Identity Theft: Reclaiming the Truth of our Identity in Christ

by Melissa B. Kruger, Jen Wilkin, Hannah Anderson

Who am I?

It's a question we all ask ourselves at some point. Depending on the season we focus our identity on our job performance, marital status, personality type, or social network, among other options. However, there's a larger question to consider.

Who does the Bible tell me I am in Christ?

New from The Gospel Coalition with wisdom and perspective of insightful authors-including Jen Wilkin, Hannah Anderson, and Jen Pollock Michel "Identity Theft" seeks to answer this question by:

- Exposing our false notions of identity
- Understanding the biblical truth of our identity in Christ
- Reflecting on what it looks like to live in our new (and true) identity.

In 10 chapters we'll cover everything from our identity as children of God to citizens of heaven. At the end of each chapter, study questions will facilitate group discussion as you consider this glorious truth with your friends.

Join us as we explore how knowing who we are in Christ changes every aspect of our lives.

Genres: Christian, Faith, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Theology, Christianity, Christian Non Fiction

151 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2018

About the author

Melissa Kruger teaches women at Uptown Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, and at conferences around the country. She regularly writes articles for the Gospel Coalition and Christianity.com, and she is the author of The Envy of Eve. Melissa’s most cherished roles include being a wife to Mike, president of Reformed Theological Seminary–Charlotte, and a mother to her three children, Emma, John, and Kate.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wow! I just felt like I went on a women’s retreat and we talked about all of our fears and insecurities. Being real enough to ask where our identity lies. This has been a wonderful book about my identity in Christ and how I might get off track by being....a
•Mother
•Wife
•Employee
•Sister
•Child
Many things to think about and pray-fully consider on this journey called life. If you want something good then I suggest you read this now. Happy Reading! 💕

[Carissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

2024 Update: We went through this with our high school girls and it was great discussion each week, especially since the chapters are short and there's good discussion questions at the end of the chapters. Covering topics like being a Saint, beauty, being a Child of God, and others.

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Short, sweet, and full of scripture!

"But we all, with unveiled faces, looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit."
2 Corinthians 3:18

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each chapter is short and full of scripture. I was convicted and encouraged because the answer to each of our identity problems is Christ who is the author and perfector of our faith, and these women all faithfully point out how our identity rests in his perfect obedience and our union with him.

[Cara Putman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listen to the audiobook, and think this would make a fantastic group study. The book focuses on lies about our identity and compares those with identity truths from the Bible. This is followed by a great application section at the end of each chapter with verses to read and questions to answer. As someone who has led many Bible studies, this is one I will use in the future.

[Emmarie Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is theologically and intellectually honoring to women everywhere. Honest, authentic, deep, real. Good read. Thanks, Brian :)

[Sarah Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this quick read comprised of several essays by prominent Christian women. The book was very encouraging and full of gospel reminders of who we are in Christ.

[Katie DG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this thought, challenging, and encouraging book. It revealed some great truths every woman needs to remember about who they are and whose they are. Highly recommend it!

[Abigail♪ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I loved doing this Bible Study. Chapter eight was great!

[Georgia Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was encouraged and challenged by each chapter. this was a great reminder of my true identity in Christ. such a refreshing read!

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely a book I would re-read. So many gospel truths!

[millie · Rating 4 out of 5]

this would be a great book for a summer book club! i'm a big fan of melissa kruger's writing + ministry.

[Chanel · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Christian, we will face opposition in this life - from the world that wants to conform us, compromise us, and make us tolerate its standards; from our flesh with its carnal desires that naturally oppose the Holy Spirit; from the devil that seeks to steal, kill, and destroy us. With this in mind, it is absolutely essential and necessary to know our identity in Christ for it will allow us to stand firm, guard our hearts, and take every thought captive that opposes the knowledge of God and the truth of His word. That is why I highly recommend this book.

