Finding Identity and Freedom in God's Unconditional Love

Devotional

Day 1: The Danger of Seeking Human Approval Over God's Approval

When we focus on gaining recognition and praise from others, we risk missing the true glory that comes from God alone. The religious leaders in Jesus’ day were more concerned with the opinions and accolades of their peers than with seeking the approval of the Lord, and Jesus challenged them directly for this misplaced priority. The desire for human affirmation can lead to pride, insecurity, and even spiritual blindness, but God calls us to seek His approval above all else, knowing that His acceptance is what truly matters. [48:36]

John 5:44 (ESV)
“How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?”

Reflection: In what area of your life are you most tempted to seek the approval of others rather than God, and what is one step you can take today to shift your focus to God’s opinion instead?

Day 2: Forgiveness and Unconditional Love

No matter how many times we are wronged, Jesus calls us to forgive as we have been forgiven, reflecting the boundless and unconditional love God has for us. Even when people say or do hurtful things, God’s love for us never wavers or diminishes; nothing we do can make Him love us less or more. This love is the foundation of our identity and security, freeing us from the need to please everyone and empowering us to extend grace to others. [35:15]

Luke 17:1-10 (ESV)
And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”

Reflection: Who is someone you need to forgive today, and how can you remind yourself that God’s love for you is not based on your performance or others’ opinions?

Day 3: Our Identity Is Rooted in Christ, Not in Others’ Opinions

True security and purpose are found in what God says about us, not in the shifting words or judgments of people. When we anchor our identity in Christ’s love and acceptance, we are set free from anxiety, fear, and the endless pursuit of human approval. God’s declaration over us as His beloved children is unchanging, and this truth can transform our relationships, our leadership, and our daily living. [01:00:54]

Galatians 2:20 (ESV)
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Reflection: What is one practical way you can remind yourself today that your worth and identity are rooted in Christ, regardless of what others say or think?

Day 4: The Surpassing Value of Knowing Christ

All the status, recognition, and approval the world offers pale in comparison to the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus as Lord. Like Paul, we are called to count worldly achievements and accolades as loss, finding our greatest treasure in a relationship with Christ. This perspective shifts our priorities and gives us lasting joy and contentment, even when human approval is lacking or withdrawn. [52:45]

Philippians 3:7-9 (ESV)
“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.”

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you have been seeking status or recognition, and how might you surrender that to Christ today in order to treasure Him above all?

Day 5: Serving Others Flows from God’s Unconditional Acceptance

Because we are fully loved, accepted, and approved by God through Jesus, we are set free to serve others with gratitude and joy, not out of a need for validation. Our motivation for loving and serving in the body of Christ comes from God’s grace, not from a desire to earn approval or outdo others. When we rest in God’s acceptance, we can use our gifts to bless others, knowing our value is secure in Him. [58:31]

1 Peter 4:10-11 (ESV)
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Reflection: What is one way you can serve someone in your church or community this week, motivated by gratitude for God’s unconditional love and acceptance?

Sermon Summary

Today, we gathered to reflect on the deep human longing for approval and acceptance, and how easily we can become entangled in seeking affirmation from others rather than resting in the love and approval God freely gives us in Christ. We began by acknowledging our sinfulness and our need for God’s mercy, confessing that we often fail to love our neighbors as ourselves and fall short in both action and inaction. Yet, in the midst of our brokenness, God’s forgiveness is poured out through Jesus, who died and rose again so that we might be fully accepted, fully loved, and fully forgiven.

We heard Jesus’ words from Luke 17, where he calls us to radical forgiveness and warns against causing others to stumble. He reminds us that even a small amount of faith can accomplish great things, but also that our service to God is not about earning approval, but simply doing our duty as his beloved children. In the children’s message, we explored how words can hurt and how, despite the opinions or actions of others, God’s love for us is unwavering and unconditional. There is nothing we can do to make God love us more or less—his love is steadfast.

I shared a personal story from my own ministry, recalling a time when criticism and the desire for approval from others caused me anxiety and sleepless nights. Like many, I found myself caring too much about what people thought, letting their words shape my identity and decisions. But through the encouragement of a friend and the truth of the Gospel, I was reminded that my true identity and security are found in Christ alone, not in the shifting opinions of people.

We looked at the example of the religious leaders in Jesus’ day, who sought glory from one another rather than from God, and at the transformation of Paul, who counted all his former status and recognition as loss compared to knowing Christ. The approval and acceptance we have through faith in Jesus is our greatest treasure—one that never fades, never fails, and never ends. This truth sets us free from the endless pursuit of human approval and empowers us to serve others out of gratitude for what God has done for us.

