Taboo | Identity: I Am Not My Own (Romans 6:1-10)

As we celebrate Baptism/Commitment Sunday, we rejoice that our true identity as children of God is a divine gift through baptism, not a self-made achievement. Baptism, empowered by God’s Word, welcomes us into God’s family and grants us a new, unshakeable identity beyond our achievements or status. Unlike our
culture that insists on earning worth through personal success, we find our true value at the cross of Jesus. Because God has given us such an identity, we are clothed with Jesus and we have the greatest reason to live.

Transcript

What’s your identity? Who are you, really? Think about that question for a moment. What’s the first thing that comes to mind? Is it your job? Your role in the family? Your accomplishments or the stuff you’ve managed to collect? Maybe it’s what other people say about you. Or, in true post-modern style, you might be thinking, Whatever I say I am, that’s what I am. In today's world, the quest for identity often leads us down paths of self-definition and personal achievement. Our culture tells us to "be yourself," to look inward and define our worth by our successes, desires, and self-perceptions. Timothy Keller aptly observes, "Identity is THE moral absolute, the only one in our culture today, and that is, 'you gotta be yourself.'" This modern creed insists that we dig deep into our inner selves to discover who we are, yet this approach often leaves us feeling unmoored and uncertain.

It’s true. Our culture is obsessed with identity. Every self-help book screams, “Discover your true self!” Social media urges you to build a personal brand. Everyone wants to be someone. But what happens when you’re not sure who you’re supposed to be? Or when life strips away the things you’ve used to define yourself? What happens when you realize the version of yourself you’ve been selling isn’t cutting it? Author David Foster Wallace, a post-modern voice, once said, “You get to decide what to worship. But pretty much anything you worship will eat you alive.” He wasn’t a Christian, but he understood something about the dangers of identity. When you define yourself by your achievements, your relationships, or your freedom to choose, those things will eventually crumble under the weight of your expectations.

This is where the gospel speaks with life-changing clarity. Your true identity isn’t something you achieve or construct; it’s a divine gift through baptism. Romans 6:4 says, “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Baptism isn’t just a ritual. It’s not a sentimental tradition. It’s God’s declaration of who you are: buried with Christ, raised with Christ, made new in Christ. 

Think about that. The God of the universe names you. He chooses you. In baptism, He writes His name over yours, and it’s not a casual nickname or a passing label. It’s a permanent, bold declaration of love and belonging. We all have a deep human need to be seen, to be known, to matter. And here in baptism, God answers those longings with a resounding, "You are Mine."
It’s what the people around us are dying to know, but without Jesus, they never will. Our world is in an identity crisis. Sociologist Zygmunt Bauman described the “liquid modernity” of our age, where everything—even identity—is fluid, unstable, and ever-changing. Post-modernism tells us we’re free to create our own identities, but that freedom often feels more like a burden. How do you define yourself when everything is up for grabs? It’s exhausting. It’s isolating. And, let’s be honest, it’s terrifying. Contrast that with the biblical view of identity.

In baptism, God does for you what you can never do for yourself. He gives you a name. He calls you His child. He wraps you in the righteousness of Jesus. It’s not about what you’ve done or who you’ve tried to become. It’s about what He’s done for you.

In Romans 6:6-7, Paul writes, “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.” Notice the language here: crucified, ruled, slaves, set free. Baptism is about more than forgiveness; it’s about liberation. It’s God breaking the chains of sin and giving you a new master. In baptism, we are welcomed into God’s family, granted a new, unshakeable identity that transcends our achievements or failures. This identity is a gift, not something we earn or create. It’s like the adoption of a child who brings nothing to the table but is loved simply because the parent chose them. That’s grace. It’s not about what we bring; it’s about what God gives.

But let’s pause for a second. Does it always feel like sin is dead in your life? Of course not. Luther once quipped, “I thought the old Adam drowned in the waters of baptism, but I discovered the miserable wretch can swim.” Sin has an uncanny ability to keep resurfacing, doesn’t it? The temptations, the habits, the guilt—they don’t just disappear overnight. This is why baptism isn’t a one-and-done event. It’s an ongoing reality. Every day, we return to the waters of baptism in repentance, drowning the old Adam so the new person can rise. Baptism isn’t just about what God saved you from. It’s about what He saved you for.

