Christians have one identity but many roles. An identity is who you are; a role is what you do. This is certainly an oversimplification and even crude handling of something so sacred and complicated. However, a difference must be made in practice because of the difference in doctrine.
Colossians 3:3 “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
Luke 9:23 “And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.'”
Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Philippians 1:21 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
Romans 12:1 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
This survey is not exhaustive, but it is clear. We believe this doctrine that we must die to the self, die to sin, die to the passions of this world, because Jesus says it multiple times in multiple ways in Scripture. Why do we need this? Because like Ephesians 2:1–10 says, we are dead in our sins and in need of a Savior, in need of Jesus. Only when we are recreated in His likeness can we accept God’s forgiveness for our sins. And practicing this? That takes daily faith and repentance for when we get it wrong.
Our roles, however, are what we are called to, and this is different for each person and even varies at junctures and seasons of life. Your identity in Christ will never change; your roles can. Some roles are more temporary (job title, friend, volunteer) than others (pastor, parent, spouse).
The phrase “in Christ” appears 91 times in the Bible. Quick grammar lesson on prepositions—they tell us the relationship between two things. The preposition in shows us one thing is surrounded by or immersed in another: in a swimming pool, in the air conditioning, in the woods. Consider a house. It is made up of several rooms, but it is still one house. You can pass swiftly or slowly from room to room, and you are still in the house. Christ as your identity is that house, and the rooms function as your roles. One room is labeled “student,” which you exit for the next room titled “motherhood”—both are still in the house but function in different ways.
The book of Ephesians demonstrates this astutely. Chapters 1-3 show us our identity is in Christ: in him we have obtained an inheritance (1:11); even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (2:5); but now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ (2:13); in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God (3:12).
Chapters 4-6 tell us that with our identities we take on godly roles: walk in a manner worthy of our callings (4:1); speak truth with one another (4:25); walk in love (5:1); submit to husbands (5:22); love wives (5:25); obey parents (6:1); obey masters (6:5); be strong for battle (6:10).
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