One of the most famous verses in Galatians is Paul’s ultimate statement of his identity: “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 CSB).
The gospel is clear: As a believer, you are in Christ, and Christ is in you. Your righteousness comes from God; it is Christ’s righteousness in you.
Paul was saying that not only does he have a new identity in Christ; he also has a new power—Christ in me.
Many Christians seem to think that salvation is basically Christ paying off our debt and then leaving it up to us to build a new life. They don’t realize we live righteously by the resurrection of Christ.
Imagine I was poor and homeless and my family was starving because I had lost all my money gambling. On top of that, throw in that I’m an alcoholic with a terminal disease and three months to live. Some gracious, rich guy comes along and says, “OK, I paid off your debt. Now go take care of your family.” It’s better than nothing, but that’s not really going to help me! I may not have any debt, but I’m still an alcoholic with a terminal disease, a gambling problem, no home, and a looming death sentence.
I don’t only need my debt removed. I don’t need to turn over a new leaf. I need the power of a new life.
That’s where we are spiritually. Not only were we guilty before God, but we are also incapable of pleasing God or building a life that will endure.
The gospel is not just about me being in Christ—where I get his righteousness—but about him being in me, where I flow with his power.
You need to wrestle with this. For many people, their whole identity is based on them—the talents they have, the life they live, and what they are capable of. When times are good, their identity soars. When life takes a turn for the worse, they suddenly find themselves in despair.
But that’s not the identity of the Christian! The Christian’s identity is you in Christ and Christ in you.
You see, when God sees you now, he mostly sees himself. He sees someone clothed with Christ’s righteousness and filled with Christ’s resurrection power. It’s not that he minimizes the sin and rebellion of your heart. He actually knows it much better than you do. But in Christ, he sees the perfect son or daughter that you have a hard time glimpsing.
This is why God asks you to live such a miraculous life: He’s not betting on you. He’s betting on the power of his Spirit in you to live a life of power.
You see …
- You may feel abandoned, but in Christ, you are loved by God.
- You may feel condemned, but in Christ, you are spotless and above reproach.
- You may feel down on your luck, but in Christ, you are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
- You may feel neglected by others, but in Christ, you have been chosen by God.
- You may feel defeated by temptation, but in Christ, you have died to sin’s power, and Christ now lives through you.
- You may feel dead and lifeless, but in Christ, you have resurrection life coursing through your veins.
- You may feel like you aren’t making any difference in life, but in Christ, you are raised with Jesus and seated in the heavenly places, and he has blessed you to be a blessing.
- You may feel broken, but in Christ, you have been made complete.
- In Christ, you are a new creation.
- In Christ, you are adopted into his family.
- In Christ, you are a partaker of the divine nature.
- In Christ, you are a beloved child of God.
Stop basing your identity on you, and start basing it on Christ in you.
The list above is adapted from one by Louie Giglio in his sermon on Colossians 1, “Christ in You, the Hope of Glory.”
