Rooted Identity: Embracing Our Biblical Image
Summary
### Summary
Today, we concluded our series "Unashamed" by delving into the topic of identity from a biblical worldview. We began by acknowledging that everyone has a worldview, whether they realize it or not, and if it’s not rooted in the Bible, it is heavily influenced by the world. We discussed the importance of being anchored to the unchanging truth of God's Word, especially as our culture shifts. Martin Luther's quote reminded us that our loyalty to Christ is proven in the areas where the world and the devil are attacking most fiercely.
Our focus today was on identity, a topic that has evolved significantly over the years. We emphasized that identity is not self-declared or self-developed but given by our Creator and Redeemer. Contrary to cultural confusion, our identity is rooted in being made in the image of God. This grants us intrinsic dignity, value, and purpose. We explored how modern culture often reduces identity to gender or sexuality, which is a tragic reductionism that diminishes the fullness of being an image-bearer of God.
We also discussed the importance of welcoming sinners without affirming sin, emphasizing that the church should be a place of compassion and conviction. The glory of the gospel is that Jesus offers forgiveness, freedom, healing, and hope when we repent and receive Him as Lord and Savior.
We examined Genesis 1:26-27 to understand that humans are the crowning achievement of God's creation, made in His image, and divided into two distinct genders, male and female. This design is purposeful and not interchangeable. Our identity is fixed and finite, not fluid, and is rooted in being an image-bearer of God.
Finally, we looked at Colossians 1:15-22 to see how our identity is restored in Jesus. We are not left in our sin but are made new creations in Him. Living out our identity in Christ involves daily decisions that reflect our obedience and conviction as image-bearers. We concluded with a call to live out our biblical worldview with the conviction and courage that comes from knowing who we are in Christ.
### Key Takeaways
1. Anchored in Unchanging Truth: As culture changes, it is crucial to remain anchored to the unchanging truth of God's Word. This provides stability and clarity in a world that is constantly shifting. Our loyalty to Christ is proven in the areas where the world and the devil are attacking most fiercely. [27:49]
2. Identity Given by God: Our identity is not self-declared or self-developed but given by our Creator and Redeemer. This grants us intrinsic dignity, value, and purpose. Reducing identity to gender or sexuality diminishes the fullness of being an image-bearer of God. [30:14]
3. Welcoming Sinners, Not Sin: The church should be a place of compassion and conviction, welcoming sinners without affirming sin. The glory of the gospel is that Jesus offers forgiveness, freedom, healing, and hope when we repent and receive Him as Lord and Savior. [31:47]
4. Created in God's Image: Humans are the crowning achievement of God's creation, made in His image, and divided into two distinct genders, male and female. This design is purposeful and not interchangeable. Our identity is fixed and finite, not fluid, and is rooted in being an image-bearer of God. [40:37]
5. Restored in Jesus: Our identity is restored in Jesus, who reconciles us to God and makes us new creations. Living out our identity in Christ involves daily decisions that reflect our obedience and conviction as image-bearers. This requires us to be stable, steadfast, and not shifting from the hope of the gospel. [49:42]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[26:55] - Introduction to Biblical Worldview
[27:49] - Martin Luther's Quote on Loyalty
[28:41] - Identity in Today's Culture
[29:24] - The Search for Identity
[30:14] - Identity Given by God
[31:02] - Compassion and Conviction
[31:47] - Welcoming Sinners, Not Sin
[32:33] - The Tipping Point of Identity Issues
[33:16] - Cultural Influences on Identity
[36:15] - Biblical Worldview on Identity
[37:30] - Genesis 1:26-27 Explained
[40:37] - Created in God's Image
[46:35] - Restored in Jesus
[49:42] - Living Out Our Identity in Christ
[52:05] - Daily Decisions Reflecting Obedience
[56:27] - Call to Live as Image Bearers
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1. Genesis 1:26-27 (ESV): "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."
