Your Identity in Christ

Who Am I in Christ?

Your identity defines who you are and is often linked to what you do, what you like, where you are from, or how you see yourself. For example, notice how some people introduce themselves for the first time. “Good morning. My name is Dr. Simms. I’m a pediatrician.” “Hi, I’m Allen. I’m from New York.” “Hello everyone. My name is Mike and I’m an alcoholic.” “Hello, I’m Janet and I have three children.”

As the above indicates, people identify themselves differently. Everyone, however, has a common identity apart from Jesus Christ. This common identity is linked to what we have done, as Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” It doesn’t matter if someone sinned a little or a lot. Everyone has sinned and can be identified as a sinner.

On the other hand, when one turns from sin and places faith in Christ, that person has a new spiritual identity.

[See Life’s Most Important Decision and Spiritual Realities Before and After Receiving Christ]

Instead of being defined in relation to sin, a believer is defined by Christ’s righteousness and is viewed as being “in Christ.” The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:30, “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.” (emphasis added)

It may initially be difficult to understand, but Jesus Christ can live in and through you and, as a result, your identity is linked with Him (Galatians 2:20).

Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” (emphasis added) The moment you believe in Jesus, you have a new identity in Christ. For example, when He died on the cross, you died on the cross so that you could live with Him (Romans 6:6-8).

Romans 6:6-8, Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.” (emphasis added)

When He rose from the dead, you rose from the dead (Colossians 2:12).

Colossians 2:12, having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. (emphasis added)
You are in Christ and Christ is in you. He is your identity! This does not mean you are equal with Christ. It does

mean that your old life has passed away, and your new life is found in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17).
2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore if anyone is in Christhe is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. (emphasis added)

This profound change is multi-faceted and brings us to the question Who am I in Christ? The many answers to that question comprise a catalog of the things God does for believers at the moment of salvation. These fundamental realities are for every believer in Christ and encompass the foundational truths of justification and sanctification.

  • Justification declares once-for-all that a believer is righteous and holy before God now and forevermore. Justification is what God has already done on behalf of every believer and is perfect and permanent.
  • Sanctification refers to God’s continuing work in a believer’s life that results in ongoing Christ-like development. This process is life-long but will not bring any believer to perfection in this life. Total sanctification is complete only when a believer is in the physical presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.

As a believer, your identity in Christ is not based on your personal goodness or worth. Instead, your identity is a demonstration of God’s grace at work in you to justify you and to sanctify you in Him. The Apostle Paul realized the reality of God’s grace when he said…

1 Corinthians 15:10, But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them (the apostles), yet not I, but the grace of God with me. (explanation added)

The following list presents New Testament characteristics of believers in Christ. These “I am” characteristics appear in the order of the New Testament books. (This list is also summarized at its conclusion under the two categories of complete and in process.) Reading the list will provide some level of encouragement, but you will fully realize the God-glorifying benefits only when you embrace and incorporate these truths into your life.

NOTE: You may be surprised at the number of New Testament references in this document that address the question “Who am I in Christ?” In spite of the abundance of verses, there are many others that were omitted because of a common message with verses already listed. Additionally, descriptions of the writers of the New Testament or other mentioned believers are not highlighted even though their characteristics are applicable to believers of any age. For example, the following self-description of the Apostle Paul is not listed even though believers around the world could describe themselves similarly.

Philippians 3:7-11, But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Plus, all Old Testament passages that are applicable to followers of Christ, such as the 23rd Psalm, are also not referenced.

Even with these purposeful omissions, the following characteristics provide ample reasons for every believer to continually give thanks and praise to God for “who I am in Christ.”

If you are a believer in Christ, then based on your identity in Him, you can legitimately say, “Because of God’s grace, I am …”

… the salt of the earth

Matthew 5:13, You (plural) are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. [insert added to emphasize that the salt of the earth involves the community of believers in Christ]

… the light of the world

Matthew 5:14, You (plural) are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. [insert added to emphasize that the light of the world involves the community of believers in Christ]

… blessed of God with a promised inheritance of the kingdom of God

Matthew 25:34, Then the King will say to those on His right, “Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

… a slave under the lordship of Christ

Luke 17:10, So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, “We are unworthy slaves; we

have done only that which we ought to have done.” … a child of God

John 1:12, But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.

