Identityનમૂનો

Main Idea: We are Called to be Holy

God’s plan for the world is that His holiness would be seen and reflected through His people, His sons and daughters. When you belong to God, your identity changes. You’re no longer defined by sin, but by being part of His family.

As we discussed in previous weeks, God made mankind without sin, and the world without flaws. But we chose to do what was not good, and made the world fall in the process, meaning that we needed Jesus to come and save us from that sin. Now, for those of us who follow Jesus, that call to reflect and spread God’s goodness is once more in effect. What does that mean? Well, it starts with ridding ourselves of sin.

Imagine you were brought up in a terrible, broken home environment, with drugs everywhere, maybe just one guardian who was barely ever there, and when they came home, they would be aggressive and destructive. But then, you were adopted into the home of a warm, loving, kind, generous family, who made you a co-equal child with their own. Yes, that’s exactly how the Bible describes what God has done for us. But you’d probably carry in some bad habits, right? Maybe you would yourself be aggressive, or distant, or mean at times. Part of what the parents in this new family would want to do would be to help you heal on the inside and choose behaviors that will be better for you and those around you. Similarly, we all carry bad habits, thoughts, and desires from our old life before we knew God. But because of His love for us, God calls us to live in line with our new identity, to choose goodness over sin.

Reflection Questions:

• How does knowing you are adopted into God’s family and given a new identity affect the way you view yourself and your past mistakes?
• What are some old habits, thoughts, or desires in your life that God might be calling you to let go of to reflect His holiness?