Catechism: Divine DesignSample

Some say that to understand your identity, gender, and sexuality, you must “follow your heart.” But to truly understand your identity, you need to go back to the start of the human story, when God created humanity. In the beginning, God created human beings in his image and gave us everything we needed to flourish. But humanity rebelled against God, wandering far away from that perfect life God designed. Ever since humanity has been trying to design our own versions of “the good life.” But without a relationship with our Creator, they all ultimately lead to confusion, corruption, and death. But, God didn’t leave us lost and confused. He sent Jesus to restore us to himself, remind us of the truth of who God is and who he created us to be, and free us from the pain of our old sinful life. When Jesus died in our place, we were freed from the power of sin and death. Now, when we give our lives to Jesus, we are born again into a new humanity, free from the curse of sin. Following Jesus doesn’t mean all our problems disappear. As long as we’re on earth, we’ll feel the effects of sin. But our sin no longer defines us. Our identity no longer centers on our struggles; it centers on being made in the image of God. We spend our lives following Jesus and choosing to put on our “new self.” Instead of looking to ourselves for the answers, we look to Jesus to restore the image of God in us, day after day, until we meet him face to face. Read: Ephesians 4:17-24 Reflection Questions: * What does it mean to “put on your new nature?” The Holy Spirit is the one renewing us, but what is our role in living a holy life? * Is there an area of your life where you’re living according to the old, sinful nature instead of your new nature in Christ? Take some time to confess these areas of sin to God. He promises that when we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us. Receive that forgiveness!