A New Identity

Here’s the bottom line. 

You have a relationship with God because he offered it to you through Jesus. You responded to him through faith, and that’s what causes you to be united with Christ.

What does it mean to be ‘united with’ or ‘in Christ’?

Think of it like this: In the Olympics, we celebrate with great pride when our country wins a gold medal. Although we weren’t the ones competing, we identify with and claim that athlete’s success as our own.

In the same way, we identify with Jesus when we acknowledge his victory—specifically, his victory over sin through his death on the cross and his resurrection. When we acknowledge this and put our faith in it, we get to share in his victory over sin too.

Because we are “in him” through our faith, God attributes Jesus’ perfect life to us as well. Our sins are forgiven through our faith in what Jesus did. Now the Father delights in us just as he does in Jesus. How crazy is that!

"It has been difficult for me to trust that I am accepted by God; I've always measured acceptance by how I fit in and what people think of me. But when I think about the fact that I don't need to do anything to get God's approval and how he accepts me just as I am, it brings a sense of contentment. There's no pressure to impress anyone else."
Joel