Our Identity
Dave Nelson
“You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.” —Revelation 4:11
1. I am a Creation – Humility
16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have
been created through him and for him. —Colossians 1:16
A. God has determined Your existence
B. God has Determined Your purpose
C. God has Determined You Dependent
24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and
earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served
by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life
and breath and everything else. —Acts 17:24-2511 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not
have life. —1 John 5:11-12
2. I am a New Creation – Security
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation. The old has gone,
the new is here! —2 Corinthians 5:173 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in
the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in
him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love
5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance
with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has
freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his
blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that
he lavished on us. —Ephesians 1:3-8
A. God has Determined You to be Rich
B. God has determined You to be His child
C. God has Determined You to be Holy
3. I am a Unique Creation – Ability
A. God has determined Your Being
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well. —Psalm 139:13-14
B. God has determined Your Purpose
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
C. God has determined Your Gifts —Psalm 139:164 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There
are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of
working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. —1 Corinthians 12:4-611 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to
each one, just as he determines. —1 Corinthians 12:1125 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for
me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet
forfeit their soul? —Matthew 16:25-26