Beautiful People,

Welcome back to Union. If you are new and I have not had the chance to meet you, my name is PK, and I have the privilege of serving Christ here as your chaplain. Each Monday, I send a devotional focused on developing and strengthening your relationship with Jesus Christ. Our theme this year is “Firm Foundation,” and this semester, I want us to focus on building our identity on Christ—the Firm Foundation. Let’s look at the glory of Christ and see why He is worthy of this trust.   

When Jesus died on the Cross of Calvary, “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them . . . for Christ came to destroy the works of the devil” (Colossians 2:15; 1 John 3:8 ESV). This triumph was at the cost of His own life due to His immeasurable love for you. Not only is Christ a trustworthy foundation to build our identity, but He is true, holy, and eternal. Often, we build our identities on unstable and finite foundations (profession, education, religion, relationships, etc.), and when conditions change, so does our identity. Though Christ has disarmed and destroyed the Devil’s work, the temptation to live a life apart from Christ is present. The only ammunition the Devil has against a Christian who has built their identity on Christ is deception. In Christ, we become a new being, a masterpiece of Heaven. Through Christ, the old man, the natural state of our personhood, which is corrupted by its deceitful desires (Ephesians 4:22, NIV), is “transformed to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:23, NIV).

This is good news! As we continue to build our identity on Christ, our thought patterns and behaviors begin to mirror the character of Christ. Sanctification takes the pressure off our inability to create lasting change within us and refocuses that energy and faith on the only one who can sustain our new identity: Christ! In other words, Christ is not only the originator of our new identity but also its sustainer. So, what does that mean on a practical level? It means every key identifier of Christ’s character in Scripture is available. By His strength, we can live a life of truth, holiness, righteousness, and unconditional love. Since we have built our identity on Christ, we dare not look back at the “old man/woman” because we know that identity is corrupted with deception. We no longer answer to the deception of the Devil, the world, and flesh. We only respond to the voice of God because we have built our identity on Jesus, and since Jesus is the cornerstone of our lives, nothing can change our standing with the Father. Friends, that is good news, and it is available for you today. Through faith, God has given you the power to live godly. Don’t hesitate; start living.  

"If your identity is found in Christ, then what people think of you matters less and less."
-Leonard Sweet