This book addresses our identity in Christ in several facets with biblical truth, specifically for women. It's a wonderful and edifying teaching resource for any believer, but it might serve as more of a gut-check for an established Christian. I listened to the audiobook and it was a short yet effective read - offering great discussion questions for group evaluation or self-reflection at the end of each chapter. I'd definitely read this book again. All in all, I absolutely loved this book!

[lucy_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well-organized collection of short teachings on how who Christ is defines who we are and our identity. I was convicted and challenged by this book and the "false identities" introduced in each chapter, and encouraged to grow in my understanding of Biblical identity. Each chapter had discussion questions at the end that were deeper than just "what did you learn." The discussion guides pointed readers back into Scripture to continue studying what God has revealed to us through His word about each of the topics. Highly recommend for both groups or reading by yourself.

[Summer Crepelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chapter 5 for all the control freaks out there ✋🏻Chapter 6 for the importance of being connected to your local church. I listened to the audio book but I hope to find pdf access to all the scripture and reflection questions at the end of each chapter.

[Harmony · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my women’s group book study book, and I loved it so much! There was a lot to glean from personal reading, and lots of excellent group discussion questions as well. Each week, after studying each chapter, I looked up and said “I love this study!” And I still feel that way at the end. 5 ⭐️

[Lanaya Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this! It was just what I needed in this season. I appreciated the multiple contributors, some of whom I did not know. This could easily be used for a group book club/Bible study, but it was also great to read alone.

[Rebekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5*
Some chapters have some great Gospel encouragements, that will be a wonderful reminder to many and new exciting truths to some. But some chapters felt quite berating and guilt-inducing in tone and content. In particular, the chapters on serving and worship offered lots of challenge but little or no assurance and hope when we're faced with our sin and failure to live out the Gospel. And in the chapter on serving, the Gospel was applied in a way that Jesus became more our example than our Saviour. And the whole rewards motivation, though definitely Biblical, wasn't applied in a way that led me to rejoice in the Gospel more. I think those two chapters could well make you feel like a rubbish Christian.

Unfortunately there ended up being a bit of a contradiction in the book, as some chapters were written to Christian women who know they don't measure up and are acutely aware of the struggle to live for Jesus, but greatly desire to honour Him and live in light of the Gospel. And these chapters gave the balm of the Gospel to weary hearts and women in need of a reminder of God's immeasurable grace towards us in Christ. And then some of the latter chapters seemed to be written to tell you to measure up more, to do more, be more, and honour Christ more. That is perhaps a slightly unfair summary, but some chapters left you with great thoughts of Jesus, and some chapters left you with disappointing thoughts about yourself.
I think this highlights the problem with having different authors write different chapters. The book as a whole lacked a consistency with how the Gospel was taught and applied.

Perhaps read this book in reverse, so you're left with more encouragement and truths about Jesus.

[Christina C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Identity Theft for the purpose of reviewing it for a possible book for my church's women's ministry next year. It will certainly make the recommendation list.

The book is laid out in 10 chapters, similarly formatted, that cover areas where we tend to believe lies about ourselves or God.
1. Free: Rescued by Grace
2. Reflection: Made in God's image
3. Child: Beloved by the Father
4. Saint: Redeemed by the Son
5. Fruitful: Filled with the Holy Spirit
6. Member: Connected to the Church
7. Beautiful: Clothed in splendor
8. Servant: Reaping a Reward
9. Worshiper: Shining Brightly
10. Citizen: Longing for Home

Each chapter is written by a different woman author and while not solely a "women's book" the fact that all authors are women comes through in the writing through examples etc.

Each chapter is laid out in the format of
-introduction to the concept, typically through a story
- Identity theft, how sin has broken the topic at hand
- Identity truth, how scripture speaks and the gospel applies to the topic at hand
- Identity transformed, a summary of "how then shall we live?" in light of this transformation.

Each chapter also includes a memory verse as well as questions for group discussion (though the questions could easily be reviewed and reflected upon individually).