Key Takeaways

1. God’s love and approval are unconditional and unchanging, regardless of our successes or failures. There is nothing we can do to make God love us more, and nothing we can do to make him love us less. This truth is the foundation of our identity and security, freeing us from the exhausting pursuit of human approval. [38:50]
2. The desire for affirmation from others can easily become an idol, shaping our decisions and even our sense of self-worth. When we care more about what people think than what God says about us, we risk losing sight of our true calling and the peace that comes from resting in God’s acceptance. [46:06]
3. Jesus warns against seeking recognition from people rather than from God, as seen in his rebuke of the religious leaders who valued each other’s praise above God’s glory. True faith seeks the approval that comes from God alone, which is given freely through Christ and not earned by our performance or reputation. [49:28]
4. The apostle Paul’s transformation illustrates the surpassing value of knowing Christ above all worldly status, recognition, or success. He counted all his achievements as loss compared to the joy and security of being found in Christ, showing us that our worth is not measured by human standards but by God’s grace. [52:45]
5. When our identity is rooted in God’s love, we are set free to serve others with gratitude rather than striving for acceptance. This freedom allows us to lead, serve, and love courageously, knowing that our value is secure in Christ, and empowers us to let go of bitterness, anxiety, and the need for constant affirmation. [60:54]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[19:50] - Confession and Absolution
[24:12] - Prayer for Mercy and Peace
[29:21] - Collect and Opening Prayers
[35:15] - Gospel Reading: Luke 17
[37:05] - Children’s Message: God’s Unconditional Love
[41:29] - Our Identity in Christ
[43:26] - Personal Story: Struggles with People-Pleasing
[46:06] - The Trap of Seeking Human Approval
[48:16] - Jesus Confronts the Religious Leaders
[51:03] - God’s Approval Through Christ
[52:45] - Paul’s Testimony: Counting All as Loss
[55:13] - Family Story: Pushing Through Challenges
[57:39] - Living as Children of God
[58:31] - Serving Others Out of Gratitude
[59:21] - Finding Freedom in God’s Love
[63:41] - Confession of Faith and Prayers
[69:48] - Holy Communion
[79:00] - Benediction and Sending Forth
[82:37] - Closing and Growing in Christ

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Luke 17:1-10 (ESV) — > And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
>
> The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
>
> “Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”

Observation Questions

In Luke 17:1-4, what does Jesus say about forgiveness and how often we are to forgive others?
According to the children’s message, how does God feel about us when others say or do mean things to us? [[38:26]]
What did the religious leaders in Jesus’ day care about more than God’s opinion, according to the sermon? [[49:28]]
What does Paul say about his former status and achievements after coming to know Christ? [[52:45]]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus warns so strongly against causing others to stumble and emphasizes radical forgiveness? How does this relate to our need for God’s mercy? [[35:15]]
The sermon described the desire for affirmation from others as something that can become an “idol.” What does it mean for approval to become an idol in someone’s life? [[46:06]]
How does knowing that God’s love is unconditional and unchanging affect the way a person sees themselves, especially after failure or criticism? [[38:50]]
Paul counted all his achievements as loss compared to knowing Christ. What does this say about where our true value and security should come from? [[52:45]]

Application Questions

The pastor shared a story about losing sleep and feeling anxious because of criticism and the desire for approval. Have you ever experienced something similar? How did it affect your decisions or your sense of self? [[45:17]]
When you find yourself caring more about what people think than what God says about you, what are some practical steps you can take to refocus on God’s approval? [[46:06]]
Are there specific situations or relationships in your life where you feel pressure to earn acceptance or affirmation? How might remembering God’s unconditional love change the way you approach those situations? [[38:50]]
The sermon mentioned that our service to God is not about earning approval, but simply doing our duty as his beloved children. How does this perspective change the way you think about serving at church or in your community? [[36:35]]
The desire for affirmation can lead to bitterness, anxiety, or resentment when we don’t receive it. Is there an area in your life where you need to let go of the need for human approval? What would it look like to do that this week? [[59:21]]
The pastor’s friend encouraged him to root his identity in Christ, not in what others say. Who in your life can help remind you of your identity in Christ when you struggle with people-pleasing? [[01:00:54]]
When you think about serving others, is your motivation more about gratitude for what God has done, or about being noticed and appreciated? How can you shift your motivation to gratitude? [[58:31]]

Sermon Clips

Do we sometimes care so much about what people think or say about us that it formulates our decision making? Do we sometimes say, instead of asking, what does God think of this? Or what does God think of me? Do we sometimes find ourselves saying, what will people think of me and say about me if I do this or don't do this? Do we sometimes seek people's approval more than God's approval, thinking so much, how will I be perceived? What will people think of me? What's their impression going to be of me? Will I have their approval and acceptance if I make this decision? What will they say? What will they think? How will they honor me or not honor Me. [00:46:13]

You see, many times it's either receive God's approval, then mankind's approval, because we can't please everybody, no matter how hard we try. There's people in your life that you can't please. There's people in your life that no matter how hard you try, they're not going to accept you, they're not going to approve of you, they're not going to say nice things about you and they're going to badmouth you behind your back. That's the way life is. And so what do we do in the midst of that? How do we deal with all of that? We can become despondent and angry and resentful and bitter and anxiety ridden and fearful, or we can flee to something else. [00:46:59]

