Identity is a topic that has impact in multiple areas of our lives. As an example, several months ago, my husband and I decided it was time to purchase a new vehicle to replace our twenty-year-old Toyota. He spent a fair amount of time researching options, considering factors such as make and model, cost, owner reviews, gas mileage, and availability. I am not particularly concerned about what I drive; I just want the car to get me where I need to go! So, I made only one request: I wanted whatever vehicle we bought to be red so I could find it among all the white, black, and silver cars in parking lots.

The Toyota Corolla Cross we ended up purchasing is red. However, the first night we drove it to church, I immediately noticed three other vehicles in the parking lot that were also red. In addition, they were approximately the same size and shape as ours, so my method of identifying our vehicle has not been totally successful. In fact, recently I tried to open the door of one of those “other” red vehicles parked outside the church office, thinking it was ours!

The identity of a vehicle is an insignificant matter. However, understanding who we are as children of God is not insignificant—it is vital! Who am I? is a question frequently pondered, and a right understanding of this will affect the way we look at life.

The only dependable way to gain that understanding is to learn what God says. He created us, and He knows us far better than anyone else does, including ourselves. The Psalmist acknowledged this in Psalm 139, saying, “O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways” (verses 1-3). God is fully aware of every detail about us.

Biblical truths about our identity

Some aspects of personal identity are true about every person on this earth. For instance, God’s Word indicates that we were planned by Him. The acronym DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid. DNA is a molecule found in the cells of living organisms that carries information for the development and functioning of an organism. Geneticists say that each of us has 20,000 to 25,000 genes in our DNA. Think of the meticulous care it took to create your personal, unique design!

My husband and I have twelve grandchildren, and they are all very different from each other—even those in sibling groups are not alike. For example, God planned that our granddaughter, Evelyn, would be tall for her age and have light brown hair. He knew she would need braces to straighten her teeth, would love to cook, and would overcome dyslexia. She is very different from her big brother, Barrett, who is of average height, has dark brown hair, straight teeth, and loves to play his French horn.

At times we may lament some of our physical characteristics (or lack thereof). When I was a little girl, I wanted dimples like my aunt. Occasionally I would even stand in front of a mirror and try to poke dents into my cheeks—an attempt that failed. But God knew what He was doing when He made us, with or without dimples.

Psalm 139:16 says, ^“Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.” God knew Evelyn and Barrett before they were born, and He knew us before we were born. We were specifically planned by Him, with all our physical, mental, and emotional characteristics.

The Bible states that all of us were created for a purpose. We know that God created mankind to know Him (John 17:3), to love Him (Deuteronomy 6:5), and to give Him pleasure (Philippians 2:13). But He also has a unique plan for each individual. God told the prophet Jeremiah, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). We are not all called to be prophets, but God does have a predetermined purpose for every person. Ephesians 2:10 indicates that “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” God has ordained—prepared beforehand—good works for each of us to do.

Scripture assures us that we are beloved, treasured, and valued by God. He proved His love for us by sending His Son to die in our place. Since the wages of sin is death, we all deserved to die because we all have sinned (see Romans 3:23 and 6:23). Christ took our punishment and died on the Cross so we could live eternally. The Word of God lets us know that “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). We can confidently view that act of supreme sacrifice as evidence of God’s great love for all mankind.

Our identity in Christ

The most important aspect of our personal identity, and what matters most to God, is that we are “in him.” We read in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Notice the words, “in Christ.” When we come to God seeking forgiveness and are born again through the precious Blood of Jesus, God does not leave us as we once were. Our lives change: we experience a spiritual new birth. Our sins are blotted out, our desires and motives change, and we are empowered to live from that day forward without sinning.

After I started taking piano lessons around the age of eight, my grandmother would frequently ask me to play the old Gospel hymn “A Child of the King.” No matter how ineptly I performed that song, she loved it. Grandma had the right perspective about personal identity: As followers of Christ, we are children of the King of kings! We are assured in 1 John 3:1, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.”