While scripture is referenced through out the book, it comes up in the largest sense in the discussion questions at the end of each chapter. The majority of the questions center on a passage, or passages of scripture, that relate to the topic. To me, this is the biggest selling point of the book: it points back to the Bible as it's authority.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent resource for considering a believer's true identity. Identity is a hot topic in our culture, and how we think about ourselves determines so much of how act and interact with one another. We are caught up so much in an idea of who we are, and even the church can over-emphasize a person's sinfulness over the all the other aspects of being a child of God. There are 10 chapters, and I got to discuss this with a group of women each week for five weeks. The chapters are short, and it was easy to read two a week, but hard to discuss two chapters at a time because there was so much to say on each concept. The chapters are each written by a different woman, but there was a cohesiveness that made it seem like they could've been written by the same person. There are excellent questions at the end of each chapter and Biblical references to look up to keep it centered on truth. This would be a great aid in discipleship or a small group setting. I'd give it 4.5 stars. Highly recommend!

[Em Ledford · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book compiled of short pieces by multiple authors is chock-full of Gospel presentation & Biblical truths — I can appreciate that fully. However the quality in writing varied with the authors & as another reviewer noted, most failed to clearly introduce concepts.

I would likely recommended other books to anyone wanting to study what “identity in Christ” means. This book just wasn’t executed as well as it had the potential to be.

[mairiachi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overly simplified, failing to address the more complex side of womanhood and instead relying on generalizations, which I think the book suffers from. I've read many books that I thought would be inapplicable at first, yet ended up being highly informative, encouraging, and thought-provoking, furthering my knowledge in the Word of God. I was hoping this book would be the same, despite my lack of identity crises.

I don't question my salvation, and never have. I am confident that I am saved, and will remain saved no matter what sins I commit (not that this gives me freedom to sin, but rather security). Nor do I struggle with my appearance or my personality - "I am who I am, by the grace of God" (1 Cor 15:10).

What I do struggle with goes past the surface and is significantly harder to vocalize or pin down, most of which stems from a culture, and the exclusivity of a denomination that didn't have a use for women.

I was hoping this book would offer more than the generic comforts often thrown at women, but few of the chapters bother to address those types of complex insecurities and identity crises. Instead, they go the easier and more comfortable route by addressing the surface-level - "I'm insecure about my body", "I'm unsatisfied with my life", "I hate being single" - all of which have already been addressed in more books than we need, and with more effectual elaboration.

Example one:

the book opens with Melissa Kruger talking about how often people fake their identities on job applications (I believe she said somewhere in the ballpark of 40% of applicants in one company). Instead of addressing the reason for why they might feel the need to do this, she puts it down as "insecurity in their identity" and moves on. This ignores the stories about women (Austin Channing Brown, for example) who fake their first names in order to sound male, so that the recruiters don't target or ignore them based on name. If the company is a sexist or racist company, maybe the lie is a necessity (and if every company shows this partiality, then it's not really up to choice). Ignoring this seems like a missed opportunity to address the nuance, layers, and hardships that certain women face.

It seems (to me) that the lack of acknowledgement in regards to the multi-faceted Christian woman and her circumstances also highlights a lack of understanding in the wide range of experience or the applicability of Christianity, which appeals to - and accounts for - multiple different backgrounds and cultures. Instead, it's written to the "generic" woman (as in: white, straight, middle/upper-class, evangelical Western* woman) and ignores all the other struggles that a woman from a different culture, background, race, ethnicity, sexuality, country might have to deal with that directly impact her relationship with (or identity in) God. I found the book remarkably shallow and bland, considering the highly esteemed authorship.
(*example of it being American-focused: on page 71 she says "our identity can’t be found in the Type A go-getter who’s chasing the American dream".)