But I want to tell you, people's approval in life, for most Americans, matters a lot, much more than it really should. Even as believers in Jesus, we can sometimes get caught up in this. I can and you can. So were the religious leaders that Jesus confronted in the book of John like that. [00:47:45]

And Jesus nailed them by saying, you care more about what others say about you than what God says about you. You want the recognition and approval of men more than the recognition and approval of God. [00:49:28]

He called their bluff. He helped them to see that recognition of people really doesn't matter compared to the approval and acceptance one has through faith in Jesus Christ. But they weren't ready to listen to that. And I said it before and I'll say it again. The approval that we have of God is so much more important than the approval we get from other people. [00:50:27]

And here's the thing. You're fully approved, fully accepted, fully loved, fully forgiven in the eyes of God. Why? Because God loved you so much, he dispatched Jesus to this world to save, rescue, and redeem you. A poor, miserable sinner. Me, a poor, miserable sinner. And Jesus Christ went to the cross and he died on that cross and rose again from the dead so that God's stamp of approval and acceptance and love is upon you today. And I would hope and pray that's enough. [00:50:54]

Because a lot of times we formulate what's in our heart so much by people's impressions of us, what they think of us, what they say about us, what their perceptions are about us. And you know what the world says that's so important. And the Bible says that's so not important. [00:51:29]

I count all things as loss compared to the status of knowing Jesus Christ, my Lord, for whom I've suffered the loss of all things. Status, recognition, praise, the approval of man, Money, success, honor, fame. He said, I count all of that as loss compared to the surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ, my Lord, for whom I've suffered the loss of all things. [00:52:45]

All this stuff I thought was so important before, it's all gone. Recognition, praise, honor, acceptance from mankind. I don't have it anymore. As a matter of fact, my cronies, my former fellow employees, want to get rid of me. They want to kill me. Because I once persecuted the church. Now I honor Jesus. My life has been transformed by the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. [00:53:12]

Because the approval and acceptance we have through faith in Jesus never stops, never quits, never fails, never spoils, never ends. And it's our dearest treasure. Amen. [00:53:55]

And, you know, and I've said this before, and I'll say it again, at the end of life, we leave all of that baloney behind. I can identify. I was in a large church with 800 people in worship. So what? I'd rather be in a small church where I know everybody and can care for everybody and minister to everybody. [00:54:41]

God does not love the a little. He loves you a lot. He was willing to give up his very own son on a cross to die for people like you and me. So that we're children of God who the son sets free. Oh, is free indeed. I'm a child of God. Yes, I am. The greatest statement I can say about each and every one of you today is heir of heaven, child of God. It doesn't matter what people think. It doesn't matter what people say. [00:57:18]

And you might be saying, well, wait a minute, Pastor Dave, shouldn't we live honorable lives and loving lives and godly lives so that people think, well, yes, but that's not our motivation. Our motivation is what God has done for us through Jesus. And that sets us free from the power of sin and the need for people's approval all the time. Because it's not always going to come. And there's always somebody who's loved and accepted more than we are. And that's okay because we have God's love. And God's love can and should be enough. Is it enough for you? [00:57:55]

As a result of what we're talking about, the unconditional love that God gives us, the approval and acceptance that God gives us through His Son, that motivates and impels and moves us to want to serve one another, to care for one another, to use our gifts in the body of Christ, to serve one another in love. [00:58:34]

And through his son, he says, I love you, I accept you, I approve of you no matter what. Does that make sense? Do we get it? Got it. [00:59:06]

And my dear friend came to me, made an appointment with me because he knew I was anxiety ridden about all this stuff. And he said this. He sat down and he said, Dave, he said, I think you're putting way too much attention on what people think of you and what they're saying about you. Do you believe in Jesus, Dave? Well, yeah, I do. Well, aren't you fully loved and accepted and approved of by God through faith in Jesus? Yes. Isn't that enough? And you know what I said? Should be, should be. [00:59:47]

And then I confessed my sin to him of finding my security and identity and what people thought of me. He said, you know what? That really doesn't matter, Dave. You're fully loved and accepted by God through faith in Jesus. And let that be enough. And now serve passionately and lead courageously and we'll back you. And let your identity be rooted in what God says about you and not what others say about you. That changed my life. It made me a better leader. I focused more on what God says about me and less about what, what my congregation, by the way, that it was a horrific thing. [01:00:38]

But God taught me some things through that. He taught me that God loves me no matter what. That he loved me so much that he gave me his only son so that my identity is rooted in Christ and not in what people say it changed my whole perspective on ministry. [01:01:35]

Do you seek the glory from other people or the recognition that comes from God? You know what I say to you today? Let it be the ladder. Let it be the Ladder. Amen. [01:02:24]

Let the strength and power and an amazing grace and astounding mercy that God gives us through His Son guard, guide and sustain us today and in all the days ahead. Let it be so and let it be done to the glory of God's holy and saving name. And all of God's people said Amen. [01:02:45]

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