Our Identity

“Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” 1 Peter 2:10

Matt West sings a song called, “Hello My Name is.” This song expresses the struggles we have as Christians, such as regret and defeat, but how we are children of the one true king. The wreckage we carry does not matter in Christ. We hear whispers reminding us of our regrets. And lies saying we are not able to win because we will be dragged down again. But in Christ we are saved, we are changed, and we have been set free. The wreckage no longer defines us because God has given us His lavish love, which makes us new.

What a relief it is to know we are made new by God’s love. In our baptism we can see our sin, but we also see ourselves clothed in God’s righteousness. West sings about us being a child of the one true king. This is our identity. We are children of God. Despite our defeats, regrets, and all the wreckage, we are children of God, the one true king. We are baptized children of Christ. “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” (Romans 8:16) It is easy to become wrapped up in our sins when guilt and shame take hold of us. But our identity is not what guilt and shame tells us we are. All that has been washed away in our baptism. Our faith gives us a new identity. We are children of the one and true king.

Prayer
True King, thank You for giving us our identity in You. Through our baptism and faith Your grace washes away our wreckage and makes us new. Thank You for saving us, changing us, and setting us free. May we never let guilt, shame, or any sin make us forget our identity. Amen