Example two:

author and essayist Ada Calhoun writes about the despair and confusion women can experience when the categories they rely on either shift or disappoint them. (page 20)

Sounds relatable, interesting, and possibly enlightening, no? But then she continues:

Lest we’re tempted to blame the crisis of identity on corporate structures, women devoted to more domestic endeavors can experience the same loss of self because our roles as wives and mothers—as good and as necessary as they may be—are also limited and temporal. Think about the loss of purpose women can experience when, after decades of caring for them, children leave the nest. Or even before that. Have you ever wondered why we can be so quick to react when someone corrects our child? Or why we judge each others’ lifestyle choices and why we feel judged by theirs?

I have many problems with this. 1: This is a book for women, not for moms. Many of us are not mothers, nor anywhere close to being one (too young, very single, super busy). This isn't applicable or encouraging or eye-opening.

2: In this line of reasoning, we should get better at writing books for women that are centered entirely on being a woman and what our relationship with God should look like outside of our relationships with each other (parents, husband, children, best friends, anyone. Not just the male relationships, female too. We are more than our friends, we are ourselves. Can we not exist alone, encouraged to become more Christlike solely in regards to who we are as a singular person?).

This is not a hill I'm interested in dying on, nor is it of high importance to me, but I do think the Western church over-emphasizes women in relation to other people as a result of glorifying/idolizing marriage (I say western because I have no experience outside of that). Look at Paul, and what he has to say about marriage - he would prefer us all stay single! So let's address a woman by who she herself is, and ignore her eligibility.

3: I was hopeful that she would address homemaking in a more nuanced way. In my life I have seen examples of a mother losing her sense of self as a homemaker. Mothers so lost, depressed, and alone that they have no energy to care for children - without help, because no one notices their needs. They hide what they feel is inadequacy in the face of a church that teaches this is all that a woman is built for. She gives up her dreams to do nothing except clean and babysit, a shadow of her former self, while the dad has multitudes of opportunity for fulfillment and connection outside of the home.

This was where I had hoped the book would take this, yet the examples rang hollow and surface-level, writing off the thousands of women suffering in silence by offering silly examples that (from the looks of it) don't give a real reason for why this might be a source of sadness for us. From the quote above, she says "because our roles as wives and mothers are limited and temporal". No. That is not why mothers are depressed. If they thought this was temporal, I think they'd be much happier, knowing soon they would be free from it.

The lack of recognition for the work at home makes it meaningless and empty, leading to despair. Before that, they were students. Their grades were a reflection of their hard work and brains, their promotions a recognition of excellence in the workforce. But when you drop all of that in order to be a wife and mother, you no longer receive feedback. Hard work is not rewarded (or even rewarding in and of itself) because it's not going the extra mile - it's simply being what God made you to be. Your brain is no longer needed or appreciated except in the rare conversation with another adult (your husband, who is at work for the majority of the day).

I don't say this to air all my (or mothers') grievances in public. There is far more that contributed to this, and far more that I will never be able to articulate. But the identity crisis that homemakers and housewives experience are never so simple as "you don't want your kids to move out" - yes, that might be part of it, but there are much deeper, darker things at play to contribute to these genuine crises, which is unlike empty nesting. I don't say this flippantly: there is empirical evidence that shows a genuine psychological phenomenon linked to role transitions and a shift in personal identity that I don't think empty nesting is on par with (I can't find studies done on empty nesters, but there are many done on housewives).

(not to discredit people who genuinely grapple with the absence of their adult child. I've never experienced that, nor will I experience it for at least another 18 years - though likely longer, since I'm single - so I can't say definitively which is harder. Anecdotally, I can see how much homemaking has affected relationships in my life, while I haven't seen the same emotional depth/weight when kids started leaving. Again, there is no definitive scientific backing, so disregard my comments if they don't resonate with your experience.)

I worry that when we use lighthearted examples like this, we silence women who are experiencing something deeper, who already feel ostracized, who (after reading) come away feeling like they are worse, or less Christian, than the wives and mothers who are feeling a much lighter burden of wifehood/motherhood. That maybe they shouldn't tell anyone what they're experiencing because it's worse than what other women experience when they share their struggles.