… a recipient of eternal life and will never perish

John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

… released from God’s judgment and now have eternal life as a result of believing God

John 5:24, Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

… assured by Jesus that my spiritual hunger and thirst can be satisfied in Him

John 6:35, Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”

… secure in the sustaining power of Christ and the accompanying promise of having eternal life

John 6:37-40, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

… delivered from walking in spiritual darkness and now have the Light of life

John 8:12, Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

… a recipient of abundant life provided by the Lord Jesus Christ

John 10:10, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

… known by Jesus the Good Shepherd and, in turn, I know Him

John 10:14-15, I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, 15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.

… secure in Jesus Christ and in God the Father

John 10:27-30, My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.

… promised by Jesus that I will never die because I believe in Him

John 11:25-26, Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

… no longer in spiritual darkness because I believe in Jesus, the Light of the world

John 12:46, I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.

… assured I will be with Jesus forever as a result of believing in Him

John 14:1-3, Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

… a recipient of the Holy Spirit, who lives within me

John 14:16-17, I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

… a branch (a channel of Christ’s life) that is united with the true vine (Jesus)

John 15:5, I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from

Me you can do nothing. … Christ’s friend

John 15:14-15, You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

… chosen and appointed by Christ to bear His fruit

John 15:16, You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.

… a personal witness of Christ for Christ wherever I am

Acts 1:8, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.

…  forgiven of all my sins because I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ

Acts 10:43, Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.

…  justified freely by God’s grace through the redemption provided by Jesus Christ

Romans 3:24, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus

…  credited with righteousness through my belief/faith in Christ

Romans 4:5, But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness

…  justified by faith and at peace with God through Jesus Christ

Romans 5:1, Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ

…  standing in God’s grace and exulting in the hope of His glory

Romans 5:2, through whom (Jesus Christ) also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. (insert added)

…  enabled to develop spiritually, even in difficult situations of life, because of God’s love and the indwelling HolySpirit

Romans 5:3-5, And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

…  assured of God’s love in that Christ died for me when I was a sinner

Romans 5:6-8, For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; [d]though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

…  justified before God through the blood of Christ, reconciled to God by the death of Christ, and saved from God’s wrath by the life of Christ

Romans 5:9-11, Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

…  so identified with Christ that I am baptized into His death

Romans 6:3, Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?

…  enabled to walk in newness of life because of my identification with Christ

Romans 6:4, Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

…  united with Christ in the likeness of His death and resurrection

Romans 6:5, For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,

…  crucified with Christ and no longer a slave to sin

Romans 6:6-7, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin.

…  identified with Christ in His death and will live eternally with Him

Romans 6:8, Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.

…  empowered to live righteously unto God since I am no longer under the Law or sin’s mastery

Romans 6:11-14, Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

… a slave of righteousness

Romans 6:17-18, But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

… enslaved to God with the benefit of being sanctified (growing in Christ and set apart for God’s use) and having eternal life

Romans 6:22-23, But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

… dead to the Law by Christ’s work on my behalf and am now joined to Him and enabled to produce spiritual fruit for God

Romans 7:4-6, Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. 5 For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

…  free from God’s condemnation

Romans 8:1-2, Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

…  indwelt by the Holy Spirit and, as a result, spiritually alive in Christ

Romans 8:9-11, However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

…  a child of God and a joint heir with Christ

Romans 8:14-17, For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

…  helped by the Holy Spirit with regard to my weakness in prayer

Romans 8:26-27, In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

…  assured that God works all things together for good in my life

Romans 8:28, And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

…  predestined to become more and more like Jesus Christ since I am called by God and justified by Him with theassurance of being glorified

Romans 8:29-30, For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

…  safe in the love of Christ and enabled to be an overwhelming conqueror in the face of trouble

Romans 8:31-39, What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

…  a vessel of mercy prepared for glory in order to make known the riches of God’s glory

Romans 9:22-24, What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? 23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, 24 even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.

…  assured of my salvation and resultant righteousness as a result of my confessing Christ and believing that God raised Jesus from the dead

Romans 10:8-10, But what does it say? “The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” – that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; 10 for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

…  one of many spiritually gifted members in the Body of Christ

Romans 12:4-8, For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly; if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

…  the Lord’s possession in life and death

Romans 14:7-9, For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; 8 for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

…  set apart (sanctified) in Christ and a saint by calling

1 Corinthians 1:2, To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours

…  called by God to be in fellowship with His Son

1 Corinthians 1:9, God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

…  in Christ Jesus by God’s doing in spite of my inherent inadequacies

1 Corinthians 1:26-31, For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, 29 so that no man may boast before God. 30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, 31 so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”

…  enabled to know the things of God through the Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 2:12-16, Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, 13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. 14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. 15 But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. 16 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.

