Know who you are and whose you are

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!

- 1 John 3:1

Knowing who you are in Christ transforms your whole life. When the knowledge of your identity permeates your mind and heart, nothing will ever be the same. Many people in this world are at a loss to understand who and what they are and why they are here. There are answers to these questions.

First of all, God made man in His image and breathed life into him. “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

Now an image is not the original. There is only one original. Mankind was created with some of the attributes of God. The traits we have of God is our intellect, reasoning, planning, creativity, free will and ability to form close relationships.

Since sin entered the world, this image has been flawed. Jesus showed us in the way He lived His life how man was intended to be. Through His death, He has reconciled us to God and the Holy Spirit works in us to create a likeness of Jesus.

We were made by the design of God Himself. “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body

and knit me together in my mother’s womb.” We were not formed by chance but God formed us to be exactly like we are. To try to be other than what we are is to say God makes mistakes.

We are children of the God of the universe. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

We are loved. He knows every single thing about us and still loves us, unconditionally and eternally. “Give thanks to the God of heaven. His faithful love endures forever.”

Unlike mankind, He does not stop loving us when we fail Him. Sin can create a barrier between us but He wants us to return and repent because He loves us. There is nothing created that can separate us from God. “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, [39] Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

We can always be assured of His love.

We are assured of a future home that is everlasting and free of evil. “Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance — an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.” Whatever happens here, we can endure it for we know it is temporary and our future is assured.

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world — the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

Paul says in Romans 5, “And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” Allow the Holy Spirit to show you the love God has for you.

Know who you are and whose you are and let peace and joy reign in your life.