Here’s a topic that we’re going to have to discuss at length in the youth group: identity. In my humble opinion, it’s the root cause of nearly every problem faced by young Christians. It’s the reason that our young women feel as if they have to have a boyfriend to feel valuable. It’s the reason why our young men fold to peer pressure on issues like drugs and alcohol. Identity.
It’s a shame, really, considering how much scripture is devoted to who we are in Christ, and perhaps more importantly who Christ is in us. Here is an abbreviated list of what the scripture says about your identity in Christ:
- You are God’s child (John 1:12)
- You are a friend of Christ (John 15:15)
- You have been chosen by God and adopted as His child (Ephesians 1:3-8)
- You are God’s workmanship (Ephesians 2:10)
Where we so often go wrong is in attempting to make ourselves feel valuable by substituting stuff for our relationship with the Lord. For instance, surrounding ourselves with friends or drinking alcohol so your friends will think you’re cool. It’s all extremely powerful to the young mind, but you have access to the real thing: a relationship with the Lord.
That’s only the beginning. There is so much more that the word says about your identity in Christ. Does anybody else have any scriptures off of the top of your head that illustrates who you are as a new creation?