…  a living temple of God and indwelt by His Spirit

1 Corinthians 3:16, Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

…  washed, sanctified, and justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 6:11, Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

… united to the Lord and am one spirit with Him

1 Corinthians 6:17, But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

… not my own since I am a temple of the Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 6:19, Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?

… God’s possession since I was bought by the price of His Son, Jesus Christ

1 Corinthians 6:20, For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

… promised by God that I will not be tempted beyond what I can bear but, instead, will have a sovereign path of escape so I can endure any temptation

1 Corinthians 10:13, No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

… a recipient of at least one spiritual gift to minister for the common good

1 Corinthians 12:4-7, Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

… a member of Christ’s body

1 Corinthians 12:27, Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.

… victorious over death through Christ

1 Corinthians 15:54-57, But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. 55 O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

… a recipient of God’s mercy and comfort and have been enabled to comfort others

2 Corinthians 1:3-5, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.

… triumphant in Christ with the accompanying fragrance of His life as a result of knowing Him

2 Corinthians 2:14-16, But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. 15 For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; 16 to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?

… spiritually inadequate when depending on myself but adequate as a servant of God due to the Holy Spirit’s work in my life

2 Corinthians 3:5-6, Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, 6 who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

… an earthen vessel carrying the treasure of God’s glory and power as well as the life of Jesus

2 Corinthians 4:6-10, For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; 8 we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

… a work in progress that is spiritually renewed continually for the glory of God

2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 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 things which are not seen are eternal.

… earthbound presently in a mortal body with a divine pledge to live eternally with Christ

2 Corinthians 5:1-10, For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, 3 inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. 4 For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. 6 Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight— 8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. 9 Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

… controlled by the love of Christ for the purpose of living for Him and not for myself

2 Corinthians 5:14-15, For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; 15 and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

… a new person in Christ, living in a new way

2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

… reconciled to God through Christ with a corresponding ministry of reconciliation

2 Corinthians 5:18-19, Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

… an ambassador for Jesus Christ

2 Corinthians 5:20, Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

… a recipient of the righteousness of God

2 Corinthians 5:21, He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

… part of the temple of God with all other believers

2 Corinthians 6:16, Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”

… crucified with Christ, have His life within me, and live by faith in Him

Galatians 2:20, I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

… a child of God, clothed with Christ, and one in Christ with fellow believers

Galatians 3:26-28, For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

… one of Abraham’s descendants and an heir according to promise because I belong to Christ

Galatians 3:29, And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.

… an heir of God since I am His child

Galatians 4:6-7, Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

… promised consistent, victorious living over self-centered desires through dependence on the Holy Spirit

Galatians 5:16-17, But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.

…  assured of fulfilling the law of Christ (loving God and others) as I help to carry other believers’ burdens

Galatians 6:2, Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

…  blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ

Ephesians 1:3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

…  holy and blameless before God, redeemed by the blood of Christ, chosen and adopted by God, and covered byHis grace

Ephesians 1:4-8, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He lavished on us . . .

…  a recipient of a divine inheritance to the praise of His glory, predestined and sealed in Christ through the Holy Spirit

Ephesians 1:9-14, He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him 11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

…  loved by God, alive in Christ, and spiritually seated in heaven with Him

Ephesians 2:4-7, But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

…  saved, not by my works, but by God’s grace

Ephesians 2:8-9, For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

…  God’s workmanship created in Christ to do His work that He planned beforehand that I should do

Ephesians 2:10, For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them

…  enabled to be at peace as well as be one with all who have received Christ into their lives

Ephesians 2:13-16, But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.

…  a fellow citizen with the rest of God’s people in His family and am part of God’s holy temple

Ephesians 2:19-22, So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy [b]temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit

…. divinely called in one hope with other believers

Ephesians 4:4-6There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all

…. a member of the Body of Christ who is to live truthfully and lovingly in order to grow spiritually while also fostering growth in the Body of Christ by ministering cooperatively with fellow believers

Ephesians 4:14-16, As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

… a new person created in righteousness and holiness before God

Ephesians 4:22-24, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

… sealed by the Holy Spirit for the day of redemption

Ephesians 4:30, Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

… loved by Christ

Ephesians 5:1-2, Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

… the Light of the Lord and should live accordingly

Ephesians 5:8, for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light.

