Who Does God Say I Am: Finding Your True Identity In Christ

“Who am I?” This question has perplexed philosophers and average people alike for centuries. As humans, we all desire to understand our identity—who we are, why we’re here, and what gives our lives meaning and purpose.

For the Christian, discovering identity means understanding what God says about us in His Word.

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to the question “Who does God say I am?” According to Scripture, God says we are His beloved children, chosen, redeemed, forgiven, valued, significant and created in His image for good works.

Children of God

Adopted into God’s Family

When we put our faith in Christ, the Bible tells us we are adopted into God’s family (Ephesians 1:5). We become children of God, brothers and sisters with Jesus. What an incredible privilege! God is now our Father, and we can come to Him as His dearly loved sons and daughters.

Some amazing benefits of being adopted into God’s family include:

• We belong to God’s household and enjoy intimate fellowship with Him (Ephesians 2:19)
• We are heirs of the promises of God, inheriting blessing after spiritual blessing (Galatians 3:29)
• We are under God’s providential care and discipline because He loves us as His own (Hebrews 12:7-11)

Heirs with Christ

Not only are we considered God’s children when we trust Christ, but incredibly, the Bible says we also become heirs along with Jesus (Romans 8:17). He shares His vast, eternal inheritance with us – things like God’s glory, eternal life, and more.

Jesus gave up His rights as God’s Son for a time when He came to earth as a man. He suffered and died naked upon the cross. But now He is enthroned in heaven, and through God’s grace He grants us to share in the majesty and authority He has as God’s unique Son.

What an astounding truth – that because of what Christ accomplished, we get to share in the rewards of His sacrifice as 1st class heirs!

God is Our Father

Having God as our Father is amazing for so many reasons. For one, it means we never have to wonder about His love for us. Unlike earthly fathers who can let us down, God promises to always be there for us with perfect, unwavering love (Psalm 103:13).

He also promises to take care of everything we could ever need, like an attentive Dad (Matthew 6:32-33). He guides and teaches us lovingly (Psalm 32:8), always wanting the absolute best for us as His cherished children.

But God doesn’t just love us from a distance – He wants real relationship. He invites us to crawl up into His lap, calling Him “Abba” – an affectionate term similar to “Papa” or “Daddy” (Romans 8:15). Imagine, the mighty Ruler of the universe wants us to snuggle as close to Him as a toddler being cuddled by their adoring earthly father!

God’s lap is a place of comfort (Psalm 131:2), joy (Zephaniah 3:17), shelter (Psalm 91:1-4) and acceptance that we could never find anywhere else.

As astounding as it sounds, we really do have God Himself as our Dad. And nothing can ever separate us from His unconditional love (Romans 8:38-39). We are His beloved sons and daughters, now and forever!

Chosen and Appointed

Chosen before the foundation of the world

The Bible tells us that God chose believers in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). This means He foreknew who would choose to follow Christ even before He created the world. What an amazing thought – that God, in His sovereignty, saw each one of us and purposed that we would be His children.

As 1 Peter 2:9 states, believers are “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.”

Being chosen by God is not something we earn or deserve. Rather, it is an incredible gift of grace. And this choosing results in rich blessings for believers, including adoption into God’s family, redemption through Christ’s blood, and sealing by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:5-14).

God’s elect

The term “elect” is another word used to describe believers in the Bible. When we put our faith in Jesus, we become part of God’s elect (Titus 1:1). This means He has set His affection and favor upon us. We are precious and honored in His sight (Isaiah 43:4).

The fact that God has an “elect” or “chosen” people does not mean some are excluded from salvation. The offer of salvation through Christ is open to all (1 Timothy 2:3-4). But God foreknew those who would trust in His Son.

Heelected and predestined these individuals “to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29).

Appointed to bear fruit

In addition to choosing us and setting His favor upon us, God also appointed believers to bear fruit. Jesus said in John 15:16, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit.”

This refers to the fruit or evidence of the Holy Spirit working within us (Galatians 5:22-23).

Things like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness and self-control characterize someone who belongs to Christ. And as we walk in intimacy with Jesus, these beautiful qualities shine from us more and more. We glorify God and point people to Him by the spiritual fruit manifested in our lives.

Bearing fruit also has to do with sharing our faith so others can come to salvation. As we follow Christ faithfully and allow His Spirit to work through us, our words and actions can play a role in bringing people from darkness to light. What an awesome privilege!

Redeemed and Forgiven

Bought with a price

When we put our faith in Christ, we are redeemed and forgiven of our sins. This redemption was made possible by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. As the Bible says, “you were bought at a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20).

Jesus paid the ultimate price so that we could be liberated from the burden of sin and death. His precious blood was shed so that we could be washed clean and made new creations in Him. What an amazing gift!

We were once lost, enslaved by sin, and headed towards eternal separation from God. But Jesus lovingly stepped in and bought our freedom. He saw our hopeless state, had compassion on us, and willingly took our punishment. He purchased our pardon with His own life.

Now, when God looks at us, He sees the righteousness of Christ instead of our sin. We are redeemed and forgiven!

