So Rusty called me this week. He had an epiphany as he read last week’s blog. He called me up to ask this question, “Carter, you always speak about making a change at the level of Identity, but hasn’t God already done that for us? Didn’t he already change us at the level of Identity when we got saved? He did it, and it’s already done. Right?”
Bingo! Rusty saw it, and I hope you are seeing it now.
As we read the New Testament it is important to get the facts straight. One of the more interesting distinctions the Apostle Paul makes is in his statements about crucifixion. In Romans 6:6 he says that “our old man was crucified with Christ.” Then over in Galatians 5 he says, “those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh . . .” (5:24).
God crucified our old man. But we crucify our flesh.
We could not crucify our old man. Only God could accomplish that. That is a part of the mystery of our union with Christ, that our old spirit is united with Christ in his death. But we have the responsibility to crucify our flesh, that is, to “put to death the deeds of the body, by The Spirit” (Rom 8:13), so that we don’t walk according to the flesh.
God does one thing, and we do the other (by grace through faith, as well).
Yes, there is an identity change that God does at the beginning of your salvation experience. In fact, it is the change that makes you a child of God. He crucified your Adamic-spirit with Christ on His cross 2,000 years ago, and then raised up that spirit into newness of life in Christ. God changed you at the level of Identity instantly, through Holy Spirit-baptism into Christ. This is the import of Romans 6:3-7.
God did it. It is His sovereign work. He has already changed you at the level of Identity.
So, then, what is left to do?
Now, we have to crucify our flesh, the coping behaviors of our shame-based identity in the soul that fight against the Holy Spirit. What is left for us is to heal our soul, so that it no longer cries out to control us with those coping behaviors. This healing involves the renewing of the mind.
We are to recognize, acknowledge, and renounce the inferior, shame-based identity that is in our soul, and all of its sinful behaviors. This sub-identity, this identity built around our shame (our pain, our lies, our sins, and our vows) is the identity we are to come out of and quit depending on. We are to quit giving allegiance to this identity, quit believing that it is our true-self, for it is not. Think of it as your second change at the level of Identity.
You make this second change by grace and truth. In dialogue with God He shows you the truth about your shame-based identity and behaviors. Then you must press deeper and ask God where this came from in your life. When did you first begin to think of yourself this way? At what event did it get impressed on you? When did you develop these coping behaviors?
In prayer you go into those hurtful memories with God and get the healing from Him. I have written about this process many times before. Go browse older blogs and brief yourself again on how to pray.
Or come to a Pure Heart Weekend, where you and God can initiate the “second” process of changing at the level of Identity.
-Carter