“You can stop trying to be a good Christian now.”

That was one of the first things God showed me when I learned my true identity in Christ. He wanted to take over my life. He was going to assume all responsibility for my sanctification. He wanted me to leave everything to Him.

I was teaching about our true identity in Christ in my adult Bible Study class a few years ago. We were unpacking Galatians 2:20.

 ^“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God^, who loved me and gave himself for me.”^.

One young lady didn’t get the “Christ lives in me part.” Several times during our study she asked me, “Don’t we have to do SOMEthing to live the Christian life?”

“No,” I said. “Christ lives in us now and wants us to relinquish all control for our lives to Him.”

I couldn’t get upset with her. I thought just like she thought for decades after I became a believer. I believed I had to “DO” all sorts of “religious” things to be a “good Christian”

Christ teaches us that important distinction between “doing” and “being” in John 15:5,

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

Branches do nothing but just hang out attached to the vine. They do nothing! The sap in the vine, and Jesus in us, flow through and produce good fruit.

I don’t know if that young lady ever came to believe her true identity in Christ. I hope she did. I can say it made a world (literally) of difference in my life.