Session 2

Your identity doesn’t have to be in crisis

From 2 Peter: An 8-Day Devotional

When we know who we are, we know what to do. In the face of temptations and stressful circumstances we can respond with confidence based on truth rather than the whim of our feelings in the moment.

When we receive salvation, confessing “Jesus is Lord” with our mouths and believing He is risen in our hearts, the Holy Spirit comes to live within us and we have a new identity as children of God. Peter opens his second letter with a clear and simple statement identifying him to readers as “a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:1). Peter knew who he was and wasted no time letting readers know.

When we have our identity rooted in Jesus, 2 Peter 1:1-4 assures us of:

• the righteousness of God and Jesus (1:1)
• abundant grace and peace (1:2)
• knowledge of God and Jesus, given to us through the Holy Spirit, developed and refined through studying the Bible and prayer (1:2-3)
• power to grow in godliness and goodness (1:3)
• ability, through God, to overcome the threat of temptation (1:4).

Growth in our understanding and knowledge of God is necessary to our growth in understanding and knowledge of ourselves. When we know whose we are, we can know who we are.

Reflect:

• As you’ve grown in your relationship with God, how have you come to know yourself better?
• How has this helped you to deal with difficult situations and temptations?