I received an ARC from IVPUK, via NetGalley this review is my personal opinion.

What a great book!. I must say I was completely surprised. Pastor Paul Mallard choose in this book the Ephesians(which I love) to go deep in who we are. According to Pastor Paul, we need to understand that I am what God has made me, and what I like about this. Is that in this era, where we find more good advice on how God’s sight we are blameless, that only his grace sustains my life. While reading I truly liked this quote “ There is nothing more toxic for our sense of identity than guilt and shame. These feelings become the lens in which we view ourselves. They shape our emotions and make us feel insecure, worthless, and inadequate”.

In my case, I’ve struggled with this and you know how powerful and amazing is when God shows you the truth. Pastor Paul also talks about how important is for us to surround us in a good community that helps us grow and put each of our gift to God’s glory. That how important is worship and by the power of the Holy Spirit, receive an eye-opening moment. I believe what he says, that the longer we expend in God’s presence, the more I will know his character. And finally how hope is a vital component to my identity.

What I found most unexpected of this book is that I know I am not the only one, that has tried to be good. But Pastor Paul rewrote a powerful and necessary life-changing truth. We are loved, accept it and the more close I am to God I’ll be able to see, talk, think, and act as God want me.

I recommend you take your time, pray to God, answer the questions before each chapter, and prepare yourself for what God will god.

Truly grateful to God, Pastor Paul, and everyone who works to make this book a reality. I pray and hope many could read it and be impacted.

This is a good all round book on the question of identity from a Christian perspective. The author takes us through the books of Ephesians and grounds our identity and self worth in our status as made in the image of God and reborn in Jesus. It is littered with examples and stories from the author's own life and relevant quotes from Christian thinkers and teachers. It is highly quotable and has a good balance between being deep enough not to be shallow but not so deep as to give you a theological headache. The only thing I wasn't so keen on is that some parts came across to me as more like mini sermons than a Christian theology book. It may be the author was simply more inspired in those bits but it jarred a little with me. Others may like that though. It would be a good addition to any thinking Christian's bookshelf and is especially relevant in today's world of identity politics. Recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and SPCK for ARC.

I've been reading chronologically through the book of Acts the the New Testament Epistles. In God's timing, I was reading Ephesians chapters 1 and 2 as I picked up Paul Mallard's new book, An Identity to Die For. I found myself in awe of who God is, touched that God would orchestrate details in such a way!

As I read through An Identity to Die For concurrently with Ephesians, I found Mallard's exploration of what it means to truly find one's identity in Christ to be so refreshing and challenging. He begins with a heart-touching story about his severely disabled grandson and how even he is made uniquely made in God's image and full of value and worth as God's creation. Mallard guides readers on a journey through Ephesians, gently guiding readers to mine God's Word for the truth about who God is and who they are in relation to him. Readers are guaranteed to walk away with a renewed sense of God's grace, love and mercy and how they can walk in those on a daily basis. Each chapter ends with some questions that help readers to dig in to the Word and thoughtfully apply it. I found Mallard's perspective to be refreshing, and interesting even as it challenged me to really believe God's Word and let it transform me from the inside out. For a long time I've felt drawn to the book of Ephesians, and it's no wonder why! Mallard has challenged me to spend more time meditating on the truths in Ephesians, This is one handbook I'll return to over and over as I continue to marinate in the book of Ephesians.

Note: I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for this honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Well written but a bit heavier on theology than I was looking for instead of actionable ideas of finding your identity in Christ. The constant paragraph long quotes from other works took me out of the reading.