I believe I am significant because of my position as a child of God.
"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."
John 1:12
“Who are you?” This is a fundamental question that everyone must answer at some point in their life. What makes you…you? Are you defined by your looks, your marital status, or your career? Do you find your value in how many likes you get on your Facebook posts? Does your identity change based on the decisions you make, or your successes and your failures?
Someone once wrote in an article in Psychology Today, “Identity may be acquired indirectly from parents, peers, and other role models. Children come to define themselves in terms of how they think their parents see them. Psychologists assume that identity formation is a matter of ‘finding oneself’ by matching one's talents and potential with available social roles.” Are you what others think of you? Or are you the summation of your talents and your ability to perform some meaningful role in this world?
As a people who believe in God as the Author of life, we look to our Creator to determine our fundamental identity. An artist takes a lump of clay, molds it, shapes it, and forms it into the image that he desires. Our identity was determined by the One who made us. Genesis 1:26 tells us, “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’” Our fundamental identity, our value, and our significance are not up for grabs. They were defined by God. We were created in God’s image for his perfect purposes, to represent him and to rule and reign on earth as his representatives.
But as we know, something went terribly wrong. Man and woman rebelled against their Creator (Genesis 3), and that perfect identity became marred and malformed—distorted from God’s original design. The sin of Adam brought death to us all (Romans 5:12). That death is most evidenced in our separation from the Author of life. Sin created a chasm between us and God that we could never bridge by ourselves.
Thankfully, God had plans to bridge this great divide himself. Because of his great love for us, God sent his Son to not only perfectly bear his image, but also to rescue us from our sin through his death and resurrection. Christ died as our substitute so that we might be forgiven and restored to our God. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” He did it all! We cannot add to his perfect sacrifice for our sin. When we trust in Jesus, the Bible tells us that we take on a new identity—Christ’s identity. Now the Father sees us as he sees the One who perfectly embodied his image. By God’s grace, this is who we are as his children.
So, what now?
- Rejoice and be glad! (Philippians 4:4)
- Thank God and give him the praise he deserves! (Psalm 139:14)
- Grow in intimacy with him! (Psalm 34:4)
- Serve him with all your heart! (Joshua 24:15)
- Share this Good News with those who are searching for their significance! (John 17:20-24)
PRAYER
Father, thank you for creating me and calling me to yourself through your Son, Jesus Christ. My heart rejoices because through Jesus, you have given me the right to be called a child of God (John 1:12). Draw me to a more intimate walk with you, to know your love in deeper ways. Let me serve you all the days of my life and share the Good News of Christ to those who are desperately searching for their significance. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.