2. Colossians 1:15-22 (ESV): "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him."
### Observation Questions
1. According to Genesis 1:26-27, what does it mean to be made in the image of God?
2. How does Colossians 1:15-22 describe Jesus' role in creation and reconciliation?
3. What are the two distinct genders mentioned in Genesis 1:27, and what does this imply about God's design for humanity? [40:37]
4. In the sermon, what cultural examples were given to illustrate the confusion about identity in today's world? [33:16]
### Interpretation Questions
1. What does it mean for our identity to be "anchored in the unchanging truth of God's Word" in a constantly shifting culture? [26:55]
2. How does reducing identity to gender or sexuality diminish the fullness of being an image-bearer of God? [30:14]
3. What does it look like to welcome sinners without affirming sin in a church setting? [31:47]
4. How does understanding that our identity is restored in Jesus impact our daily decisions and actions? [49:42]
### Application Questions
1. How can you ensure that your worldview is rooted in the Bible rather than being influenced by the world? What steps can you take this week to reinforce this? [26:55]
2. Reflect on a time when you felt your identity was challenged by cultural norms. How did you respond, and how might you respond differently now, knowing your identity is given by God? [30:14]
3. In what ways can you show compassion to those struggling with identity issues while maintaining your conviction in biblical truth? [31:47]
4. How can you live out the truth that you are made in the image of God in your daily interactions with others? What specific actions can you take to reflect this belief? [40:37]
5. What are some practical ways you can remind yourself daily that your identity is restored in Jesus? Consider setting a daily reminder or creating a visual cue. [49:42]
6. Think of a specific area in your life where you need to be more steadfast and stable in your faith. What changes can you make to ensure you are not shifting from the hope of the gospel? [49:42]
7. How can you encourage others in your small group to live out their identity in Christ with conviction and courage? Share one way you plan to support a fellow group member this week. [56:27]
Devotional
Day 1: Anchored in Unchanging Truth
In a world that is constantly shifting, it is crucial to remain anchored to the unchanging truth of God's Word. This provides stability and clarity amidst cultural changes. Our loyalty to Christ is proven in the areas where the world and the devil are attacking most fiercely. As believers, we must be vigilant and discerning, ensuring that our worldview is rooted in the Bible rather than being influenced by the ever-changing norms of society. This steadfastness in God's truth not only grounds us but also serves as a testimony to others of the unwavering nature of God's promises.
The importance of being anchored in God's Word cannot be overstated. It is the foundation upon which we build our lives, providing guidance, wisdom, and strength. As culture shifts and new ideologies emerge, we must hold fast to the eternal truths found in Scripture. This requires a commitment to regular study, prayer, and fellowship with other believers who can encourage and challenge us to stay true to our faith. [27:49]
Jeremiah 17:7-8 (ESV): "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit."
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you feel the pressure to conform to cultural norms? How can you anchor yourself more deeply in God's unchanging truth today?
Day 2: Identity Given by God
Our identity is not self-declared or self-developed but given by our Creator and Redeemer. This grants us intrinsic dignity, value, and purpose. In a culture that often reduces identity to gender or sexuality, it is essential to remember that our true identity is rooted in being made in the image of God. This understanding elevates our sense of worth and purpose, reminding us that we are more than the labels the world tries to impose on us.
Recognizing that our identity comes from God helps us navigate the complexities of modern life with confidence and clarity. It frees us from the need to seek validation from others and allows us to rest in the knowledge that we are deeply loved and valued by our Creator. This perspective also empowers us to treat others with the same dignity and respect, recognizing that they too are made in the image of God. [30:14]
Psalm 139:13-14 (ESV): "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well."
Reflection: How does knowing that your identity is given by God change the way you view yourself and others? What steps can you take to embrace this truth more fully in your daily life?
Day 3: Welcoming Sinners, Not Sin
The church should be a place of compassion and conviction, welcoming sinners without affirming sin. The glory of the gospel is that Jesus offers forgiveness, freedom, healing, and hope when we repent and receive Him as Lord and Savior. This balance of grace and truth is essential for creating a community where people can experience genuine transformation.
Welcoming sinners without affirming sin means that we extend love and acceptance to everyone, regardless of their past or present struggles, while also upholding the truth of God's Word. It requires us to be compassionate and empathetic, understanding that we are all in need of God's grace. At the same time, we must be willing to speak the truth in love, guiding others towards repentance and a deeper relationship with Christ. [31:47]
John 8:10-11 (ESV): "Jesus stood up and said to her, 'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?' She said, 'No one, Lord.' And Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.'"
