Submission by Lori Joiner

What does it mean to find your identity in Christ? For Christians, belonging to Jesus changes how we understand our worth, our past and our relationship with God. Drawing from Colossians 1:12–14, Lori Joiner explores four freedoms connected with that identity, including freedom from constantly proving our value and from allowing past mistakes to define who we are.

Freedom has a deep meaning to me because there are war veterans on both sides of my family. My paternal grandfather flew dive bombers in World War II and served on Guadalcanal. On my mother’s side, we have traced our lineage back to John McCutchen, who was born in 1739 and fought in the Revolutionary War.

So, the fact that in my heritage are men who fought to bring the United States the freedom it enjoys today makes me very proud. I love that the blood of freedom fighters runs in my veins.

There is another type of freedom, however, even more profound and meaningful to me. It’s the freedom we receive when we trust Jesus as Savior and embrace our identity in Him.

The apostle Paul addressed this topic in his letter to the Colossians. In Colossians 1:12–14, he describes the Father qualifying believers to share in His people’s inheritance, rescuing them from darkness and bringing them into His Son’s kingdom. In Christ, they have redemption and forgiveness. As we study this passage, we can see four freedoms connected with our identity in Him.

1. Free From Performance-Based Living

The first item we see is that we are free from performance-based living. Verse 12 says the Father has “qualified you to share in the inheritance” (NIV). Notice who does the qualifying: the Father.

This qualification happens when you trust Christ for eternal salvation and the forgiveness of your sins. Our sin was laid on Christ at His crucifixion, and His righteousness is credited to us through faith. We can stop trying to prove that we are worthy of belonging to Him.

Think back to taking your driver’s test. Once you passed, you did not need to retake the same test the next day to prove that you had passed. You still needed to drive responsibly, but you were no longer preparing to meet that initial requirement.

Just as salvation is based on Christ, so is my worth from that point on. Some find their worth in being the best mom on the block, the go-to person at work, the best cook in the family or the sibling who does the most work. It is not wrong to strive for excellence, but our ultimate worth comes from being a son or daughter of the King of the universe. God sees us with love even when nobody else notices what we do.

We continue to learn, obey and grow through reading God’s Word. That growth follows our belonging to Christ; it is not a daily attempt to earn our place in His family.

Thankfully, we are free from performance-based living. Secondly, we are free from the authority of Satan.

2. Free From the Authority of Satan

Verse 13 says God has “rescued us from the dominion of darkness” (NIV) and brought us into the kingdom of His Son.

Paul is describing a change in who we belong to. Before becoming Christians, we belonged to the kingdom of darkness. In Christ, we have been brought into His kingdom. Our identity and allegiance now belong to Him.

When you are tempted to give in to a sin, an old pattern of behavior or an old thought pattern about your worth, remind yourself that you belong to Christ. You can ask Him for help and turn toward the truth of His Word. Temptation does not have to determine your response.

This spiritual freedom does not promise a life without suffering or mental illness. Those experiences are not evidence that someone has given Satan permission or failed to trust Christ. Prayer, support from other believers and appropriate professional care can go together.

Not only are we rescued from the dominion of darkness, but in Christ we also receive redemption and forgiveness.

3. Free From the Mistakes of the Past

Having my identity in Christ means I am not defined by my past—by my own mistakes, by harm others have done to me, by my childhood or by my regrets. My sins are forgiven, and the wrong done to me does not determine my worth.

Verse 14 describes our “redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (NIV). In Christ, we are forgiven! We can acknowledge our past honestly without making it the final word about who we are.

That does not mean every effect of the past disappears. Healing can take time, and forgiveness does not erase every consequence. We may still need to make amends, seek help or work through the effects of harm.

When someone else has hurt us, working through forgiveness can also involve questions about trust, boundaries and reconciliation. Belonging to Christ does not require pretending that the harm never happened.

It can be easy to see ourselves only through the lens of an old identity and old sins. We may keep returning to labels such as liar, gossip or cheat, even after coming to Christ.

At that point, return to what this passage says. I am saved, redeemed and bought by the blood of Christ. I am a child of God. Those truths belong in the way I understand myself today, even as I continue to grow and address what needs to change.

Finally, when our identity is in Christ, we are freed up to cheer others on!

4. Free to Cheer Others On

Verse 12 says we will “share in the inheritance” (NIV) of God’s people. We share it with other believers. They have an inheritance in God’s kingdom, and so do I.

When I am secure in my identity in Christ, I can cheer others on. I don’t have to compete with them. I am freed up to live out my calling without feeling less valuable than someone else.

Now I can encourage people in any realm I am in, whether that is the gym, my church, ministry, my extended family or my neighborhood. I can celebrate another person’s gifts and help someone else grow in faith without treating their progress as a threat to my own worth.

I don’t have to drive myself into the ground being the best and competing with everyone, including other believers. I am free to live out my calling and identity in Christ.

Reflecting on the freedom fighters in my lineage, I am happy—thrilled, even—to know their blood runs through my veins. But I am even more grateful for the blood of Christ! Through Him we can know true, eternal freedom.

By His blood shed on the cross on my behalf, I am freed from performance-based living. I am free from the authority of Satan, free from being defined by the mistakes of my past and free to cheer others on. I am a child of God, accepted and loved through Christ Jesus—and so are you!

Feature photo by Bruno van der Kraan on Unsplash