… able to withstand the schemes of the devil by putting on the full armor of God

Ephesians 6:10-17, Finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

… assured that God, who began His work in me, will complete it

Philippians 1:6For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

… assured that my belief in Christ may result in suffering for His sake

Philippians 1:29, For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake

… assured that God is sovereignly at work within me for His glory and purposes

Philippians 2:13, for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

… now a citizen of heaven and my body will one day conform to the body of Christ

Philippians 3:20, For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

… qualified by God to share in His inheritance with fellow saints

Colossians 1:12, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.

… redeemed and in the Kingdom of God’s Son, Jesus Christ

Colossians 1:13-14, For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

… reconciled to God through the blood of Christ in order to be presented holy and blameless before God

Colossians 1:19-22, For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. 21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—

… complete in Christ

Colossians 2:9-10, For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, 10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority.

… alive in Christ, completely forgiven of all my transgressions

Colossians 2:13-15, When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.

… hidden with Christ in God

Colossians 3:3, For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

… an expression of the life of Christ and will be revealed with Him in glory

Colossians 3:4, When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

… chosen of God, holy, beloved, totally forgiven, and enabled to treat others in a Christ-like manner

Colossians 3:12-13, So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.

… destined to live with Jesus Christ forever, even if I die on earth

1 Thessalonians 4:14-17, For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

… a son (or daughter) of light and not of darkness

1 Thessalonians 5:5, for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness

… destined for salvation through Christ and will not face God’s wrath but will live forever with Jesus

1 Thessalonians 5:9-10, For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.

… sanctified by God and blameless in body, soul, and spirit at the coming of the Lord

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.

… chosen by God for salvation through sanctification by the Holy Spirit and faith in God’s truth

2 Thessalonians 2:13, But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.

… called by God for salvation through the Gospel to gain the glory of Christ

2 Thessalonians 2:14, It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

… saved and called by God, not due to my works, but according to His purpose and grace through Christ

2 Timothy 1:9-10, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, 10 but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel

… destined to be persecuted because I desire to live godly in Christ

2 Timothy 3:12, Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

… equipped for every good work through God’s written Word

2 Timothy 3:16-17, All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

…  assured to receive the crown of righteousness from the Lord

2 Timothy 4:8, in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

…  saved by grace in order to live in a manner that pleases Jesus Christ as I anticipate His appearing

Titus 2:11-14, For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, 14 who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

…  saved solely by the kindness and mercy of God demonstrated through the work of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit on my behalf

Titus 3:4-6, But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, 5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.

…  justified by God’s grace and made His heir, a recipient of eternal life

Titus 3:7, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

…  assured that Jesus Christ will help me when I am tempted

Hebrews 2:18, For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.

…  holy before the Lord and a partaker of a heavenly calling

Hebrews 3:1, Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.

…  promised divine mercy and grace through Jesus Christ, our great high priest

Hebrews 4:14-16, Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

…  an heir of God’s promise and anchored in Christ Jesus, our eternal High Priest

Hebrews 6:16-20, For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute. 17 In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. 19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, 20 where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

…  assured that my salvation is secure through Jesus Christ, the eternal High Priest

Hebrews 7:23-27, The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, 24 but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. 25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

…  cleansed of my sin through the shed blood of Jesus Christ and, as a result, am enabled to serve the living God

Hebrews 9:11-14, But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

… called by God and have received His promise of an eternal inheritance

Hebrews 9:15, For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

… set apart (sanctified) and perfect before God through the sacrificial offering of Christ 

Hebrews 10:14, For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

…  able to draw near to God through Christ Jesus

Hebrews 10:19-22, Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

…  privileged to assist in the spiritual development of fellow believers

Hebrews 10:23-25, Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

…  loved as God’s child, receiving divine discipline as needed

Hebrews 12:4-7, You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; 5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,“MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; 6 FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.” 7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?

…  disciplined by the Lord as necessary in order for me to share His holiness

Hebrews 12:8-11, But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. 11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

…  assured by God that He will never forsake me

Hebrews 13:5b-6, for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you” 6 so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?”

