Our Identity in God [ Bible Study]

Identity can be defined as a sense of self or a person’s unique characteristics that defines them. We can also say that identity is who a person is.

There are many things that can influence our identity, for instance, our family, race /ethnicity, jobs, or interests. The problem with these is that they are often incorrect in giving us our true identity.

The only place we can know who we truly are is through our creator. Outside of God, we can never be able to find our true identity.

Our identity in the Father’s love

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are.

1 John 3:1

John says, “And that is what we are.” This is our identity, that God has so lavished us with love and given us a name- we can be called His children. This is our first place of identification. We are children of God and we have a father who loves us.

As we discover our identity as God’s children, it changes the lens through which we see ourselves. We are no longer unloved, unwanted, or abandoned. We have a father who has covered us with His love and made us his children and this is our identity.

This is important because the first place we establish our identity is through family. We identify ourselves as children of so and so. When we have an awesome earthly father, it helps us establish a healthy identity. But when we don’t have a good example of a father or if our earthly father abandoned us it warps the way we see ourselves.

Whether we have good earthly fathers or not, we have a heavenly Father who loves us perfectly.  And in His love, we can establish a correct identity in Him.

And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:18

God becomes our father and we become sons and daughters of God.

We have been adopted in love

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as His own children. Now we call him, “Abba, father.” Romans 8:15 NLT

We have received a spirit of adoption. By this adoption, we receive the right to call God our Father. Adoption gives us a new identity, we are no longer fatherless or orphans. We are now Abba‘s children. We can rightfully call God “father”.

Identity gives us security

So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And you, having been [deeply] rooted and [securely] grounded in love… Ephesians 3:17

God’s love through Christ roots us and securely establishes us. Our security comes from being aware of His love for us. It is essential for us to make sure that this is where we are receiving our security from. If we try to find our security anywhere else rather than in God’s love, it may not be long-lasting.

God’s love is a safe place for us to find security in because it is steadfast, unchanging, and everlasting. Nothing else in this life can be said to be these things.

Our identity in Him can take root and ground us because it is secured in unfailing love.

The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “ I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. Jeremiah 31:3

The only person that can keep this promise is God. People cannot love us with an everlasting love. People cannot love us with unfailing devotion. This is our security, that His love will never fail us.

Identity gives us authority

But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the right [ the authority, the privilege] to become children of God, that is, to those who believe in( adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name. John 1:12 AMP

He gave them a right is interchangeably used with authority here.

God gives us the authority to become His children. What does this mean? Being God’s children comes with power. It’s not a loose title. It’s a title that positions us to use the power that comes with His name. Because we are God’s children the enemy has to heed us. Because we are His children, we have authority over the enemy.

Another example is, in the world, there are people who have a certain authority by who their father is. Because they are someone’s son or daughter, people treat them differently. They have certain privileges because of who their father is. This is the way people will see us based on whose children we are.

We can show up distinctively in the world because of the power and authority that comes with knowing we are God’s sons and daughters.

And if we are children, then we are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. Romans 8:17

We have the authority to be heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. We have a right to an inheritance because we are now His children. We receive every spiritual and earthly blessing that is Christ’s.

For in Christ Jesus, you are all sons of God through faith. Galatians 3:26

I love the amplified version. For you [ who are born again have been reborn from above- spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified and ] are all children of God [ set apart for his purpose with full rights and privileges] through faith in Christ Jesus.

Sons are different from children because it implies maturity. Only mature sons of God have access to full rights and privileges. Our authority as God’s children becomes accessible to us when we become sons.

In God’s love, we have a new identity. We have an identity secured in love and can live with the authority that comes from our sonship.

Have a blessed weekend fam!

Related Reads:

Sonship Bible study

The love of God  Bible study