How to Preserve Your Christian Identity in a Changing World

Shared on February 5, 2025

Introduction

You, and your Christian identity, is under attack! Do you know who you are as a child of God?  Your identity is incredibly important as there is significant power when you know who you are. 

So, who is it that is attacking our identity? Well, the immediate answer would certainly be the wicked and evil ones. The wicked and the evil will do everything they can to take away your power – don’t let them have it! In fact, we even see today that the wicked and evil make a great effort to co-opt the identity of Christianity! So, it’s incredibly important that we sincere believers stay true to our faith rather than let wicked and evil men co-opt the identity of a child of God.

Life, living in the world, will also attack our identity as a child of God. What I mean by that is that we live in a world of trials, tribulations, and sin. The things that you face on your journey can and will change you. As we have seen in this series with Joseph, his trials and tribulations only made him stronger in his identity. However, many have, and still to this day, succumb to the world and they conform to sin.

So, in this study, we’re going to take a look at the Christian identity and how to preserve in our faith. We are going to be taking one last look in Joseph as we close out this series.

What is the Christian Identity?

Let’s first start off by focusing on the Christian identity. The Christian identity is found in Christ, Himself.  Christ is love and moved out of love, right? So, if Christ is love and moved out of love, what should be our identity as Christians? It should be love.  

Out of love, Jesus sat with, spoke to, healed, and cared for sinners.  You see, everybody that was around Jesus was a sinner while He was holy and righteous! Jesus didn’t look down on anybody, whether they were Jew or Gentile. Understand: Jesus didn’t look down on people because they may not looked like Him or spoke the same language!

Out of His love, Jesus was also merciful and forgiving as He freely gave second chances to those who came to Him.  Even more, Christ was faithful and hopeful in what we can achieve by faith.  So, in that hope, He did not turn away from His cross.

Ask yourself:  Are you moving according to the identity of Christ?  Do you love the Lord and move in accordance to His way?  Are you loving your neighbor?  Are you treating those around you with the same mercy and grace that has been shown to you?  This is the Christian identity – grace for grace (2 Cor. 1:3-4).

Do Not Be Conformed but Transformed

In Romans 12:2, Paul wrote, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Paul used two words we must pay attention to: conformed and transformed.  What do these words mean to you?  Some of us may think these words share the same meaning about change, which, is technically true.  However, the kind of change is incredibly different between the two.

To conform:  to give the same shape, outline, or contour to; to bring into harmony or accord.  So, Paul is warning one not to take on the same shape of the world. You are not to fall into harmony with sin.  As we know, sin is what separates one from the Lord both in the world and eternally.

To transform:  to change in composition or structure; to change the outward form or appearance of; to change in character or condition.  So, when Paul speaks about the “renewing of the mind (heart and soul) by the Holy Spirit, he’s speaking to the transformative work of the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:18).  You see, by faith in Christ one is washed clean of sin and made new – or born again as we like to say (John 3:3-5).  

Paul said to the Corinthian church that we are no longer that old man but we are a “new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17) – you have taken on the Christian identity through the Spirit. Though you are transforming, we must understand that the world is continuing its conformation to total darkness.  Yes, mankind is becoming more and more sinful as it strays further away from the light of God in its apostasy. 

We must not conform to the darkness, but rather, continue to be a light dweller – one who lives by and walks in the light. No matter how bitter, hate-filled, wicked, and sinful the world gets, stay true to your identity. How does one stay true to their identity? Hint: It’s all in the mind.

Choosing to Preserve by Faith

The reason why I have shared this series of studies on Joseph over the past few months is because of how he held true to himself and his faith.  Joseph is a testimony to preserving faith.  Preserving faith is a faith that continues to push forward no matter how difficult or impossible things may get.  How did Joseph keep pushing forward like that?

Joseph told his brothers, “Do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life (Gen. 45:5).”  We have seen that Joseph came to accept that the Lord was at work in his life. Preserving in your faith is all about your mindset – your outlook on life. Do you believe that God is in control? Do you believe that all things work together for good (Rom. 8:28).

You see, in every circumstance, you get to choose how you will respond.  Some of us don’t respond well in the face of adversity; we hold on to negative thoughts, feelings, and emotions in dire circumstances.  Such negativity is incredibly harmful and poisonous to the soul, so, we must learn to do away with them. How do we rid ourselves of those feelings? By trusting the Lord.

Because Joseph’s trust was that all things would work together for good, he was a hopeful person. In fact, we’ve seen that Joseph was a person who was willing to help others in their tribulation.  Scripture portrays him as a man with a sense of peace in his heart.  Yes, God will put that peace in our hearts but we have to choose to move in that peace and walk by faith rather than act out of character. 

Recognizing the Big Picture

In that peace, Joseph recognized the bigger picture and that also helped him to be able to preserve in all of his struggle.