Baptism answers the big questions of life: Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? It tells you that you’re a child of God, saved for a purpose. You’re not an accident. You’re not a random collection of molecules. You’re God’s masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do good works (Ephesians 2:10). And here’s the thing: Your purpose isn’t tied to your performance. It’s rooted in your identity. When you know you belong to God, you’re free to live boldly, to take risks for His kingdom, to love without fear. You’re not trying to earn His favor; you’re living out of the abundance of His grace.

But let’s pause and get personal. Maybe you’re listening and thinking, "This all sounds great, but I don’t feel like a beloved child of God. I feel like a mess. I feel unworthy." If that’s you, hear this: You are not alone. The truth of the gospel is not dependent on your feelings. Whether you feel worthy or not, God has declared you worthy in Christ. Whether you feel lovable or not, God has loved you with an everlasting love.

Let’s zoom in on the cross for a moment because that’s where your identity finds its anchor. At the cross, Jesus took on everything that could ever distort your identity: your sins, your failures, your shame. He bore it all and declared, “It is finished.” In baptism, the power of the cross becomes personally yours. Your sins are washed away, and you’re clothed in Christ’s righteousness. As Paul writes in Galatians 3:27, “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

Now, think about that for a second. Clothed with Christ. When God looks at you, He doesn’t see your sin; He sees His Son. That’s the kind of identity that doesn’t shift with the winds of culture. It’s unshakeable, eternal, secure.
But let’s get real for a moment. The enemy doesn’t want you to live in your baptismal identity. Satan is a master at whispering lies that chip away at your confidence in Christ. “You’re not good enough.” “God couldn’t really love someone like you.” “You’ll never change.” When those lies creep in, baptism gives you a weapon to fight back. You can say, “I am baptized. I belong to Jesus. Sin doesn’t define me; grace does.” Makes me think of Nancy, a dear Christian woman I met during my pastoral internship in Georgia. Even as dementia clouded her mind, she clung to her baptismal identity. She didn’t need to remember everything because God remembered her. We were doing a devotion on Romans 6, and she clings my arm and says, “I’m baptized into Christ, and until he says it’s time, my time is his.” And that’s the beauty of baptism: It’s not about your grip on God; it’s about His grip on you.

Our culture preaches a gospel of self-creation. Be whoever you want to be. Follow your heart. Live your truth. But as confessional Lutheran author Gene Veith points out in The Spirituality of the Cross, “The modern self is a self-made prison. The more we look inward for meaning, the more we are trapped by our own limitations.” In contrast, the gospel calls you to look outward and upward. Your identity isn’t something you build; it’s something you receive. It’s not about self-expression; it’s about Christ’s expression of love for you on the cross. Jesus sees beyond our mess, beyond our failures, beyond the masks we wear. He sees us as we truly are—broken but beloved. And in baptism, He doesn’t just see us; He claims us. He takes our brokenness and covers it with His righteousness. Think of the story of the prodigal son. The son comes home expecting rejection, prepared to beg for scraps. But the father runs to him, embraces him, and clothes him in the finest robe. That’s a picture of what God does for us in baptism. He doesn’t just tolerate us; He welcomes us with open arms and gives us a place at His table.

So, what does this baptismal identity look like in the grind of everyday life? It means starting each day with the reminder, “I am baptized.” When you face temptation, you lean on the power of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you. When you mess up, you return to the cross, knowing God’s mercy is new every morning. When you feel lost or unsure of who you are, you rest in the truth that your identity is secure in Christ. Martin Luther encouraged Christians to “put on baptism” every day. It’s a way of remembering that you’re not defined by your failures or your successes. You’re defined by Jesus. And that changes everything. Stare into that mirror, and see the baptized child of God staring back at you. That’s who you are in Jesus.

Let me leave you with this challenge: Live out your baptism. Let it shape the way you see yourself and the way you see others. When you’re tempted to find your worth in what you do or how you compare to others, remember that you’re already loved, already chosen, already enough in Christ. And when the world tries to sell you a false identity, remember your baptism. Remember the cross. Remember that you belong to Jesus. Because in the end, that’s the only identity that truly matters.