Lesson 1: Your New Identity
You’re made right with God…and here’s what that actually means.
THE BIG QUESTIONS EVERYONE ASKS
Before you became a Christian, you probably asked: “Is there more to life than this?” “What happens when I die?” “Why do I feel guilty?” “How can I have peace?”
When you became a Christian, Jesus answered ALL of these questions. Not theoretically – He actually solved them.
“Is there more to life than this?” YES. You now have a relationship with the God who made you. You have purpose, meaning, you will go to heaven when you die. John 17:3 says: “And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ.” (NLT)
“What happens when I die?” You go to be with God forever. Jesus said in John 14:2-3: “There is more than enough room in my Father’s home… I am going to prepare a place for you.” (NLT) Because you accepted Jesus in your heart, death isn’t the end. It’s the beginning of forever with Him.
“How do I get rid of guilt from my past?” It’s already gone. Psalm 103:12: “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” (NLT)
“How can I have peace?” Jesus GIVES you peace. Romans 5:1 says: “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.” (NLT)
This decision to follow Jesus brings new life – real answers to real questions. God is not mad at you. He fully accepts you. He sees you as completely clean. Nothing stands between you and God. Your past is wiped clean, and your future is secure.
THE REST JESUS GIVES
Jesus said in Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”(NLT)
Rest. That’s what Jesus offers. Soul rest. Peace deep inside.
What’s the heavy burden? Trying to be worthy before God. Carrying guilt from your past. Worrying about death. Never feeling accepted or secure.
What’s the rest Jesus gives? Rest for your conscience. Because you accepted Jesus in your heart, you ARE right before God. Your past is forgiven and gone. You know where you’re going when you die. You’re completely accepted and totally secure.
Peace about the big questions. They’re all answered. You don’t have to worry anymore. Your conscience doesn’t have to keep accusing you. Your mind doesn’t have to keep racing with anxiety. Jesus settled everything.
That’s soul rest. Deep peace. A quiet conscience.
WHAT JESUS DID FOR YOU
When Jesus died on the cross and rose again, He did something specific. The Bible uses a word to describe what happened to you and it’s the word righteous.
Righteous = “Perfect standing with God” or “In right relationship with God”
You ARE righteous right now – because you accepted Jesus in your heart. Not “working toward it.” Not “hoping to become it someday.” You ARE righteous this moment because of what Jesus did.
THE WARDROBE CHANGE: YOUR NEW IDENTITY
Isaiah 61:10 says: “For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness.”(NLT)
When you became a Christian, something happened spiritually – like a complete wardrobe change:
OLD CLOTHES: Guilt, shame, fear, distance from God, no clear purpose
NEW CLOTHES: Freedom from guilt, no more shame, peace about the future, close to God, clear purpose
God didn’t just clean your old clothes. He gave you a completely new wardrobe. New identity. New standing.
When you look at yourself, what do you see? The old clothes or the new robe? God sees the new robe. He sees you as righteous – completely clean because you accepted Jesus in your heart.
What you see determines how you live. If you see “just a sinner trying to do better,” you’ll live defeated. If you see yourself as righteous in Christ, you’ll live confident and actually grow.
HOW YOU BECAME RIGHTEOUS: THE TWO ADAMS
Romans 5:19 says: “Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.” (NLT)
In Adam: You were born into a human family with a sin problem. You didn’t choose this – it was your starting point.
In Christ: When you believed in Jesus and accepted Him in your heart, you were “born again” into God’s family. Jesus took the punishment for all your sin, and gave you His righteousness as a gift.
Both happened by INHERITANCE, not by EFFORT.
Just like you inherited your family’s DNA at birth, when you were born again, you inherited Jesus’ righteousness. You didn’t work for it – you received it.
This is why you can have peace: Your righteousness isn’t based on how good you are. It’s based on how good Jesus is. And Jesus is perfect.
THE RESTAURANT STORY: UNDERSTANDING YOUR POSITION
Imagine you walk into a nice restaurant. The host seats you at a table with YOUR NAME already on it. He says, “Welcome. This table is yours.” That’s your POSITION. You’re in. You belong here.
Then a waiter brings a menu filled with amazing food. That’s your PROVISION. Everything you need is available.
This is exactly how your relationship with God works:
RIGHTEOUSNESS is your SEATING = Your position with God. It’s permanent. Secure. This answers: Where do I belong? Am I accepted? YES. Your seat has your name on it because you accepted Jesus in your heart.
GRACE is what’s on the MENU = God’s provision. His love, strength, help, peace, guidance – all available and abundant.
FAITH is how you ORDER = How you receive what’s already available. You ask God for what you need: “God, I need Your peace today.” “I receive Your strength.” “Help me with this situation.” You’re not begging or hoping He might help – you’re confidently asking your Father who loves you and has already made everything available to you.
