But of him you are in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.
1 corinthians 1:30
We have seen that in Christ, you are clean (though you still sin) because Christ is your righteousness. You are free (though you still struggle) because Christ is your redemption. You are holy (though you still live in the world) because Christ is your holiness.
Because these things are “in Christ,” that means that they are ours by faith. Faith is all about trusting the promise of God that these things are true of us. Those who are in Christ are clean, free, and holy. You can say, “I am in Christ, therefore these things are true of me.” That is faith.
The problem is that it is much easier to see your sins than your purity. It is easier to feel your struggle than your freedom. It is easier to lose yourself in the world than to fulfill your calling. That’s why we have to walk by faith and not by sight. If we walk by sight, we will often feel that we are defined by our sins, our struggles, and our insignificance.
Maybe that’s where you are. You define yourself by your failures, your missed opportunities, your temptations, your regrets. You are left feeling that you are rotten at the core, and your Christian faith feels like window dressing.
The gospel says precisely the opposite! If we walk by faith, we will say, “I am defined by my position in Christ. In Christ I am clean and free and holy, therefore I choose to be who I am.”
Feed this truth to yourself. This is the whole grain of the gospel. You have to begin by believing the promises of the gospel.
Have you been defining yourself by your failures and regrets? Ask God to help you walk in your true identity in Christ.