What God says about His children

We find many statements in God’s Word that apply specifically to those who are His children. For example, God says we are joint heirs with Jesus. In Romans 8:16-17, Paul the Apostle wrote, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” The Greek term translated heirs in this verse refers to “those who receive their allotted possession by right of sonship.” As God’s children and joint heirs with Christ, we have full rights to receive “an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away” that is reserved in Heaven for us (see 1 Peter 1:4).

God’s Word says we are His friends. In John 15:15, we find these beautiful words of Jesus: “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”

If you were asked to note some of the blessings of friendship, you would probably mention benefits such as help in time of need, understanding, companionship, encouragement, and support. However, the friendship of Jesus brings infinitely more blessings than any earthly friendship, no matter how precious it is. The words of another familiar hymn come to mind:

No one understands like Jesus;
Ev’ry woe He sees and feels;
Tenderly He whispers comfort,
And the broken heart He heals.¹

Isn’t it heart-warming to realize that we are personal friends of Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

God also says that He will perfect us. In Colossians 1:22, He promises that He will present us “holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight.” I find it comforting that God is so invested in me that He continues to work on me! Another promise I love is Philippians 1:6. It assures us, “He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” We may be very aware of our own weaknesses and limitations, but God is faithful, and He will complete the work He is doing in our lives.

As children of God, we are citizens of Heaven—that is part of our identity! Citizenship in an earthly country comes with rights, privileges, and guarantees of certain benefits. We are temporarily residing here on earth, but our guaranteed benefits as citizens of Heaven are beyond comprehension. We read in Psalm 16:11, “In thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”

Overcoming hindrances to believing

The enemy of our souls will do all he can to undermine our confidence and hinder us from fully and consistently believing what God says about our identity. His attacks may come in several forms, so let’s briefly consider four of them.

External messages. It’s no secret that we live in a sinful world. Rejection of God’s Word as the ultimate authority is increasingly widespread. As Christians whose foundational beliefs are deeply rooted in the Word of God, we may be accused of being out of touch, narrow-minded, bigoted, hypocritical, or worse, but we must not let those negative assessments impact our reliance on what God says in His Word.

The comparison trap. Since our identity is rooted in our relationship with Christ, we need to guard against measuring ourselves by others. We can admire someone else’s accomplishments or abilities, but we want to avoid envying them. I enjoy the beautiful music provided by the musicians who perform in our church services, but I am not distressed because I cannot sing or play an instrument like they do.

The Apostle Paul warned against comparing ourselves to others, saying, “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise” (2 Corinthians 10:12). Let’s embrace our individuality and walk confidently in who God made us to be!

The accusations of Satan. The enemy of our souls may seek to destabilize us by telling us that we are not good enough, that God is disappointed in us, or that we’ve failed Him in some way. Remember that the Bible says Satan is a liar, and the accuser of the brethren (see John 8:44 and Revelation 12:10-12). We must take care not to listen to him or be shaken by his insinuations. The Psalmist voiced his assurance by saying, “I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved” (Psalm 16:8). We too can stand fast.

Past negative experiences. To attack our “in Christ” identity, Satan may remind us of mistakes of judgment, unintentional missteps, incidents that occurred before we were saved, or situations that hurt or discouraged us. We can look again to the Apostle Paul for an example of how to deal with painful recollections. Paul had many reasons to grieve over his past: he had persecuted the members of the Early Church and even held the coats of those who stoned Stephen, the first Christian martyr. But he said, ^“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

Only God’s viewpoint matters

A right understanding of our identity in Christ affects how we look at life. A grasp of who we are as believers helps us develop a God-centered worldview, guides us in making decisions aligned with our spiritual values, and helps us navigate the challenges of life in a manner pleasing to God.

The only viewpoint about our identity that really matters is God’s viewpoint! If we make His Word the basis of how we view ourselves, we will be spiritually equipped to disregard the confusion and lies the enemy brings against us and stand firm as children of the King.

¹ John W. Peterson, “No One Understands Like Jesus,” John W. Peterson Music Company, 1952.