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Identity is one of the greatest battles believers face.
Many followers of Jesus live caught between two realities: what Christ has accomplished for them and the way they still think about themselves. Even after salvation, it’s common to continue defining ourselves by past failures, ongoing struggles, or labels that no longer belong to us.
But the gospel tells a different story.
In this episode of the You Are My Witnesses podcast, we explore a powerful truth: some believers are still defining themselves by a self that has already been crucified with Christ.
Understanding our true identity in Christ is not just theological—it is foundational to how we live, grow, and witness to the world.
The Battle for Identity
As believers, we are constantly forming a story in our minds about three things:
- Who God is
- Who we are
- What our future looks like
Sometimes those stories drift away from the truth of Scripture. When that happens, the Holy Spirit gently leads us back, helping us realign our thoughts with God’s truth.
Scripture reminds us that our old identity is gone.
“Our old self was crucified with Him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with.” — Romans 6:6
Through faith in Jesus, we are no longer defined by our past or by sin. The old self has been crucified, and we have been made new.
Yet many believers continue to describe themselves primarily as sinners.
This raises an important question: Is that how God still sees us?
The Purpose of the Law
To understand our identity correctly, we must first understand the purpose of the law.
The law was never meant to make people righteous. Its purpose was to reveal humanity’s need for salvation.
“Through the law comes knowledge of sin.” — Romans 3:20
“The law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” — Galatians 3:24
The law exposes sin, but it cannot remove it.
Before Christ, sin defined humanity. It was inseparable from our nature.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” — Romans 3:23
But Jesus changed everything.
The Finished Work of the Cross
When Jesus died on the cross, He did more than forgive our past mistakes. He dealt with sin completely.
“But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.” — Hebrews 10:12
“For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” — Hebrews 10:14
Jesus’ sacrifice covered every sin—past, present, and future.
This means salvation is not about behavior modification. It is about transformation.
Even though believers still struggle with sin, sin is no longer their identity.
“And we all… are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory.” — 2 Corinthians 3:18
God is actively shaping believers to look more like Christ.
Transformation, Not Deification
It’s important to clarify something here.
Being transformed into Christ’s image does not mean we become Christ or become God. That idea echoes the serpent’s lie in the garden.
“You will be like God.” — Genesis 3:4–5
The truth is far more beautiful and far more biblical.
Humans were originally created in the image of God.
“Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” — Genesis 1:26
Through Christ, God is restoring us toward that original design that sin corrupted.
The goal of the Christian life is not to become sinless perfection. The goal is close relationship with a sinless God, allowing Him to transform us from the inside out.
“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.” — Philippians 1:6
The Two Dimensions of Salvation
Scripture reveals that salvation has two powerful dimensions.
1. We Have Been Saved (Justification)
The first part of salvation deals with our legal standing before God.
Humanity was guilty before a holy God, and the penalty for sin was death.
“The wages of sin is death.” — Romans 6:23
But Jesus took that punishment upon Himself.
“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree.” — 1 Peter 2:24
Because of Christ, believers are now justified—declared righteous before God.
“Having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” — Romans 5:9
It’s as if the record of our sin was completely erased.
“He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.” — Colossians 2:14
And in its place, God gives us a new identity.
“God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” — 2 Corinthians 5:21
Believers are now the righteousness of God in Christ.
2. We Are Being Saved (Sanctification)
Salvation is not only something that happened in the past—it is also something happening right now.
“To us who are being saved it is the power of God.” — 1 Corinthians 1:18
God doesn’t simply declare us righteous and then walk away. He continues to shape us into that righteousness.
Think about creation. God created the world once, but He continues to sustain it.
“He upholds all things by the word of His power.” — Hebrews 1:3
In the same way, God is actively sustaining and forming Christ’s character within us.
We have become righteous, and we are becoming righteous.
So Who Are You?
If the record of sin has been removed, and if God now calls you righteous in Christ, then continuing to define yourself primarily as a sinner contradicts what the cross accomplished.
A more accurate way to say it might be this:
You are the righteousness of God in Christ who sometimes misses the mark.
Your identity is not rooted in failure—it is rooted in redemption.
*Graham Cooke has an incredible story of a dream about Jesus revealing what He died to take away from Graham. You can watch it here.
Why Identity Matters for Witnessing
This truth matters deeply for our calling as witnesses.
When believers think of themselves primarily as sinners, shame often follows. Shame causes people to hide and feel disqualified from sharing their faith.
But God sees something different.
“You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.” — 1 Peter 2:9
Notice the order in this verse.
First comes identity:
- Chosen
- Royal
- Holy
- God’s possession
Then comes mission:
- Declaring His praises.
When believers understand who they are in Christ, witnessing flows from gratitude rather than shame.
We are not saying:
“Look at how perfect I am.”
We are saying:
“Look at what Jesus has done for me.”
Walking in the Truth
If you have been defining yourself by your old self—the one that was crucified with Christ—it may be time to realign your story with God’s truth.
You are not who you were.
You are in Christ.
You are a new creation.
You are the righteousness of God.
And you have been called to be His witness.
Discovering Passover
If you’ve ever wondered how deeply the story of Passover points to Jesus, you’re not alone.
Passover is more than an event in the Old Testament—it’s a powerful picture of the redemption Jesus accomplished on the cross. From the lamb to the blood on the doorposts, every detail reveals something beautiful about God’s plan to rescue His people.
If you’d like to explore these connections in a simple, biblical way, I created a short ebook that walks through the meaning of Passover and how it reveals the fullness of what Jesus has done for us.
You can find it in my Etsy shop if you want to dive deeper and experience the story in a fresh way. ✨
Discovering the Hebrew Months Newsletter
Understanding the Times and Seasons
Become a Steward of Time Discovering the Hebrew months helps you see how the Old Testament points to Jesus and discern God’s timing, so you can stay aligned with His Spirit.
Click here to subscribe.
Now My Eyes See You
When pain becomes an invitation to encounter God face-to-face
If this episode has stirred something in you, Janell invites you to go deeper with her devotional Now My Eyes See You. In it, she shares how suffering, though disorienting, can become the place where we encounter God’s redeeming presence. Like Job, we are not alone in the ashes. Jesus steps in and leads us into healing. The devotional is available on Amazon in all formats. And Janell has a free Bible study to accompany it, link is below.
Grab Your FREE Bible Study!
Click above to join Janell’s Substack for a Bible Study on the Book of Job
Download the pdf notes and all seven videos. You can use it forever! Whether you have questions about suffering or you know of people in your life that do, this resource will be a rich and meaningful addition to your faith toolbox.
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*Music by LiteSaturation, Music Unlimited, soundbay, and Silentvoice from Pixabay
Janell Kremer 
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