The sixth chapter (called "Member", on going to church) made me realize that I was approaching this book the wrong way: my assumption being that they've experienced the same type of Christianity I have, only to find out this is from the perspectives of women who have had a completely different experience of Christianity, a more evangelical version. I realize I'm on the outskirts of your typical Western Christianity, but it was still a surprise to anticipate where a topic would be taken, and then be confused when they addressed a completely different side of a topic that I've never struggled with or thought about. Which brings me to:

Example three:

In chapter six she shares how she was part of a study done on people reeling from the after-effects of a hurricane. She is asked how many people she can rely on - she says "about 100". She is asked how many of those would she be comfortable sharing her thoughts and feelings? - she answers: the same.

I find this hard to swallow, not because I don't believe that she really is that close and open with people, but because I, and my friends, are not. In none of the churches that I've attended could I confidently say that I would entrust them with the personal and private. I have attended a church for years and walked away without a single friend who truly knew me and did life with me. Only until recently did I experience the openness that this author has with 100s of people.

Not that it's bad that she has this! I find this a beautiful picture of a harmonious church, and am encouraged that there are still churches out there that can be this kind of community (though at the same time, I'm a bit dubious as to whether she truly does feel like she could be that open with that many people - and how open are we talking? Is it an "I was impatient today" kind of open, or is it an "I cheated on my spouse" kind of open? Because it's easy to be open when your life is good, but the real test is when life gets heavy, or shameful sin occurs).

What is bad is that, first of all, this doesn't promote a healthy sharing/openness/vulnerability. I think there are things we absolutely should keep to ourselves, or share with intentionality, and we should be okay with keeping things to ourselves. This should not lead to a worry or belief that we don't have a community simply because we don't have 100s of people to share things with. There is a level of emotional maturity that says "I don't need someone to know all of my business for that person to be my closest friend".

Second, I find this narrative of "church is a community where you can share anything with everyone" to be in bad faith. You are trying to portray a much healthier, heavenly version of Church than I think is possible (or wise) on earth. You might disagree, but isn't everyone a sinner, even after salvation? and don't we believe that we will never reach perfection while here on a fallen Earth? Thus it is out of necessity that we should proceed with caution.

Telling people that church is the one place you can share everything is incorrect, and I think could be dangerous to those new to the faith who think that Christians are the only safe group of people to share things with (and that you're not leaning into your identity as a church member if you don't share/feel this way) - those who take this to heart, who will then get hurt when they encounter a Christian who gossips or spreads rumors or who judges or doubts your faith based on your struggles, etc. There are multitudinous ways to be hurt, and I wish she had instead promoted wisdom in sharing.

We don't need hundreds - sometimes God gives us one, and that is enough.

Continuing on; in this opening statement of her argument, I thought she would use this to talk about being open or relying on others, and how that is okay and actually a sign of sharing burdens, etc. etc. - instead she goes a completely different route and says that our identity thefts are as follows (in parentheses are my markedly different experiences):
1: My relationship with God is personal, therefore it can't be shared or discussed with others (and: "Even if you haven’t swallowed the lie in these blatant forms, you may have thought something like, I just feel closer to God when I’m alone out on the beach or hiking in the woods." which is so far from my own experience - I haven't swallowed these lies, and yet I have never thought that I am closer to Him when I'm on my own. Sunday is my favorite day, fellowship the highlight of my week.)
2: My personality isn't suited to church, therefore since I'm an introvert, I do best at home (I'm an extrovert)
3: I'm already part of a community where I belong, therefore church serves no purpose (I find my community first and foremost at church, then find extra community outside of it)
4: I'm focusing on my family, therefore I can't make time for church (because I grew up in a Christian household, everyone was already at church lol there wasn't much opportunity to prioritize them over church)

From this section she briefly dwells on how women are to serve in the church. This is what the Bible says about spiritual gifts in 1 Cor 12:
verses 8-10: wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, speaking in different tongues, interpretation of said tongues
verse 28: helping, guiding.