…  born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Christ and will receive an imperishable inheritance in heaven

1 Peter 1:3-4, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you

…  protected by God through faith for an eternal salvation

1 Peter 1:5, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

…  a believer, redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ and my faith and hope are in God

1 Peter 1:17-21, If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you 21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

…  born again through the living Word of God

1 Peter 1:23, for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

…  one of God’s living stones and being built up (in Christ) for a holy priesthood

1 Peter 2:5, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

…  a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession to proclaim the excellencies of Him Who granted me mercy and called me out of darkness into His marvelous light

1 Peter 2:9-10, But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.

…  an alien and stranger to this world and can abstain from sinful desires

1 Peter 2:11, Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.

…  enabled to live righteously and die to sin because Christ paid the penalty on the cross for my sins

1 Peter 2:24, and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

…  brought once for all to God through the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ

1 Peter 3:18, For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.

…  in an adversarial position with the devil and can resist him through steadfast faith

1 Peter 5:8-9, Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.

…  called by God to eternal glory in Christ and promised Christ-honoring growth through trials on earth

1 Peter 5:10, After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory inChrist, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

…  called by God and a recipient of everything pertaining to life and godliness

2 Peter 1:2-3, Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

…  a recipient of divine promises through which I become a partaker of the divine nature

2 Peter 1:4, For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you maybecome partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

…  a child of God and will be transformed into perfect Christ-likeness when Jesus returns

1 John 3:1-2, See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.

…  a recipient of the Holy Spirit and enabled to obey God’s Word as I abide in Christ

1 John 3:24, The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

…  an overcomer through Christ

1 John 4:4, You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

…  abiding in God and God abides in me since I have responded to God’s love and believe that Jesus is the Son of God

1 John 4:15-17, Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.

… victorious over the world through faith

1 John 5:4, For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith.

… a recipient of eternal life through Jesus Christ

1 John 5:11-13, And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

… assured my prayers will be answered when I ask according to the will of God

1 John 5:14-15, This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.

… born of God and the evil one (the devil) cannot touch me.

1 John 5:18, We know that no one who is born of God sins (as a way of life); but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. (insert added)

… loved by Christ, released from my sins by His blood, and brought into His kingdom.

Revelation 1:4-6, John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— 6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

CONCLUSION

The above characteristics are relevant to every person who receives salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. To enhance Christ-honoring development, believers can benefit from periodically reviewing the characteristics of being in Christ. Responding to this God-given identity can help you grow in Christ in this life in addition to joyfully anticipating being with Him in the life to come.

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ADDENDUM

WHAT GOD HAS ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED AND WHAT GOD CONTINUES TO ACCOMPLISH IN YOUR LIFE

As mentioned in the introduction to this study, a believer’s characteristics are linked to what God has already accomplished for every believer in addition to what God is currently doing in each believer’s life. Using the same descriptions and verse references presented earlier, the many facets of God’s work in believers’ lives are categorized below as Completed (associated with justification) and Confirmed and In Process (associated with sanctification). Some characteristics seem to fit into both categories and are listed with an asterisk to denote dual listing.

