Identity
Who We Are
God originally designed humanity to be His image-bearers:
"So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:27)
God created humans as either male or female.
In God's design, humans have greater worth than animals
Jesus said "Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows" (Luke 12:7b).
God originally gave humanity dominion over animals.
"Then God said, 'Let us make humans in our image, according to our likeness,
and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and
over the cattle and over all the wild animals of the earth and
over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth'"
(Gen. 1:26 NRSVUE).
When humans were at our worst,
God endured the utmost pain on our behalf.
" but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8).
Humans could be identified as enemies of God,
and even then, God loved us tremendously .
" For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!" (Rom. 5:10 NIV).
Who Am I?
The Identity of a Born Again Human:
I am God's Child:
"See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God,
and that is what we are" (1 John 3:1 NRSVUE).
"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name,
he gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12)
We are the Bride of Christ:
"For the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready" (Rev. 19:7b).
"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (Eph. 5:25).
I am Jesus's Friend:
"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing;
but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you"
(John 15:13-15).