Identity Crisis

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Galations 2:20 NKJV

I remember a conversation I had with a friend of mine regarding the issue of addiction.  The specific addiction we discussed was pornography, but it could well be any other addiction which afflicts us.  I remember the question my friend asked me was, "Just who is addicted, us or Christ within us?"  This seemed like a confusing question to me, but one which had some relevance to it.  For an addiction to take hold, one must somehow relinquish their self control over the situation or substance which they are enslaved to.  Unforunately, this often happens without the person even realizing it.  In our discussion on pornography, we touched on the traditional church "Cure" for pornography which includes prayer and determination to rid oneself of this monster.  Now, granted, some HAVE overcome addictions through sheer will power, but these examples are few and far between.  I should know, I tried on my own for years to slay my pornography demon.  Of course, I'm not at all surprised that each time I tried to will this addiction from my life, I failed.  On my own, I couldn't do it.  Yet, this is the prevailing wisdom in churches these days.  They did me no favors.  It wasn't until I solved the identity crisis within me that I seemed to get a grasp on just who I was, and it WASN'T a porn addicted man!  No, my true identity was in Christ Jesus who is within me.  As I continued to realize this truth, I also realized that if Christ indeed lives in me, then the "Old man" I once was dead and gone.

Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.  For he who has died has been freed from sin.  Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we should also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more.  Death no longer has dominion over Him.  For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.  Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6: 6-11 NKJV

The mistake we all too often make is believing in the myth that we are yet simply sinners saved by our Lords grace.   Yes, we were save dby our Lords grace, but we are NO LONGER sinners!   Christ paid that debt at the cross.  Every sin which we have, have had or ever will have was wiped clean by the blood of Jesus.  When we revisit this truth over and over and claim that we must yet still harbor sin, we are living a lie!   Jesus did not take our punishment on Himself just to pardon half of our iniquities.  For as Paul tells us in Romans 6, "For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all."  Many believe and celebrate the fact that Jesus gave Himself in our place, which is only right.  However, we often continue in the belief that we are still defined by our sins.  NO, Christ has paid that debt in full.  Paul reminds us of this again in Romans 6 as he tells us, "Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord."  I believe a key part of this passage is Pauls explanation that we are, "Alive to God IN Christ Jesus our Lord."  Not through Jesus, nor because of Jesus but alive to God IN Jesus!  This is your identity, christian.  Not simply a sinner saved by grace, but alive to God IN Christ who dwells within us {Galations 2:20}.

~Scott~