Your/Our Identity in Christ: Finding Who We Are in Who He Is
By David Sanchez (GC2 Press)
Your/Our Identity in Christ may look like a book, but it’s more like a map for youth and young adults—or any adult—either new to or exploring what it means to follow Jesus.
With a title like Your/Our Identity during a time when controversies over sexual, gender, ethnic and other identities are swirling, readers might expect the book to begin, end and focus on those issues. But they barely make an appearance. Instead, they place a distant second, third or even fourth to the primacy of Christ as the source of our identity.
David Sanchez, director of ethics and justice for the Texas Baptists’ Christian Life Commission, connects readily with youth and young adults. He understands their language, their worldviews and their struggles. He is compassionate and thoroughly grounded in Scripture. He’s also honest, acknowledging that identifying with Jesus isn’t always easy.
Sanchez is also gentle, lighthearted and doesn’t shy away from difficult topics. He includes testimonies from people hurt by divorce, abuse, bullying and sexual abuse, as well as from people struggling with depression, anxiety, body image, and questions about gender or sexual identity.
Despite his casual approach, Sanchez isn’t light on substance. He delves into the character of Christ, human nature, the Trinity, the shared life of the church and other weighty topics relevant to anchoring one’s identity in Christ.
The book is divided into nine chapters and designed to be read over 36 days in short readings. Kendall Lyons’ illustrations of the daily readings bring additional life and levity to the content.
Readers don’t need a lot of background knowledge about the Bible or Christian doctrine. Sanchez walks them through understanding how they are seen by God, what God desires for them and what God expects of them.
Your/Our Identity in Christ is expected to release mid-January 2025. A portion of book sales will support the Texas Baptist Hunger Offering.
Eric Black, executive director/publisher/editor
Baptist Standard
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