“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJ)

Christ’s work of redemption presents mankind with the opportunity to experience a new beginning with God. No longer separated by sin, man can now be reconciled with God and enjoy peace with his fellowman (Rom. 5:1). For believers to fully experience this new beginning, we must possess a clear understanding of our new identity in Christ. This understanding is critical for living victoriously (1 John 5:4).

Identity is the condition of being a specific person or thing. Our personal identity is the result of the people, places, and things we connect or associate with. This is also true of our spiritual identity. While personal identity looks at outward influences, spiritual identity, however, looks at two things: (1) the Person of Jesus Christ and (2) the Place of the Cross.

Jesus Christ took on our physical identity (in his fleshly body) so that we can become partakers of his spiritual identity (Heb. 12:14-15). This divine incarnation resulted in the provision of the perfect sacrifice required to satisfy the penalty for sin that we might have eternal life and become children of God (Rom. 8:16).

It is in the shadow of the Cross that we leave our old nature and become crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20). It is here that we die to sin and deny its death hold upon our life (Rom. 6:11). It is in His resurrection, that we received new life for our new beginning.

Once we fully grasp our identity in Christ we can begin to live victoriously, ready to receive “all the fullness of God” (John 1:16). Once estranged and hostile to God, our hope and assurance now rests in the completed work of the Cross and the new beginnings which Christ, with His life, acquired for us. Our past (life) is past (behind us). He is our New Beginning (Col. 1:18).

Good to the Last Byte…
If we have new beginnings, why don’t we live more victoriously? Christ has provided all we need to live holy (Eph. 1:3-9). It is now our responsibility to daily walk out and live out the new identity Christ has provided.