Who am I?”
An existential question, paired with “Where am I going” that rang out during a cultural transformation involving the boom of psychology in the 1960’s and 1970’s. In the 70’s I remember another cliche phrase in love songs and dating – “I am so into you.” Our intimacy with the Lord Jesus Christ is described by who believers are “in Christ” 1 Cr 1.30 (Holman Christian Study Bible, HCSB) a concept that was frequently named by the apostle Paul.
Few churches have studied Paul’s writing on who we are in Christ to such an extent as a spiritual mentor of mine, Jary Dailey. She gave me a lengthy list she had compiled, A – Z, of close to 300 scripture references that use or imply the phrase of who believers are “in Christ.” This is our identity, how the Father sees his sons and daughters that have been redeemed by the blood of his Son, the Lamb of God and the Lion of Judah.
I took my list and divided it into thirty one sections for the letters of the alphabet so that each day of the month I can reflect on who I am in Christ as during my morning or lunchtime walk. This is probably one of the most consistently uplifting experiences I have had in my daily life with the Lord.
When I have paired my identity in Christ with the names of God – another alphabetical list of hundreds of Bible verses – my heart has been blessed by who our trinitarian God is and how a relationship with Him has already transformed me and also what I am becoming. May the Lord bless you with these two excerpts from each list today. When you can, read the complete verses and in context to go even deeper into the vastness, goodness and love of our God.
Names of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
Habitation of justice Jr 50.7
Him who fills all in all Eph 1.23
He who lives Rv 1.18
He who will come Heb 10.36-37
Head of every man 1 Co 11.3
Head of the body Col 1.18
Head over all things Eph 1.22
Heir of all things Heb 1.2
Help of my countenance Ps 42.11
Hidden manna Rev 2.17
Hiding place from the wind Is 32.2
Our identity “in Christ,” I am . . .
Filled with joy Jn 17.13
A finished product in progress Php 1.6
A first fruit Rm 8.23
Forgiven Eph 1.7
Formed in the womb by God Jr 1.5
Was lost, but now I’m found Lk 19.10
An aroma/fragrance of life 2 Co 2.16
Free Jn 8.36
Freely given all things Rm 8.32
(Various translations of the Bible including Amplified, English Standard Version, HCSB, New International Version and the New King James Version; abbreviations for books of the Bible are from the HCSB copyright 2009).