Reflection: How can you show compassion and conviction in your interactions with others? Is there someone in your life who needs to experience the balance of grace and truth from you today?
Day 4: Created in God's Image
Humans are the crowning achievement of God's creation, made in His image, and divided into two distinct genders, male and female. This design is purposeful and not interchangeable. Our identity is fixed and finite, not fluid, and is rooted in being an image-bearer of God. Understanding this truth helps us appreciate the unique value and purpose that each person holds.
Being created in God's image means that we reflect His character and attributes in our lives. It calls us to live in a way that honors Him and fulfills the purpose for which we were created. This understanding also challenges us to respect and value the differences between genders, recognizing that both are essential and complementary parts of God's design. [40:37]
Genesis 1:27 (ESV): "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."
Reflection: How does knowing that you are created in God's image influence the way you see yourself and others? What practical steps can you take to live out this truth in your daily interactions?
Day 5: Restored in Jesus
Our identity is restored in Jesus, who reconciles us to God and makes us new creations. Living out our identity in Christ involves daily decisions that reflect our obedience and conviction as image-bearers. This requires us to be stable, steadfast, and not shifting from the hope of the gospel. In Christ, we find the strength and guidance to live out our true identity.
Being restored in Jesus means that we are no longer defined by our past mistakes or the labels the world places on us. Instead, we are new creations, empowered by the Holy Spirit to live in a way that honors God. This transformation is an ongoing process that requires daily commitment and reliance on God's grace. As we grow in our relationship with Christ, we become more like Him, reflecting His love and truth to the world around us. [49:42]
2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV): "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
Reflection: What areas of your life need to be more fully surrendered to Christ? How can you make daily decisions that reflect your identity as a new creation in Him?
Quotes
1. "And I'll tell you, with what we're talking about today even, I am so glad, so glad to be tethered the absolute, the truth, and God's Word. Because it reminds me that as our culture changes, as our world changes, He does not. He does not. And we're wading into a fairly tough topic as we wrap up here today. And as we do, I want you to see this quote. Martin Luther said this. He said, If I profess with loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God, except that little point which... the world and the devil are at the moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved in disgrace if he flinches at that point." [26:55] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "We're committed here at FCC to be convictional when preaching about sin while being compassionate towards sinners. And that includes me and you. Where we will be unashamed of our faith, unashamed of the gospel as we remain anchored to the truth. Even as the waves of culture change and wash over us. Many today are obsessed with the fact that we are not sin. Many today are obsessed with identity. Obsessed with it. And I understand that because our identity is so important. It says so much about who we are, where we've come from, where we are going. It says a lot about our purpose." [28:41] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "And contrary to our culture's confusion. I just wanted to be clear today. Identity is not self-declared or self-developed. It is given to us by our maker and our redeemer. The topic of identity is a huge issue in our culture today. Many suggest that we can find our identity by looking at it. Others proclaim that identity is wrapped up in what we do or with what we have. And still others... And this is where it gets really tricky. This is where it gets really deep. Others equate identity with gender or sexuality. James Jeffrey writes that the great tragedy in such thinking is its reductionism. It shrinks a person from being an intelligent person to a perfectly designed, unique, and beautiful image-bearer of God to the mere product of sexual instincts. Is there anything more animalistic than reducing a person to the sum of their sexual desires?" [30:14] (73 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "Before I go on, I want to be quick to say that we are not out to clobber one another. We are not out to clobber sinners. We are not affirming of people in their sin. We are all about welcoming sinners. If you're struggling with gender or sexuality issues, we would want to help you. The Bible says that we're all sinners and Jesus died for all sins. So can greedy people come to church? Of course. Can those who have committed adultery attend? Absolutely. Gossips? I'm sure we have our fair share. If you struggle in any way, you are welcome here. And yet, we will not affirm anyone in their iniquity. We only affirm Jesus. Not any other human, because none of us are without sin. We don't celebrate sin. We simply welcome sinners. The glory of the gospel is that Jesus grants forgiveness and freedom along with healing and hope when we repent of our sins and receive Him as our Lord and Savior." [31:02] (83 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "When it comes to a