Our identity in Christ

Being created in the image of God, we are only truly who we are by walking out this reality.  

Mankind was not just a part of creation, mankind was in many ways the pinnacle of God’s creation. It was only when he was creating people that God referred to creating a being “in our image, after our likeness” (Gen 1:26). Man was created to rule and govern over God’s creation (Gen 2:15). Everything was good, man had purpose, identity, and life was very good. Then came the fall, man’s separation from God, expulsion from the garden, and a cursed existence. We see the hereditary sinful nature of mankind as soon as there are two descendants of Adam. With the story of Cain and Abel we see stubbornness, pride, jealousy, bitterness, hatred, murder, and lying. Not just Lying to anyone, but lying to God! Sadly this does not stop with Cain and Abel. Soon mankind had grown and degenerated to the point where God sent a flood to wipe out all but one righteous family (Gen 6-8).  Through Adam’s sin we are all born separated from God, sinful, grasping for identity, purpose, and meaning. We fail in this, from trying to build the tower of Babel (Gen11:1-9), to the Nation of Israel’s constant cycle of turning away/God’s rebuke/turning back in the books of kings and judges. Thankfully God had a plan to bring us back into a relationship with him, a way to repair the rift between God and man. For just as Adam’s sin resulted in death and separation from God, the pure sacrifice of Christ resulted in life for all mankind. (Rom 5:18) Through the blood of Jesus we are more than just saved, it’s more than a “get out of hell free” card. Our very souls are renewed and we take on a new identity of the children of God! John 3:1&2 tells us that our identity is in being children of God, and while what we will truly be has not happened yet, it will be fully realised when we see God. We can know who we are and who we will become because God’s word tells us. Just as a sports team is known by their jerseys, and an employee is identified by their uniform or name tag, we are known by our love. That is how the world is to know who we are, by our love for each other (John 13:35).

As men and women living in a fallen world, our only hope of finding happiness and purpose in this life is by first accepting the reality that on our own we are lost. Without the context of God’s love, we are lost in the struggle for self identity. Then from knowing we are lost we position ourselves to be found by the love of God. Within the love of God we discover our true identity as a child of God. By finding our identity in being a son of God first, we find out who we truly are. From there we begin to walk in the love of God, and then our identity takes on a new level of existence as we begin to walk in love for others. Suddenly we begin to understand who we are, and where we fit. 

While separate, the issues of why does God do what he does and who are we/ where do we fit in this world are intertwined. Only by fully entering into having our identity grounded in begin a child of God do we release our illusion of control and the arrogance of questioning God’s actions and motives. We are more willing to submit to seasons of life where we struggle, trusting in God’s ultimate goodness. We are able to fully embrace life, and all that he has for us.