COMPLETED

I am the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13)
I am the light of the world (Matthew 5:14)
I am blessed of God with a promised inheritance (Matthew 25:34)
I am a slave under the lordship of Christ (Luke 17:10)
I am a child of God (John 1:12)
I am a recipient of eternal life and will never perish (John 3:16)
I am released from God’s judgment and now have eternal life as a result of believing God (John 5:24)
I am assured by Jesus that my spiritual hunger and thirst can be satisfied in Him (John 6:35)
I am secure in the sustaining power of Christ and the accompanying promise of having eternal life (John 6:37-40) I am delivered from walking in spiritual darkness and now have the Light of life (John 8:12)
I am a recipient of abundant life provided by the Lord Jesus Christ (John 10:10)
I am known by Jesus the Good Shepherd and, in turn, I know Him (John 10:14-15)
I am secure in Jesus Christ and in God the Father (John 10:27-30)
I am promised by Jesus that I will never die because I believe in Him (John 11:25-26)
I am no longer in spiritual darkness because I believe in Jesus, the Light of the world (John 12:46)
I am assured I will be with Jesus forever as a result of believing in Him (John 14:1-3)
I am a recipient of the Holy Spirit, who lives within me (John 14:16-17)
I am a branch (a channel of Christ’s life) that is united with the true vine (John 15:5)
I am Christ’s friend (John 15:14-15)
* I am chosen and appointed by Christ to bear His fruit (John 15:16)
I am forgiven of all my sins because I believe in Jesus Christ (Acts 10:43)
I am justified freely by God’s grace through the redemption provided by Jesus Christ (Romans 3:24)
I am credited with righteousness through my belief/faith in Christ (Romans 4:5)
I am justified by faith and at peace with God through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1)
I am standing in God’s grace and exulting in the hope of His glory (Romans 5:2)
I am assured of God’s love in that Christ died for me when I was a sinner (Romans 5:6-8)
I am justified before God through the blood of Christ, reconciled to God by the death of Christ, and saved from God’s wrath by the life of Christ (Romans 5:9-11)
I am so identified with Christ that I am baptized into His death (Romans 6:3)
I am enabled to walk in newness of life because of my identification with Christ (Romans 6:4)
I am united with Christ in the likeness of His death and resurrection (Romans 6:5)
I am crucified with Christ and no longer a slave to sin (Romans 6:6-7)
I am identified with Christ in His death and will live eternally with Him (Romans 6:8)
I am empowered to live righteously unto God since I am no longer under the Law or sin’s mastery (Romans 6:11-14) I am a slave of righteousness (Romans 6:17-18)
I am enslaved to God with the benefit of being sanctified (growing in Christ and set apart for God’s use) and having eternal life (Romans 6:22-23)
I am dead to the Law by Christ’s work on my behalf and am now joined to Him and enabled to produce spiritual fruit for God (Romans 7:4-6)
I am free from God’s condemnation (Romans 8:1-2)
I am indwelt by the Holy Spirit and, as a result, spiritually alive in Christ (Romans 8:9-11)
I am a child of God and a joint heir with Christ (Romans 8:14-17)
* I am assured that God works all things together for good in my life (Romans 8:28)
I am predestined to become more and more like Jesus Christ since I am called by God and justified by Him with the assurance of being glorified (Romans 8:29-30)
* I am safe in the love of Christ and enabled to be an overwhelming conqueror in the face of trouble (Romans 8:31-39)
I am a vessel of mercy prepared for glory in order to make known the riches of God’s glory (Romans 9:22-24)
I am assured of my salvation and resultant righteousness as a result of my confessing Christ and believing that God raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 10:8-10)
I am one of many spiritually gifted members in the Body of Christ (Romans 12:4-8)
I am the Lord’s possession in life and death (Romans 14:7-9)
I am set apart (sanctified) in Christ and a saint by calling (1 Corinthians 1:2)
I am called by God to be in fellowship with His Son (1 Corinthians 1:9)
I am in Christ Jesus by God’s doing in spite of my inherent inadequacies (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)
* I am enabled to know the things of God because of having the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:12-16)
I am a living temple of God and indwelt by His Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16)
I am washed, sanctified, and justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:11) I am united to the Lord and am one spirit with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17)
I am not my own since I am a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19)
I am God’s possession since I was bought by the price of His Son, Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 6:20)
* I am promised by God that I will not be tempted beyond what I can bear but, instead, will have a sovereign path of escape so I can endure any temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13)
I am a recipient of at least one spiritual gift to minister for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:4-7)
I am a member of Christ’s body (1 Corinthians 12:27)
I am victorious over death through Christ (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)
* I am a recipient of God’s mercy and comfort and have been enabled to comfort others (2 Corinthians 1:3-5)
I am triumphant in Christ with the accompanying fragrance of His life as a result of knowing Him (2 Corinthians 2:14-16) I am spiritually inadequate when depending on myself but adequate as a servant of God due to the Holy Spirit’s work in my life (2 Corinthians 3:5-6)
* I am an earthen vessel carrying the treasure of God’s glory and power as well as the life of Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:6-10) I am earthbound presently in a mortal body with a divine pledge to live eternally with Christ (2 Corinthians 5:1-10)
* I am controlled by the love of Christ for the purpose of living for Him and not for myself (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)
* I am a new person in Christ, living in a new way (2 Corinthians 5:17)
* I am reconciled to God through Christ with a corresponding ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)
I am an ambassador for Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20)
I am a recipient of the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21)
I am part of the temple of God with all other believers (2 Corinthians 6:16)
* I am crucified with Christ, have His life within me, and live by faith in Him (Galatians 2:20)
I am a child of God, clothed with Christ, and one in Christ with fellow believers (Galatians 3:26-28)
