There's A Difference Between Knowing Grace & Identity

"He is a fantastic grace teacher, but he says we are still dirty sinners who need to constantly apply God's grace to our lives," somebody recently said to me about a Christian author we both admire. "That seems different from what you teach," he continued.

"Well, in my opinion, he understands grace but not identity," I responded.

"What's the difference?" the sincere inquirer asked.

It's a good question. There's a big difference between understanding the grace of God and understanding who we are in Christ. I've read a number of authors whose writings about God's unconditional love deeply touches me, but they are missing the identity component.

You'll just have to take my word for it that I don't see myself as having a perfect understanding of this subject anymore than anybody else does. Nor do I attempt to set myself up as judge and jury over anybody else. But it's a fact that not everybody who understands grace also knows the truth about who we are in Christ.

The grace of God is wonderful and must be taught. It teaches us that God's love for us in unconditional and bigger than we could ever imagine. It has nothing to do with anything good in us, but has everything to do with His goodness. God loves us regardless of what we do or don't do. He has made up His mind about loving you and you aren't big enough to stop it.

Identity,however, is another issue. Understanding our identity in Christ necessitates that we know that the old man we were in Adam was co-crucified with Christ and that we were raised up with Him and given His resurrection life. Out with the old man, in with the new. Now He is our very Life and we are righteous, not because of how we behave, but because we are in union with Him, and that's what defines us.

So, some who speak about grace in ways that are biblically sound and personally thrilling don't understand the reality of who we are in Him. They see themselves as deeply loved by our Father, but still depraved to the core. They see half the truth but not the whole picture. God doesn't love you in spite of you. He has transformed you and made somebody new out of you by joining you into union with Himself through Christ. You are lovable because "in Him you live and move and exist."

So when you read books that encourage you about the love of your Father, but still teach you that you are a dirty sinner, check to make sure that they're on target about who you are as well as about God's love. It's importance to recognize the distinction. Sometimes we have to, as they say, "eat the meat and spit out the bones." As we grow in grace, we learn how to do that in a way that allows us to broaden our capacity to receive from those who aren't exactly on the mark on every point. After all, who is?