biblical worldview church, here's what I want you to take away today. Our world teaches that people can be whoever they identify themselves to be. The word of God teaches that you are who God says you are. John Stonestreet offers this commentary. He said, our real cultural crisis is a catastrophic culture-wide loss of meaning. Now we are living with the existential results of a culture untethered from God and therefore untethered from any fixed reference point for truth, morality, identity, and meaning. By turning identity into a self-made sort of thing, into whoever we want to be or whoever we say that we are or feel that we are, that's no grounding for dignity and value." [36:15] (58 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6. "You've been made in the image of God and therefore, you have dignity, you have value, you have worth, not just because of who you are, but more accurately, because of whose you are. You matter because you have been made by the maker. The word so connects us to verse 27. It expresses agreement, confirmation. Three times the word created is used, emphasizing the uniqueness of God creating mankind as male and female. From this point on, humanity is divided into two groups. Male and female. In addition, the fact we are made in God's image is stated twice for emphasis." [41:11] (53 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7. "As humans, our worth and our identity is intrinsic because we've been created in the image and likeness of God to display his character. We don't have to work to establish our worth. We are already worthy because of who made us. According to Isaiah 43, 7, the main reason we've been created, it is to show forth God's glory. Everyone, it says, who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made. Our world teaches that people can be whoever they identify themselves to be, but the word of God teaches you are who God says you are." [46:03] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8. "God doesn't leave us in our fallenness. He doesn't leave us in our sin. He doesn't leave us. He makes us new. We are being made new. Not just created by Jesus and for Jesus, but recreated by him and for him. And now, I live out my identity in him. Well, that says a lot. How do you do that? Live out your identity in him. We stopped reading with verse 22, but in verse 23, Paul finishes his thought. He says, this all takes place, this reconciliation, this restoration, this recreation. It happens if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven and of which I, Paul, became a minister. I've been made a new creation in Jesus. My identity is now, as Galatians says, hidden in Jesus. That's who I am. A sinner reconciled to God if I continue, as Paul said, stable, steadfast, not shifting." [48:37] (94 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
9. "If I'm a reflection of my creator and my recreator, then I need to be living like Christ. And here's what the writer of Hebrews says about that. He says, In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to him who was able to save him from death. And he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son. Jesus knew his identity. He lived into it. He was a son. He was the son. He learned obedience. Through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him. Can we just leave that scripture up for a moment? Guys, Jesus didn't doubt who he was. He was a son. He was the son. And he learned obedience, it says. Guys, who we are. What that tells me is who we are. Our identity in Jesus is decided in a lot of little decisions that we make every day. Because what we don't realize is it's all of those little decisions that are forming who we are as children of God. Our identity and who we're gonna be when it truly matters is being settled by who we decide to be in the little things. Am I learning obedience like Jesus? Am I bearing his image?" [50:26] (113 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
10. "Here's what I mean when I say I am ready with a biblical worldview to be an image bearer of Christ. Here's what Scripture says about it. Because of who Jesus Christ is and because he is my Savior and my Lord, I am a child of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, seated with Christ in the heavenly realm. I am chosen, accepted, and included a citizen of heaven and a member of God. I am a part of God's household. I am loved by God unconditionally and without reservation. I belong to him, having been bought by him with the precious blood of Jesus. I have eternal life and will be saved from all of God's wrath to come, guaranteed. I am a Christian. I am not just different in what I do. My identity has changed. I am has changed. Everything has and is becoming brand new. I am a dwelling place in which God lives by his Spirit. I have access to him anytime, anywhere, for any reason. I am God's creation, his workmanship. I was created by him and for him, so who I am and what I do matters a lot. I'm spiritually alive. I've been set free from the fear of death and I've been given life to live and enjoy to the full. I'm forgiven. Completely. Totally. Absolutely. I've been rescued from the dominion of darkness and brought into the kingdom of light, the kingdom of the Son. I have been set free from the penalty of sin and the power of sin. I am an enemy of Satan and at war with the spiritual forces of evil. But greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world." [57:18] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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