Identity theft can arguably feel like one of the most invasive crimes. It’s personal, it’s exposing, it’s an invasion of privacy. According to a study done by Experian, in 2024 alone, the FTC received over 1 million identity theft complaints. That’s a 9.5 percent increase from 2023. For some of us, every day can feel like we’re living an identity crisis. We struggle with the confusion of who we are, what we’re supposed to do and who we’re supposed to be. We identify with our occupation, our marital status or even our mistakes. We wrestle with the lies of inadequacy, insecurity and incompetency. We convince ourselves we aren’t good enough, smart enough or equipped enough. Sometimes the lies of the enemy shout fear louder than the gentle voice of the Father whispers love. We allow the world and those around us to define who we are. 

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The world cannot define what it did not create, and more often than not, we must constantly remember not only who we are but WHOSE we are. When we make a commitment to give our heart and lives to Jesus, we have been bought by the blood. At VOUSCon 2025, Pastor DawnCheré Wilkerson reminds us that the blood is not just symbolic, it’s transformational. It’s not just a label, it’s a lifeline. Your identity is a one-of-one. 2 Corinthians 5:17 states, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!” By the blood of Jesus, you have a new identity and every facet and detail of your life is rewritten with Jesus. 

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But the story doesn’t end there. We have a responsibility and part to play. Until we take time to pause and reflect on the power of the blood, we’ll constantly question our identity in Jesus. We’ll have a hard time believing that God has really called each of us a child of God, different, set apart, more than a conqueror, fearfully and wonderfully made. The enemy wants you to identify as anything but what God has already called you. We’re challenged by Pastor DawnCheré that the closer we walk in relationship with the Father, the more we begin to look like Him. This is a daily process of sanctification. 

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1 John 1:7 reminds us that, “if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us all from sin.” We must choose to walk in the light, to walk in the identity of what God has spoken, and stand firm on the truth of God’s Word. 

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Watch Pastor DawnCheré Wilkerson’s full message on the VOUS Friends + Family YouTube @ 7:30PM EST here.