether through the nails in Jesus' hands and feet, or by one's own mouth giving an account to God (Romans 14:10-12). If your past and your anxiety and bitterness is eating away at you, I pray that you would find the genuine peace that comes from having your identity in Christ rather than everything in this world."
