10 Empowering Bible Verses About Identity in Christ
Our daughter, Bekah, asks for a mother-daughter date, and I take her to the lake on a cloudless afternoon. I’ve been feeling less than in pretty much every area of my life lately, and I slip my Bible into our bag with hopes for a few quiet moments to soak in some Bible verses about identity in Christ.
Perhaps you need this, too.
Maybe you’ve been feeling wounded by the world, and you need God to remind you of your unchanging identity in Christ.
Today, I invite you to join us at the lake. I’ll share my heartwarming conversation with Bekah, and then we will dig into 10 empowering Bible verses about identity in Christ.
Empowering Bible Verses About Identity in Christ
Muddy water rolls onto the rocky shore like waves of hope, and I feel the cares slip away with the current as Bekah and I sit by the water. I count my blessings with the rhythm of the surf:
This perfect day with cerulean skies and just the right placement of high cirrus clouds.
Rolling green hills that speak of life and abundance.
Sailboats defying the world’s constant prodding to hurry.
A date with a six-year-old.
The fact that she begged me to bring her to this place with a Bible.
It’s almost too much to believe this is my child and my life.
I watch her as she watches the waves beside me. She’s past the age of hurling rocks and sticks for entertainment. Today she simply wants to watch the boats drift by.
I pray for words that might capture this moment and speak truth into the deepest recesses of her being. I want to make the most of the moment, make it teachable, and be intentional.
Her delicate hair dances in the wind, and she looks right through me with penetrating eyes. She wants to know what I’m thinking about. I tell her I was watching her watch the waves, and I think she’s beautiful. I tell her I’m so grateful for this time together.
The Truth You Need to Hear When You Start Feeling Less Than
That’s when I remember. I remember Ann Voskamp’s words from this morning:
“The world will say they will love you if you’re beautiful —but the truth is you’re beautiful because you are loved. God Loves YOU. He who is Love loves you unconditionally. Living as one truly loved and cherished by God is the cross-beam that supports an abundant life in Christ. Belovedness is the center of being, the only real identity, God’s only name for you, the only identity He gives you. And you won’t ever feel like you belong anywhere until you choose to listen to your heart beating out that you do—unconditionally, irrevocably.” ~Ann Voskamp
My daughter is beautiful because she is loved.
She’ll face bullies in the days to come.
Boys will promise to love her if she’s beautiful.
She’ll endure days of feeling less than.
How can I teach her that it’s not the love of boys or the admiration that comes from other women that makes a woman beautiful? A woman is beautiful because she’s loved by God.
Cling to This Truth When You Start Feeling Less Than
I want her to know who she is without hesitation.
She’s not simply pretty or smart or funny. She’s not defined by her social status, her hobbies, or her aspirations. Before all of these things, she is first beloved.
Belovedness is the center of her being, her only real identity, and God’s name for her.
How can I teach her this?
Bible Verses About Identity in Christ
I open the Bible on my lap to Romans, and I tell her: “God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. This is how we know for sure that we are loved: God showed us his love when he sent his Son to die for us. This is the ultimate act of love.”
This is how we know for sure that we are loved: God showed us his love when he sent his Son to die for us. This is the ultimate act of love. #loved #Godslove #identity Click To TweetI think of the labels with which I’ve defined myself: athlete, teacher, backpacker, wife, mother. I remember when the injury happened, and I could no longer call myself an athlete.
Six years ago, I walked away from my career to pursue full-time parenting, and I could no longer call myself a teacher.
I remember the day I realized it had been years since I’d worn the old Kelty backpack into the mountains, and I could no longer call myself a backpacker. What then?
What do we do with all the labels that are eventually stripped away? Who am I if it’s all stripped away? Who am I on the days when I wake up feeling less-than and left out?
Ann’s words ring true: The only identity that never changes is the identity that says I am beloved.
Your Lasting Identity Is Found Here
I tell my girl that the only part of her that can never be stripped away is the love of Christ that is sealed over her life.
No matter where she goes, no matter what she faces, she is still beloved. There’s no need to prove herself to the world or make much of her life for the sake of a simple label. S
he is free to live and love as one who is fully defined by the love of Christ. She’ll need this for the days when she starts feeling less than.
She crawls onto my lap and listens intently. “Does this make sense?” I ask.
“Yes,” she says, “God loves me, just because I’m his.”
I kiss her damp hair. “Yes, just because you’re his.”
Empowering Bible Verses About Identity in Christ
Let’s look at some life-changing Bible verses about identity in Christ:
1. 1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
2. John 1:12
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
3. Ephesians 1:5
He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.
4. 1 Corinthians 6:17
But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
5. Genesis 1:27
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
6. 1 John 3:1
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!
7. Colossians 3:3
For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
8. Galatians 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
9. Song of Solomon 2:16
My beloved is mine, and I am his.
10. Ephesians 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
A Free Devotional for You:
I have a gift for you today. Set Free: Let God Do What You Cannot explores ten realms in which most of us need God to work in our lives and bring deliverance. We’ll talk about finding freedom from fear, worry, insecurity, bad habits, emotional pain, and more. This short online devotional will bless you as you let God accomplish what you’ve been unable to achieve through willpower. Get your download for free with promo code GRACE right here.
These two books are free on Kindle Unlimited or available to purchase in print:
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book for free on the Kindle Unlimited plan or for 12.99 in print right here. This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
Calling all mothers and daughters!
Additionally, my 12-year-old daughter, Bekah, and I wrote a mother-daughter devotional book to help mothers and daughters grow closer together while connecting with God. Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith includes 60 devotions with Scripture, commentaries from both of us, conversation starters, and even a shared journaling section. Multitudes of mothers, daughters, mentors, and younger women are being transformed by this book! You can find your free Kindle Unlimited eBook or buy it in print for just 11.99 right here.