I am one of Abraham’s descendants and an heir according to promise because I belong to Christ (Galatians 3:29)
I am an heir of God since I am His child (Galatians 4:6-7)
* I am promised consistent, victorious living over self-centered desires through dependence on the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16-17)
I am blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3)
I am holy and blameless before God, redeemed by the blood of Christ, chosen and adopted by God, and covered by His grace (Ephesians 1:4-8)
I am a recipient of a divine inheritance, to the praise of His glory, predestined and sealed in Christ through the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:9-14)
I am loved by God, alive in Christ, and spiritually seated in heaven with Him (Ephesians 2:4-7)
I am saved, not by my works, but by God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8-9)
* I am God’s workmanship created in Christ to do His work that He planned beforehand that I should do (Ephesians 2:10) I am enabled to be at peace as well as be one with all who have received Christ into their lives (Ephesians 2:13-16)
I am a fellow citizen with the rest of God’s people in His family and am part of God’s holy temple (Ephesians 2:19-22)
I am divinely called in one hope with other believers (Ephesians 4:4-6)
* I am a member of the Body of Christ who is to live truthfully and lovingly in order to grow spiritually while also fostering growth in the Body of Christ by ministering cooperatively with fellow believers (Ephesians 4:14-16) I am a new person created in righteousness and holiness before God (Ephesians 4:22-24)
I am sealed by the Holy Spirit for the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30)
I am loved by Christ (Ephesians 5:1-2)
* I am the Light of the Lord and should live accordingly (Ephesians 5:8)
I am assured that God, who began His work in me, will complete it (Philippians 1:6)
* I am assured that God is sovereignly at work within me for His glory and purposes (Philippians 2:13)
I am now a citizen of heaven and my body will one day conform to the body of Christ (Philippians 3:20)
I am qualified by God to share in His inheritance with fellow saints (Colossians 1:12)
I am redeemed and in the Kingdom of God’s Son, Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:13-14)
I am reconciled to God through the blood of Christ in order to be presented holy and blameless before God (Colossians 1:19-22)
I am complete in Christ (Colossians 2:9-10)
I am alive in Christ, completely forgiven of all my transgressions (Colossians 2:13-15)
I am hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3)
I am an expression of the life of Christ and will be revealed with Him in glory (Colossians 3:4)
I am chosen of God, holy, beloved, totally forgiven, and enabled to treat others in a Christ-like manner (Colossians 3:12-13)
I am destined to live with Jesus Christ forever, even if I die on earth (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17)
I am a son (or daughter) of light and not of darkness (1 Thessalonians 5:5)
I am destined for salvation through Christ and will not face God’s wrath but will live forever with Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10)
I am sanctified by God and blameless in body, soul, and spirit at the coming of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)
I am chosen by God for salvation through sanctification by the Holy Spirit and faith in God’s truth (2 Thessalonians 2:13) I am called by God for salvation through the Gospel to gain the glory of Christ (2 Thessalonians 2:14)
I am saved and called by God, not due to my works, but according to His purpose and grace through Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 1:9-10)
I am assured to receive the crown of righteousness from the Lord (2 Timothy 4:8)
* I am saved by grace in order to live in a manner that pleases Jesus Christ as I anticipate His appearing (Titus 2:11-14)
I am saved solely by the kindness and mercy of God that was demonstrated through the work of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit on my behalf (Titus 3:4-6)
I am justified by God’s grace and made His heir, a recipient of eternal life (Titus 3:7)
I am holy before the Lord and a partaker of a heavenly calling (Hebrews 3:1)
I am promised divine mercy and grace through Jesus Christ, our great high priest (Hebrews 4:14-16)
I am an heir of God’s promise and anchored in Christ Jesus, our eternal High Priest (Hebrews 6:16-20)
I am assured that my salvation is secure through Jesus Christ, the eternal High Priest (Hebrews 7:23-27)
I am cleansed of my sin through the shed blood of Jesus Christ and, as a result, am enabled to serve the living God (Hebrews 9:11-14)
I am called by God and have received His promise of an eternal inheritance (Hebrews 9:15)
I am set apart (sanctified) and perfect before God through the sacrificial offering of Christ (Hebrews 10:14)
I am able to draw near to God through Christ Jesus (Hebrews 10:19-22)
I am assured by God that He will never forsake me (Hebrews 13:5b-6)
I am born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Christ and will receive an imperishable inheritance in heaven (1 Peter 1:3-4)
I am protected by God through faith for an eternal salvation (1 Peter 1:5)
I am a believer, redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ and my faith and hope are in God (1 Peter 1:17-21)
I am born again through the living Word of God (1 Peter 1:23)
* I am one of God’s living stones and am being built up (in Christ) for a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5)
I am a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession to proclaim the excellencies of Him Who granted me mercy and called me out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9-10)
I am brought once for all to God through the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 3:18)
* I am called by God to eternal glory in Christ and promised Christ-honoring growth through trials on earth (1 Peter 5:10) I am called by God and a recipient of everything pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:2-3)
I am a recipient of divine promises through which I become a partaker of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4)
I am now a child of God and will be transformed into perfect Christ-likeness when Jesus returns (1 John 3:1-2)
* I am a recipient of the Holy Spirit and enabled to obey God’s Word as I abide in Christ (1 John 3:24)
I am an overcomer through Christ (1 John 4:4)
I am abiding in God and God abides in me since I have responded to God’s love and believe that Jesus is the Son of God (1 John 4:15-17)
I am victorious over the world through faith (1 John 5:4)
I am a recipient of eternal life through Jesus Christ (1 John 5:11-13)
I am born of God and the evil one (the devil) cannot touch me (1 John 5:18)
I am loved by Christ, released from my sins by His blood, and brought into His kingdom (Revelation 1:4-6)

