Image Bearers: Who are We?
As we are a few weeks into the new school year, many are struggling with where they fit in. New friends, new classes, a new campus and even new experiences often have the ability to make us question who we are.
How would you define yourself? One way to think about this question is to finish the statement: “I am _______.”
For me, I would say, “I am Bob Greene, husband to Alex, father of Justice and Micah, faculty member in the College of Theology at Grand Canyon University.”
What are some of the things that make up your identity?
One of the biggest issues I have always faced in my life is my identity. As humans we have a condition: We’re continually forgetting who we are and filling that void by placing our identity in pretty much anything else. This leads us to continually asking, “Who am I?”
Many of us base our identity on what we do, rather than on what God has done for us. The Bible is clear that Christians receive a whole new identity by virtue of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Christians are defined by what Jesus has done for them, not by what they do. Because of Jesus’ work, Christians are called to live radically new lives because they are radically new people.
Most of us live unaware of the source of our identity until change occurs, often in the form of hardship, pain or loss. When an individual faces adversity, it leads to a crisis – an identity crisis, which occurs when we define “who we are” by what we do, rather than by who God made us to be.
The great news is that God created each one of us in His image. We are the unique reflection of who He is, and we are given the unique opportunity to reflect who God is to others. If we are to answer the question of “Who am I?” we must know who God made us to be:
- We are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27)
- Our identity begins and ends in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-10)
- Embracing and living our identity is a process (Colossians 3:1-10)
In order to know our Identity, we must know Jesus. A qualitative change in Identity has already occurred in the lives of believers (Colossians 3:9-10).
We are being transformed every day by the working of the Holy Spirit. As God’s workmanship, as image bearers, we find our identity in the person and finished work of Jesus Christ.
Read more about faith and living by checking out our recent blog posts.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.