Liberated from sin and death

The redemptive work of Christ has liberated us from the grip of sin and the fear of death. When Jesus died on the cross, He broke the power of sin over our lives so that it no longer has mastery over us. We are free from sin’s demands and no longer slaves to its desires.

Sin’s penalty, which is death, loses its sting because Jesus conquered the grave. Believers in Christ have victory over sin and will experience eternal life with Him rather than eternal death without Him.

This liberation brings tremendous hope and joy. We are no longer shackled by destructive habits, driven by fleshly impulses, or living under guilt’s heavy weight. The Spirit empowers us to overcome temptation and say “no” to sin.

We are alive in Christ, walking in newness of life and freedom from sin’s tyranny. Death no longer has the final say because Jesus declared victory over the grave. What good news!

Washed clean

The redemptive work of Jesus does not just cover over sin, it washes it away completely. When we turn to Christ, we are forgiven and cleansed from the stains of iniquity. Through His sacrificial death, Jesus’ shed blood purifies us from the inside out.

We go from being stained and tainted by sin to beingmade spotless and new. What joy to be washed clean!

This cleansing radically changes our standing before God. We are no longer guilty, but pardoned. We are no longer dirty, but pure. We are no longer unrighteous, but made righteous in Christ. God sees us as holy, blameless, and above reproach because of Jesus’ redemptive work.

Once we were far, but now we are brought near and into a right relationship with God. Hallelujah, we are washed clean by the blood of the Lamb!

Valued and Loved

The apple of God’s eye

As children of God, we are the apple of His eye, deeply cherished and valued (Zechariah 2:8). Even when we feel worthless and uncared for by others, God looks upon us with delight as His beloved sons and daughters. Isn’t it amazing that the all-powerful Creator of the universe cherishes us deeply?

This truth shows how precious we are in God’s sight.

The psalmist says “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalm 139:13-14).

The fact that God intricately designed each of us in the womb is a powerful reminder of our worth. No human life is an accident.

God also calls us His special treasure when we put our faith in Christ (Exodus 19:5, 1 Peter 2:9). As believers, we can rest assured that our loving Father in heaven sees us as His prized possession. Even when others may not value us, God says we are His treasured ones. What an amazing privilege!

Fearfully and wonderfully made

As human beings created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27), we are beautifully and wonderfully made by our Maker. King David expressed amazement that God would take such care to form him in the womb (Psalm 139:14).

Science continues to reveal the incredible intricacies of the human body, down to the tiniest microscopic systems, each with a specific purpose. Truly, we are complex masterpieces of intentional design by the greatest Engineer and Artist of all.

Our Creator shaped us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He carefully crafted each of our identities, giving us unique gifts, talents and personalities that reflect His boundless creativity (1 Corinthians 12:4-6). There is no one exactly like you.

God made you one-of-a-kind on purpose, not by accident. You are special in His eyes.

Even when we feel inadequate or dwell on our imperfections, God assures us that we are His handiwork created for good works (Ephesians 2:10). Our true worth comes not from our efforts or achievements, but from God’s love and the high value He places on us.

Complete in Christ

One of the biggest lies Satan wants us to believe is that we are not enough, that we are incomplete without something else. Though the world promotes finding identity in careers, relationships, fame, possessions or “self-actualization,” true wholeness is found only in Christ.

The apostle Paul says, “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority” (Colossians 2:9-10).

As believers united with Jesus, we are made 100% complete in Him by God’s grace (Colossians 2:13). We lack nothing.

All the approval, significance, purpose and meaning we long for is found in our relationship with Christ alone. He fills and satisfies what is missing in human hearts. When our identity is firmly rooted in being God’s beloved child, we are set free to live fully in that unconditional love and acceptance.

As angel said to God” Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?“(Exodus 15:11). Isn’t knowing how valued and precious we are to God life-changing? May we find our true worth and identity in Him.

Created to Do Good Works

A new creation in Christ

When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Through Christ’s redemptive work on the cross, our old sinful nature is put to death and we are made alive in Christ with a new nature that desires to do God’s will (Romans 6:1-14).

As new creations, we are called to do the good works which God prepared for us.

Gifted by the Holy Spirit

Not only are we made new, but we are also equipped by the Holy Spirit with spiritual gifts for the purpose of building up fellow believers and glorifying God (1 Corinthians 12:4-11). Whether it be gifts of teaching, service, encouragement or giving, we are to steward these gifts faithfully.

Our spiritual gifts point us to the good works God wants us to walk in.

God prepared works for us

The Bible says that God prepared specific good works for each of us to do (Ephesians 2:10). As we walk closely with Him, reading His Word and listening to His Spirit, He will lead us to the opportunities and relationships where we can carry out His works through our lives.

What an amazing calling and purpose He has given us! We glorify God by joyfully doing the good things He ordained for us, whether big or small.

Conclusion

Understanding our identity in Christ as revealed in Scripture allows us to rightly relate to God, ourselves, and others. As dearly loved children, we can confidently draw near to our Father, knowing we have unlimited access into His presence and affections.

As chosen ones, we no longer need to strive for significance but rather rest in the purpose and destiny God has appointed for our lives. Walking in this truth liberates us from comparison, envy and seeking validation from others. We are secure in who God says we are.