CONFIRMED AND IN PROCESS

* I am chosen and appointed by Christ to bear His fruit (John 15:16) I am a personal witness of Christ for Christ wherever I am (Acts 1:8)
I am enabled to develop spiritually, even in difficult situations of life, because of God’s love and the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 5:3-5)
I am helped by the Holy Spirit with regard to my weakness in prayer (Romans 8:26-27)
* I am assured that God works all things together for good in my life (Romans 8:28)
* I am safe in the love of Christ and enabled to be an overwhelming conqueror in the face of trouble (Romans 8:31-39) * I am enabled to know the things of God through the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:12-16)
* I am promised by God that I will not be tempted beyond what I can bear but, instead, will have a sovereign path of escape so I can endure any temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13)
* I am a recipient of God’s mercy and comfort and have been enabled to comfort others (2 Corinthians 1:3-5)
* I am an earthen vessel carrying the treasure of God’s glory and power as well as the life of Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:6-10) I am a work in progress that is spiritually renewed continually for the glory of God (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
* I am controlled by the love of Christ for the purpose of living for Him and not for myself (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)
* I am a new person in Christ, living in a new way (2 Corinthians 5:17)
* I am reconciled to God through Christ with a corresponding ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)
* I am crucified with Christ, have His life within me, and live by faith in Him (Galatians 2:20)
* I am promised consistent, victorious living over self-centered desires through dependence on the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16-17)
I am assured of fulfilling the law of Christ (loving God and others) as I help to carry other believers’ burdens (Galatians 6:2)
* I am God’s workmanship created in Christ to do His work that He planned beforehand that I should do (Ephesians 2:10) * I am a member of the Body of Christ who is to live truthfully and lovingly in order to grow spiritually while also fostering growth in the Body of Christ by ministering cooperatively with fellow believers (Ephesians 4:14-16)
* I am the Light of the Lord and should live accordingly (Ephesians 5:8)
I am able to withstand the schemes of the devil by putting on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17)
I am assured that my belief in Christ may result in suffering for His sake (Philippians 1:29)
* I am assured that God is sovereignly at work within me for His glory and purposes (Philippians 2:13)
I am destined to be persecuted because I desire to live godly in Christ (2 Timothy 3:12)
I am ably equipped for every good work through God’s written Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
* I am saved by grace in order to live in a manner that pleases Jesus Christ as I anticipate His appearing (Titus 2:11-14)
I am assured that Jesus Christ will help me when I am tempted (Hebrews 2:18)
I am privileged to assist in the spiritual development of fellow believers (Hebrews 10:23-25)
I am loved as God’s child, receiving divine discipline as needed (Hebrews 12:4-7)
I am disciplined by the Lord as necessary in order for me to share His holiness (Hebrews 12:8-11)
* I am one of God’s living stones and am being built up (in Christ) for a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5)
I am an alien and stranger to this world and can abstain from sinful desires (1 Peter 2:11)
I am enabled to live righteously and die to sin because Christ paid the penalty on the cross for my sins (1 Peter 2:24)
I am in an adversarial position with the devil and can resist him through steadfast faith (1 Peter 5:8-9)
* I am called by God to eternal glory in Christ and promised Christ-honoring growth through trials on earth (1 Peter 5:10) * I am a recipient of the Holy Spirit and enabled to obey God’s Word as I abide in Christ (1 John 3:24)
I am assured my prayers will be answered when I ask according to the will of God (1 John 5:14-15)

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Verses taken from the New American Standard Bible ® Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.