Joseph said to his brothers, “For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt (Gen. 45:6-8).”

We keep seeing Joseph essentially repeat the same thing, right? Why do you think that is?

Well, the first answer is because he was explaining what brought on his success to his brothers. Joseph had cried out during is revelation and what I believe we’re seeing is the pure joy of his testimony. If you have ever gone through something and God has brought you out, then you will know the excitement that Joseph is speaking with. Joseph was sharing his testimony as one who had a secret that he needed to let the world know when it came to his success.

It took twenty years for Joseph’s calling to be fulfilled, so he had twenty years built up in this testimony. Over that period, and especially when his calling was fulfilled, Joseph recognized God’s big picture. Sure, Joseph had become governor in Egypt, and that was definitely what God had ordained for Joseph, but there was an even bigger picture.

You see, we all have a calling to fulfill while we are in the world. However, we should understand that God has ordained more for us than life in this world. We have a heavenly ordination that awaits us when our physical gives way to the spiritual.

What Joseph had come to learn was that nothing in this world could destroy him. Now, I want to speak to what I mean by that statement because someone will say, ‘everybody can be destroyed’. As I stated from the start, your outward appearance is not who you are. Many of us fail to understand that our outward appearance is merely a shell that covers our true identity.

This body (shell) of ours, as tough as it is, can be scarred, bruised, cut, and flat out take a beating. One day, this body of is going to meet death and be left in a grave. So, the body can definitely be destroyed. What about the soul though?

The soul, just like the body, can also be scarred, bruised, cut, and wounded. I would even tell you that the soul is more fragile and needs to be treated with tender care! You see, the soul is easily corrupted and polluted by sin when left unprotected. Sadly, many are living in the world today with a soul that is wounded, if not already shattered. So, the soul can be destroyed, right?

So, why couldn’t Joseph’s soul be destroyed? Joseph’s soul was in the care of God’s hands. Joseph lived in fellowship with the Lord and God shielded and protected him. Job is a great example of one who had a protective hedge about his soul that the devil couldn’t penetrate (Job 1:8-11).

Jesus promised to give eternal life to His sheep, and that we will never perish because we’re in His hands (John 10:27-28). In his fellowship with the Lord, David said, “The Lord is the light of my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid (Ps. 27:1)?”

This is how you also preserve by faith: knowing that your life is in the hands of God. Yes, you are safe in the hands of God! No matter how much one may threaten or pose danger to you, you will be fine. No matter the challenges you face in life – your trials and tribulations – you are protected in God’s hands.

Joseph and Jesus Parallel

To close out this series of studies, I want to share some fun parallels that Joseph shared with Christ.  

Let’s start with Joseph’s birth.  Similar to Jesus, the birth of Joseph was a miracle.  No, Joseph wasn’t born a virgin’s birth but his mother, Rachel, was barren (Gen. 29:31).  Rachel being barren started the whole soap opera of Jacob having children by multiple women.  Eventually, when Jacob was old of age, God remembered Rachel and answered her prayers.  Like Sarah, Rachel, one who was barren, conceived and gave birth to two sons with Joseph being the first of her sons (Gen. 30:22-24).

Like Jesus, Joseph was loved and favored by his father.  When Jesus was baptized, Matthew 3:17, tells us that a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Joseph was so loved by Jacob that he gave Joseph that tunic of many colors (Gen. 37:3).  The tunic of many colors set Joseph apart from the rest of his siblings.  Jesus was also set apart from the world as God’s only begotten Son He was not of sin but was clothed in righteousness.

Like Jesus, Joseph foretold of the day that he would rule over his brothers (Gen. 37:5-10).  Jesus often spoke about His future reign in the kingdom to come when He will sit on the throne of His glory (Matt. 25:31).  

When both Jesus and Joseph foretold such things they were despised by those who were around them.  In Joseph’s case, he was sold into the bondage of Egypt by his brothers (Gen. 37:26-28, 36).  It was one of Jesus’ own disciples who gave Him into the hands of the religious leaders who truly hated Him and had him crucified.

As we have seen in recent studies, Joseph’s brother thought that he was dead and gone.  However, we know that Joseph rose in Egypt and held a high position of power in the land.  As we’ve seen, Joseph preserved and prospered because he kept his faith in the hands of God.

Jesus was presumed to be dead by all people, including the disciples.  However, on the third day, Jesus rose with all authority given to Him (Matt. 28:1-7, 18).  Jesus was sent by the Father to give life and to preserve life as well (Matt. 18:11; John 3:16; 10:10).

Now, several more parallels can be drawn between Joseph and Jesus but these are the ones I want to share with you.  Joseph moved with a faith that, even though he did not know Christ, was definitely Christ-like.  Our goal, as a child of God, should be to move in a manner that is Christ-like at all times.  I believe that if we should strive to imitate the hope that Joseph lived with, in every circumstance, we will live a blessed life.