October 21--2nd Half of Your True Identity in Christ

In this week’s Sunday School lesson, we watched the second half of Bill and Anabel Gillham’s discussion of “Your True Identity in Christ.” Bill explained that Adam was the first “Lord of the Ring.” Spiritual death was the result of Adam’s disobedience. As a descendant of Adam each of us has inherited his spiritual characteristics. We are all born with a dead spirit. As Bill explains, “all you need to do to go to hell is show up here on earth and get to the age of understanding that Christ died for your sins and ignore that truth and you are on your way to hell.” Bill states, “Birth always determines identity.” All you have to do to go to hell is show up on the planet as a descendant of Adam.


Salvation is a change in your nature and your identity from the inside out. When you enter into Christ’s lifeline, you receive His nature and His life. You receive a new present, a new future, and a new past. Your heritage from Adam becomes history. God did away with your old identity in order to give you a new identity. The old you was crucified with Christ (Romans 6:6, Galatians 2:20) and you became a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17).

I have been listening to the old song about God making something beautiful of your life for many years. Yet, it was interesting to hear Bill say, “God has no plan to make something beautiful of your life (in Adam). Bill argues that the plan is to kill it and start over again.

I also found the discussion about Christ in You versus You in Christ to be interesting. As you will recall, Bill pointed out that salvation is like a coin: heads is Christ in You and tails is You in Christ. I have never thought about it this way, but Bill points out that the “you in Christ” verses outnumber the “Christ in you” verses by a ratio of 10 to 1. Bill explains that it is from this perspective of who you are in Christ that you understand your true identity and realize that Christ is your life.

Bill then explains that the death of the “old you” is a done deal. He encourages us to appropriate the truth that your old self has been crucified with Christ (Romans 6:6). He asked the following question: “How many of your sins did Christ take to the cross 2,000 years ago?” Answer: “All of them.” “How many of your sins had you committed 2,000 years ago?” Answer: “None of them.” In the same way you claim He took your sins to the cross, you claim He took you to the cross. The old you (who you were in Adam) died.

The death of the old you from Romans 6:

1) Verse 2—you have died to sin

2) Verse 3—you have been baptized into His death

3) Verse 4—you have been buried with Him

4) Verse 5—you have been united with Him in the likeness of His death

These verses are all past tense.

Your true identity is now in Christ. In Christ, you are now accepted, loved, holy, and righteous. You are now a saint. The Word of God refers to you as a saint 56 times.

You are a new creature in Christ. Start living as who you really are! Read through the “True Identity in Christ” sheet that was provided in class. Allow God to impress upon you the truth of these Scriptures.

Have a great week!

Jimmy & Cindy