This document discusses how a person's identity is formed by what they base their heart and spirit on. Before conversion, a person's heart is sinful and turned towards evil, but when they accept Christ, He comes to live in them and becomes their new spiritual identity. However, their mind and emotions have not changed, so they must renew their mind by living according to the Holy Spirit. As they do this through reading the Bible, prayer, and obedience, their identity will become more centered on Christ. Their performance does not determine their worth or acceptance - that comes from Christ alone.

1. Christ in You, The Hope of
Glory
How our identity is in Christ

2. What is Identity?
Our identity is our overall make-up. “Who we are”
Physically (Outer Man)
Spiritually (Inner Man)
God wired us for worship Isaiah 43:7…We all base our
identity in something.

3. Main Source of Identity
 Heart
 Greek-Seat of Mind (Proverbs 23:7), Emotions (Soul)
(Psalms), Spirit (Hebrews 4:12)
 The Heart is the center of the Physical Body
 The Heart is the center of the Spiritual Body
 Hebrews 4:12 “Division of Soul and Spirit”
 Proverbs 4:23 “Wellspring of life”

4. Heart (Pre-Conversion)
 Wicked beyond nature Jeremiah 17:9
 Spirit is dead
 Thoughts, Emotions and Will went towards our sin
nature (Romans 7:18)
 Everyone did what he thought was right
 Every human was born with a sin nature that wanted to
serve itself (and the devil)
 ALL about Performance
 Satan is Lord

5. Heart (Upon Conversion)
 When people accept Christ as their savior, they get a
brand new identity (spirit).
 Christ comes to live inside of them 1 Cor 6:17
 Christ becomes their life Colossians 3:4
 Christ lives in them Galatians 2:20
 However, their mind, will and emotions have not
changed
 People have to renew their mind by walking in the spirit
(or allowing Christ to live his live through us)
 Its not about our performance, but Christ’s performance.
 Christ is Lord

6. Allowing God to live in us
 It takes resisting the flesh and walking in the holy spirit
 Flesh “Devil” Holy Spirit “Angel”
 Living each step controlled to the Holy Spirit
 Allowing God to do his work in us
 Allowing God to match our mind, will and emotions to
our born again spirit (him)
 Becoming who we already are.

7. How?
 Reading and Applying the Word 1 Peter 1:23
 Hearing the Word Romans 10:17
 Speaking the Word 2 Corinthians 4:13
 Acting on the Word James 2:24
 Praying without ceasing 1 thess 5:17
 In everything give thanks 1 thess 5:18
 Confession/Repentance of Sin to remain in fellowship on
earth 1 John 1:9
 Yielding to the Holy Spirit 1 Peter 5:7, Phil 4:6-9

8. Correcting a Mistaken Identity
 Christians always find themselves measuring themselves by
their actions and how cool they are by what other people
say
 When they mess up, they feel like they “lost their salvation”
or their “cool standing” per se.
 Righteousness is based on Christ (2 Cor 5:21), not our own
so we should not measure ourselves by our performance,
but by him.
 We all want to be at a certain place, but we do not have to
measure our abillity, value, or acceptance in ourselves or
what people say and do.
 Our identity is in Christ…so is our acceptance, strength,
abillity, value, worth.
 Be yourself in Christ and be strong in Christ Eph 6:11-13

9. Releasing the Shame and
Rejection
 Many people do not like themselves because they feel
ashamed of who they are
 Many people try to get attention/approval from others in
order to feel validated and loved.
 They feel rejected, dejected, etc. When someone correct
them, they feel like they are no longer saved, or not
righteous anymore.
 When someone rejects them, they suddenly feel unworthy
 Get out of the performance mentality of the flesh into the
grace mentality of the spirit and come boldly before the
throne of grace to obtain mercy Hebrews 4:16.
 It is by grace we are saved, and it is by grace we are being
transformed. Who we are in Christ is based on his grace
and not our own merits. Our value is in him! Romans 4:4-5.

10. Heart (Present condition of
Christians)
 Christ lives and reigns in them
 They are transformed day by day as the believer walks
by faith in him
 They will become more christlike and develop more
fruits of the spirit gal 5:22-25
 They will still sin, but it is related to their flesh, not their
spirit. They should repent of it and move forward and
not be ashamed of it again.
 Christ lives in them as believers put their faith in Christ.

11. Final Thoughts
 Our identity is not based on what we do, but based on
what Jesus Christ did on the cross
 Jesus is our value
 Jesus is our ability
 Jesus is our source of love and hope
 Know Jesus today. Be strong in the lord and in the
power of his might.