In order to be spiritually healthy, you need to realize whatyour identity is in Christ.Your identity in Christ is simplywho you become once you receive Christ as your Savior.

Before salvation, a person's identity is largely a product oftheir upbringing...whether nice or mean, happy or sad,positive or negative. Before salvation, many people think oftheir identity as what they do for a living, who they aremarried to, what kind of family they came from. Some even definethemselves according to what kind of personality theyhave...whether outgoing, temperamental, or introverted. Somepeople may have even found their identity in what kind ofastrological sign they were born under!

You might be happy with those labels. Unfortunately,thoselabels can put us in a box from which we can't escape. Noone is perfect and everyone comes to a point in his or her lifewhen they realize that something needs to change if they wanttheir circumstances to change.

That's when many people come to Christ. They realize thatonly through the power of God can they change theircircumstances, their thought patterns and their life. Thegood news is that once you receive salvation, you become a "newcreature in Christ." What does that mean? Well, you take on thecharacter of Jesus because He comes to live inside of you.

What is the character of Jesus like? Since Jesus is the Son ofGod, and God is love, you can say that, according to 1Corinthians 13:4-7, Jesus ispatient, kind, and humble.He isnot envious, boastful or proud. He isnot rudeor self-seeking or easily angered. Hekeeps no record ofwrongs. Hedoes not delight in evil but rejoices with thetruth. Healways protects, always trusts, always hopes,and always perseveres. And since Jesus came to dwell insideof you once you received his gift of salvation, you can say thatyou are all of those things as well.

You might wonder why, then, do you still get jealous? Why areyou still envious, boastful or proud? Why do you get so angrysometimes with the people you love and hurt them with youractions and words? That's because we are not yet fullyperfected. In Hebrews 12:2, Paul says "let us fix our eyes onJesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joyset before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame and satdown at the right hand of the throne of God."Jesus is ourbeginning and our end. We start with Him when we are saved andHe takes us through the changes we need to make. We might stillstruggle with the habits of our old self but we need to believethe truth that we are "new creatures". It may not manifestinstantly in our lives; nevertheless it is truth.

In his book, "Seeing is Believing", by Gregory A. Boyd, he says"Because we habitually thought and lived as our old selvesbefore receiving our new identity, God's proclamation of who wetruly are in Christ must overcome our old self identity that wecontinue to experience (our sinful lives)...

It is certain that believers ultimately will be conformed to theimage of Christ. (Romans 8:29) The light certainly will overcomethe darkness and the truth will eventually swallow the lie.Until that time, however,we are in process."

If you are a born-again believer and you struggle with oldcharacter traits that are bringing you down, you need to come toan understanding of who you are in Christ. Pick up your Bibleand look up all the character traits of Jesus. Declare thesetruths about yourself because that is who you are in ChristJesus.

Does this mean that you have lost your personality once youare saved? That we are all cookie-cutter copies of Jesus? Not atall!Having Jesus as our savior sets us free to be who Goddesigned us to be! God made each one of us as individuals. "Foryou created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother'swomb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;your works are wonderful, I know that full well."Proverbs139:13-14. He has a plan and purpose for each one of us:"I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans toprosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and afuture." Jeremiah 29:11 Our life's plan and purpose is differentbecause of how God created us but we can be certain it all endsup in the same place; a place where our lives will glorify Him.Just like Jesus.