Most new Christians know they have a seat (they’re saved), but they don’t know how to order from the menu. So they sit starving, not realizing there’s an abundant feast available.
The Christian life is learning to ask God confidently for what He’s already made available, knowing your seat is secure.
YOUR SECURE POSITION WITH GOD
2 Corinthians 5:21 says: “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” (NLT)
Notice the past tense: “We COULD BE made right.” Not “working toward it.” It happened. It’s done. You ARE right with God right now – because you accepted Jesus in your heart.
Romans 3:24 explains: “Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” (NLT)
Three huge truths: “We are made right” – past tense, done. “Freely” – you didn’t earn it, it was FREE. “He did this” – GOD did it, not you.
Your job isn’t to EARN righteousness. Your job is to RECEIVE it and learn to live from it.
Growth doesn’t come from striving, it comes from receiving and then putting into practice.
BUT WHAT ABOUT WHEN YOU MESS UP?
Great question: “What happens when I sin after I become a Christian?”
Your righteousness is based on Jesus’ perfection, not your performance.
When you sin as a Christian, your BEHAVIOR is wrong but your IDENTITY doesn’t change. You’re still God’s child, still righteous because you accepted Jesus in your heart.
This is why 1 John 1:9 says: “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” (NLT)
Confess any wrong thinking and the actions/behaviors that were produced from it.
Return to the covering of grace and receive instant forgiveness. Then move forward … walking closely with Holy Spirit and following His lead. Your relationship with God is immediately restored.
Romans 8:1: “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” (NLT)
NO condemnation. None. Zero.
LIVING FROM YOUR NEW IDENTITY
When you understand you ARE righteous because you accepted Jesus in your heart, here’s what changes:
You talk to God with confidence, not fear. Hebrews 4:16 says come “boldly to the throne of our gracious God.” (NLT)
You deal with mistakes quickly without drowning in guilt. Confession brings instant forgiveness, so you don’t hide from God.
You stop trying to earn God’s love. Romans 5:8: “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (NLT) You already have it completely.
You have peace about the big questions. They’re all answered.
You actually grow and change. When you’re not weighed down by shame, real transformation happens naturally. Your new identity doesn’t just change how God sees you—it changes how you live. When you know who you are in Christ, the Holy Spirit begins shaping your thoughts, desires, and actions to reflect Jesus. You start walking in a new direction … following Him, loving others as He loves you, forgiving as you’ve been forgiven, serving with joy, and showing the world what His grace looks like in everyday life. Grace makes you righteous before God, and it also teaches you to walk righteously with God.
YOUR DAILY DECLARATION
Every morning, say this out loud:
“I am righteous in God’s eyes because I accepted Jesus in my heart and because of what Jesus did for me. I am completely accepted, totally loved, and fully secure. My past is forgiven. My future is set. I have a place at God’s table with my name on it. God is not disappointed in me. He delights in me. Today I live from this secure position, not trying to earn what I already have. I have peace with God, and that changes everything.”
Say it even if you don’t feel it yet. Say it until your heart believes what your mouth is declaring.
WHAT RIGHTEOUSNESS IS NOT
Righteousness does NOT mean you’re perfect and never sin. It means God sees you as perfect because you accepted Jesus in your heart and because of what Jesus did, even while you’re learning and growing.
Righteousness does NOT mean you earned God’s approval. It means Jesus earned it for you and gave it to you as a gift when you accepted Him.
Righteousness does NOT mean sin doesn’t matter. It means when you do sin, you have immediate access to forgiveness.
1 Corinthians 1:30 says: “God has united you with Christ Jesus… Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.” (NLT)
THE INVITATION
Starting today:
Stop calling yourself “just a sinner.” That’s your old identity. You’re righteous now because you accepted Jesus in your heart.
Stop dwelling on your past mistakes. God doesn’t see them anymore.
Start seeing yourself the way God sees you: Completely accepted. Totally loved. Fully secure. At peace.
Live from this new identity. Let it answer those big questions. Let it give you the rest Jesus promised.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says: “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (NLT)
The big questions are answered. You have peace with God. Now learn to live from that truth every single day.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
- Which of the four big questions was most important to you before you became a Christian? How does understanding righteousness answer it?
- The restaurant illustration: Can you see the difference between your seating (secure and permanent) and ordering from the menu (how you receive God’s daily provision)?
- When you think about yourself, do you see the old clothes or the new robe? What would help you see what God sees?
THIS WEEK’S CHALLENGE:
For the next seven days, speak the daily declaration out loud every morning before you start your day. Notice how your perspective shifts. Write down any changes you notice in how you feel about yourself or how you relate to God.