This is what the book says on page 89 after directly citing 1 Cor 12:
greet visitors, make phone calls, knock on doors, practice hospitality, assemble casseroles, hold babies, organize Bible studies, visit widows, welcome strangers, and disciple younger women.

While mentoring younger women appears in the Bible at large, nothing on this list appears in the actual passage they quote as the influence for the list. First Corinthians applies to both men and women, as seen in the very first verse of that chapter. To completely ignore it after you've referenced it is surprising, and potentially confusing.

(For clarification: yes, all of the things she exhorts appear in the Bible, but her focus is on the gender-specific instructions, therefore my focus is on whether her list of gender-specific duties lines up with the list she directly references.)

Churches consistently undervalue the work that women put into the church, and ignore the valuable things women could contribute if they were allowed to. In saying these things it sends a subtle message, and to so many who have grown up in churches that explicitly bar women from having a role in church (any role, even non-pastoral roles such as teaching young children in Sunday school, leading a Bible study, or praying - whether in prayer meeting on Wednesdays or before a potluck meal), this can be discouraging and devaluing: So then, what do I have to offer? I see no spiritual gifts in this list, certainly not any that my church allows - do women even have spiritual gifts?

How many are still at those churches who will read this book and take this to heart? How many are we hurting by promoting these messages?

Lastly and quickly,

Example four:

There's a chapter that mentions girls wanting to be skinny, while ignoring the girls who want to be bigger (me! I'm tryna bulk). There's a chapter mentioning men going for seconds while the women don't, ignoring the girls who eat a lot (also me! I've always been a big eater). Both generalizations that could cause insecurity, the very thing they're trying to safeguard against.

So, after all this, was there anything I found in this book to be worthwhile? Absolutely. Chapters three and four were helpful, and while they didn't go in-depth, there was a theological richness that I could extrapolate, and study further on my own. I can study these verses and truths to bring me in closer communion with Him, and use them as a launchpad in my search for books that dive deeper into these topics. Despite the lack of relatability or applicability to my life, it still proclaimed the Gospel, and brought glory to God in doing so, bringing me deeper into discussion with the issues presented here.

I understand my review will not resonate with most people, many will come away from this book encouraged with a changed perspective. I love to see the reviews that have been so impacted by the powerful application of the Word of God; that was simply not the experience in my case.

Chapter three ends with, "Do not be afraid when the questions come and the things you once relied on don’t satisfy you any longer" and now that I've graduated from milk to solid food, I realize the Christian books that might have satisfied me once have ceased to suffice.

-

Sidenote: I'd love to read a book about our identity in relation to other sinners. I know what my identity is in Christ - but how do we override the self-consciousness, the insecurities, of being in fellowship with other sinners who are not as gracious or merciful or forgiving as God is? I can believe that "against You alone God I have sinned", yet that doesn't take away from the sinners I've hurt and mistreated through my sinfulness. How do we walk this line, and what are practical ways to override the wary, secretive life of a sinner who is forgiven by God, but not yet by man (or woman)?

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who are you? Mommy, blogger, coffee drinker, hipster, fashionista, reformer, what's your identity? It seems everywhere we look we're having to define ourselves with a few descriptors, beckoning others to confirm our worthiness for a follow. Whether it's instagram or facebook, twitter or your own personal blog feed, all around us is the noise. It's the clamoring of the world, demanding we *define* ourselves in their terms.

What if you had to tell someone who you *really* are, how would you answer? Do you ever wonder how others would identity you? Maybe you need to be reminded of the gospel hope? Maybe you haven’t heard God’s glorious news for sinners. I invite you look inside this collection of authors as they explore what it means to BE IN CHRIST.

Gloriously theological and ever practical, these short 10 chapters are great meditations for personal or group use. Easily accessible, each chapter takes on the flavor of the contributing author, enriching the truth within while holding fast to the truth. It's the truth that if we are in Christ, we are His! That is our identity!

