The End of Me: Finding My Identity in Christ (condensed)

Pre-Sermon Setup: The Lingering Shadows of Legalism

Opening Thought:

Today, I want to talk to you about identity, and the threat legalism poses to the identity you are supposed to have in Christ. Now, I must say—what we are going to discuss is for a mature audience!

Many Christians who leave legalism still carry its residue—shame, guilt, fear of judgment, and discomfort living in gospel freedom.

Questions to Ponder

Why do I struggle with living my faith publicly?

Why am I ashamed of my freedom in Christ?

Why do I feel the need to hide my freedom from other Christians?

Introduction: A Life [Identity] Defined by Faith, Not Law

Key Verse: Galatians 3:11 “11 So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.””

Paul speaks of more than biological life—he speaks of a life defined by identity.

Defining identity from Kirk Kirland: Identity gives us direction, belonging, and purpose—something law cannot create.

Premise: Christian identity is only gained through faith in Christ.

What does this mean? Two things:

Point One: Don’t Build Identity on What You Do

1. Your identity cannot be based on what you do.

Illustrations:

Sports icons (Steph Curry, LeBron, MJ): Known for performance.

Beyoncé: Needed an alter ego (Sasha Fierce) to overcome fear despite success.

In an interview with Oprah, she stated, when she feels like this, she taps into her alter ego to perform.

Big Idea: Removing the Mask

What you do is often a mask, not a mirror. Doing doesn’t define being.

The Danger of Legalism

It teaches identity is achieved by performance. But Paul says identity is received by faith (Galatians 3:11).

Point Two: Don’t Build Identity on Social Category

2. Your identity cannot be based on a social category.

Illustration:

Picture of an older white woman and a younger Black man. These are real identities, but they don’t carry eternal meaning by themselves.

Example:

Prince Harry in Spare – identity constantly shifting, but not satisfying. “Identity is a hierarchy... and takes us further from our original self.”

“It occurred to me then that identity is a hierarchy. We are primarily one thing, and then we're primarily another, and then another, and so on, until death- in succession. Each new identity assumes the throne of Self, but takes us further from our original self, perhaps our core self- the child. Yes, evolution, maturation, the path towards wisdom, it's all natural and healthy, but there's a purity to childhood, which is diluted with each iteration.”

Paul’s Correction:

Galatians 3:28–29 “28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.”

Point Three: Paul’s Conversion and Identity Shift – From Law to Faith

Context: Acts 6–9, Philippians 3:3–11

Saul: defined by tradition, law, status.

Paul: defined by faith in Christ.

Philippians 3:8–9 “8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.”

Big Idea: Paul went from protecting the law to proclaiming grace because his identity was no longer personal pride but union with Christ.

Point Four: Paul Confronts False Identity in the Church (Gal. 2:1–18)

Scene: Paul rebukes Peter for hypocrisy—acting Jewish around Jews and free around Gentiles.

Paul’s Concern: This isn’t just hypocrisy—it’s anti-gospel.

Galatians 2:4 “4 Even that question came up only because of some so-called believers there—false ones, really—who were secretly brought in. They sneaked in to spy on us and take away the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. They wanted to enslave us and force us to follow their Jewish regulations.”  

Core Truth: Galatians 2:16 “16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.””

Point Five: The End of Me – Christ Lives Through Me (Gal. 2:19–21)

Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ...”

I died to the law- Galatians 2:19 “19 For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God.”

I have been crucified with Christ- Galatians 2:20 “20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Christ lives in me.

I live in the faithfulness of Jesus Christ.

Core Question:

Are you still trying to rebuild what Jesus already tore down? Galatians 2:17–18 “17 But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not! 18 Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down.”

VIII. Conclusion: Embrace the New Identity

Here are a few was to embrace your identity, by recognizing:

You have a past, but you are not your past

You have performed, but you are not your performance

You have a gender, but you are not your gender

You have a race, but you are not your race

You are a part of a denomination, but you are not your denomination

Rather, you are in Christ—and that identity changes everything.

Application:

Live responsibly, spiritually, and holy. Don’t be a stumbling block, but stop hiding your freedom.

Stop fearing judgment.

Live boldly in the grace of Jesus.

Optional Ending (Altar or Response):

Invite people to surrender old identities (legalism, shame, labels).

Pray for boldness to live in gospel freedom.