Identity

What we think about ourselves (our identity) closely shapes our worldview (how we view the world). For this reason it is important that we understand who we are if we are going to have a correct view of the world. In other words, if how we view ourselves is off than how we view the world is also going to be off.

What is it that defines you?

We often find our identity in all the wrong things. (the acceptance of others, our job, our school, band, football, cheerleading, our friends, how we look etc.)

The problem with all those things is that they are constantly changing, so we have to always do things to maintain that identity. This is why our identity can’t be found in ourselves. It must be found outside of ourselves and it must be unchanging.

Thankfully through His word God has spoken clearly about who we are.

Genesis 1:27 ESV

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Unfortunately after this event we have the fall of man in which the image of God becomes distorted. So we no longer reflect God’s image in the way that He intended for us to because of the presence of sin in our lives. Thus begins the first identity crises that has continued until today.

But God made a way for His image to be restored in us, and that way is Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17–21 ESV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

As a Christian this is our identity. We are in Christ “ the righteousness of God” and He is making His appeal through us to the world that they might be reconciled to Him!