Because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Cor. 1:30-31).

When the wisdom of God provided for our sin by spiritually uniting us to Christ by faith, everything that would separate us from God’s love was obscured by Jesus’ identity. The Son of God placed his mantle of love over us, identifying each believer before God as his own child.

One Christmas, we gave our grandchildren superhero capes. As each child donned their mantle, they became that hero in their own imagination.

Grace is so much better! When we trust that Jesus puts his mantle over us, God actually makes us his own child, covering us with the identity of Jesus. 

 Our guilt was covered by Jesus’ righteousness, our impurity hidden behind his sanctified life, and we were redeemed from the debt of our sin by the riches of his grace. So much are our sins and weaknesses eclipsed by Christ’s characteristics that we are called the children of God – and that is what we really are (1 Jn. 3:1)! 

It is in this “new” identity alone that anyone could possibly boast before God. Such boasting comes not from anything we have done. After all, what good would it do to boast to the God who knows all our weaknesses, doubts, fears, and shame? 

So, the Apostle Paul teaches us, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”  Because your sinful self is now covered by Jesus, his identity is yours! And what is even better than that? Because you have his child’s identity, the Heavenly Father loves you as much as he loves Jesus. That’s super grace!

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I praise you for giving me a new identity in Jesus Christ. Help me to believe that you love me as much as your own child so I will trust and live for you.