Each chapter is broken down focusing on Identity theft, identity truth, identity transformed. With bible centered questions at the end of the chapters, it can assist with small groups or discipling relationships. I encourage you to pick up a copy today and be reminded of the hope that lies in the truth that His love for you is based on *His* character, not yours. Praise God for that hope!

[Alison Coles · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very helpful book. Where do we get our identity? Each chapter (written by a different woman) looked an aspect of our identity in Christ under 3 headings. Identity theft (the world's view), identity truth (what the bible says) and identity transformed (the impact this should have). At the end of each chapter are questions to answer involving quite a substantial bible study. This took time, was searching and well worth doing. It identified ways in which my thinking was not biblical and gave me tools to remedy this. I found the chapter on being a servant especially useful. It is written by and for women but nothing in it is specific to women. It would be just as helpful to a man and I have recommended it to my husband.

[Reese Hammond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Started reading this book with a bible study! It was so good I jumped ahead to finish. I loved how every chapter addressed identity in different ways all through a biblical lenses. It always was pointing the reader to the good news that Jesus clothes us in his righteousness and perfect “identity”. The best part of this book was the Bible study questions at the end of every chapter. These questions were some of the most in depth and thought-provoking questions I have ever seen with a bible study. One example question was:
“Do you see yourself as a sinner trying to be a saint or a saint who struggles with sin?”
I highly recommend this book as a individual read and also a bible study read. Read this with friends, family, or a mentor to grow closer in community while understanding your True identity in Christ.

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book that I highly recommend! It teaches us how to ground our identities in God's truth, and not in worldly and temporary things. It is good to be a woman, a wife, a mother, a teacher, and many other things we are called to on this earth, but our ultimate identity is that we are children of God, and this book reminds us how to live out our lives and earthly callings in light of this.

I went through this book as part of a women's bible study. It has good discussion questions after each chapter. The chapters are not long, easy to read, and full of substance. It is a great resource for a small group.

[Francine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book would be another shallow work on the role of women, but I actually found a book with deep truths about our identity, deeply grounded in the Gospel (and for both sexes).

I need to constantly remind myself of who I am in Christ so that I stop believing the lies of the world, my flesh, and the enemy. There are so many labels that we put on ourselves, but this book encourages us to leave them behind and put only those that God has given us (which are the chapters of this book): free, image of God, daughters, saints, fruitful, church members, beautiful, servants, worshipers, and citizens of heaven.

[Ashley Walkup · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh, it was okay. I liked some writers better than others. I thought one author was especially tone deaf and I disliked some of her stronger statements where she tried to paint a grey area a dark black and bright white. Overall it was encouraging because it was so filled with Scripture. Some authors wrote as if they were writing for women only which was surprising to me because I didn’t know this was a women’s only book and not a who you are in Christ book. That was my misunderstanding but I’m sharing in case it’s helpful to others. It wasn’t bad but it won’t be one I’ll reread or recommend.

[Jackie DeWaters · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was accessible and practical. I find myself going back to it to read my favorite quotes.

"If we are fruitful, it's because he has given us increase, and we praise him for that. If we're floundering, we rest in the fact that our true worth comes from his work on our behalf, and we praise him for that."

"Living as a saint who struggles with sin is profoundly different from living as a sinner who's desperately trying to be a saint."

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really challenged and encouraged me. I liked the perspective of the different authors. There was a lot of scripture throughout. The discussion questions at the end of each chapter were thought provoking. This would be a great book for a bible study with a friend or group of ladies. There were some great quotes as well.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like a lot of books that are made up of contributions from various authors, some parts of this book were much more enjoyable than others. I especially appreciated the chapter on the importance of the church and the one about worship/putting God first. That author used the phrase 'make much of me' to describe how we all want to be worshipped-that phrase was convicting truth.