When you became a Christian, remember that you didn’t just sign up to a new belief system or commit to a better way of living. You received a brand-new identity. Look again at the notes on baptism where we reflected on this: when you were baptised, you were united with Christ in his death and resurrection. Your old self died, and you rose again as a new person (Romans 6:3–4).

This is why the New Testament so often describes believers as those who are “in Christ.” It’s not just a sentimental phrase. It’s a spiritual reality. And understanding this truth is absolutely foundational to living the Christian life.

A New Creation

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, ‘anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!‘ When you were born again, God didn’t just clean you up. He made you new on the inside. You’re part of his plan to make all things new, and it starts with your identity.

Before you were in Christ, the Bible tells you that you were “in Adam.” This means that your identity was rooted in natural ancestry, shaped by our common human sin and brokenness. But through the cross, you died to that old lineage and were reborn into Christ’s family. You now share in his inheritance (Romans 8:17), and his divine nature lives in you (2 Peter 1:3–4). In other words, you carry his spiritual DNA within you!

Living the New Life

A fair and honest question often arises when we talk about our new identity in Christ: If I’ve been made new, why do I still act like my old self? Why haven’t I changed into this wonderful new person I’m meant to be?

The truth is, the Christian life is a journey. The inner transformation – being born again – is instant. But learning to live out that new identity in everyday life takes time, intention, and faith. And yet it’s not about trying harder to be someone else. It’s about becoming who you already are in Christ.

Romans 6 gives us three essential keys to help us walk in this new identity:

KNOW the truth (Romans 6:6).

We must let the truth of our new identity sink deep into our hearts. Scripture says our old self was crucified with Christ. That’s not a metaphor. It’s a spiritual reality. Even when our experiences feel conflicted, we must refuse to let those feelings override the truth of what God has done.

COUNT on it (Romans 6:11).

The word translated ‘consider’ here means to ‘put it to your account.’ Imagine having a million pounds in the bank but never accessing it. You’d still live like you were broke. In the same way, we must daily and deliberately remind ourselves: My old self died. I am now a new creation in Christ. This truth must shape how we think, speak, and live everyday

SURRENDER your life to God (Romans 6:13).

Once we know the truth and count it as our own, we’re called to act upon it. That means actively offering our lives to God, each and every day. He’s raised us from death and given us new life, so we no longer belong to ourselves. Surrender isn’t passive. It’s daily, intentional acts of trust and devotion.

Become who you really are

Transformation isn’t about striving to become someone else, or even become the best version of yourself. It’s about becoming who you already are in Christ. Philippians 2:12–13 reminds us to “work out your salvation… for it is God who works in you.” You are learning to live out what God has already worked in you. You’re not trying to earn a new identity. You’re learning to live from a new identity you already have. You are learning to live from the inside out.

Abiding in Christ

There is another key to living from our identity in Christ. Jesus used a striking image to describe this relationship: a branch in a vine. “Remain in me, as I also remain in you… apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:4–5). To be “in Christ” means to stay connected to him, and to do so intentionally, daily, and relationally. That’s how his life flows through you. That’s how you bear fruit.

This isn’t about a one-time decision or transformation. It’s a lifestyle of abiding. Remaining in Christ is the only way to flourish spiritually. It’s where your identity is rooted, and is how transformation becomes visible and tangible in your everyday life.

A Final Thought

Your identity in Christ is not a future hope. It’s a present reality. You are a new creation. You are no longer ‘in Adam’. You are ‘in Christ’. And the more you believe it, count it so, surrender your life to God and stay connected to him, the more you’ll live it out.

“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)

for reflection and discussion

1. How do you understand what it means to be in Christ and how does it shape the way you see yourself today?
2. Which of the three steps for working it out – Know, Count, Surrender – do you find most challenging, and why?
3. How might living from your true identity in Christ impact your thoughts, actions, relationships, priorities and decisions?

Putting It Into Practice

1. Renew Your Mind: read and reflect on Scriptures about your identity in Christ daily (e.g., Romans 6:11, 2 Cor. 5:17). Let truth reshape how you think.
2. Surrender Daily: offer your life to God each day (Romans 6:13). Choose to live with intentional surrender from you new identity not your old habits.
3. Stay Connected: daily and deliberately ‘abide in Christ’ (John 15:4–5). Stay close to him, talk to him, lean on him, invite him into your decisions. Your growth and fruitfulness come from remaining in him.

More from the Bible:

Read and reflect on Romans 6 and note down some of the truths that it teaches you about your identity, and the actions it encourages you to take on the basis of these truths.

Remember This:

“The more you reaffirm who you are in Christ, the more your behaviour will begin to reflect your true identity.” (Neil Anderson)

Recommended Resources:

Look again at the resource on baptism on this site

If you want to go further into this topic, I have written a series in the Further Steps resource, called The Good Things We Have in Christ

Neil Anderson, Victory Over The Darkness – helps you understand their identity in Christ and how to live free.

Watchman Nee, Sit, Walk, Stand – an overview of Ephesians which shows that everything in the Christian life springs from knowing we are in Christ

Rob Reimer, Soul Care, Chapter 2 – how our identity in Christ helps us to find freedom