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Try this in your head: finish the sentence "I am..." ten times. A sister. A footballer. Funny. Australian. Bad at maths. Now imagine crossing out everything on your list that could be lost: through an injury, moving schools, a bad result, a friendship ending, or just getting older.
What's left? For a lot of people, not much. And that's a scary thought, because if your whole identity rests on things that can be taken away, you're always one bad week from losing yourself. This lesson asks the second big question: who am I? Is your identity something you have to build, or something you receive?
What you'll learn
- What it means to be made "in the image of God"
- What Psalm 139 says about how God knows and values you
- How other worldviews answer "Who am I?", and the difference between an identity you achieve and one you receive
Made in God's image
Genesis 1 says something about humans that it says about nothing else in creation:
"Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and over all the earth itself and every creature that crawls upon it.’ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." (Genesis 1:26–27)
Here's some background that makes this shocking. In the ancient world, kings set up statues ("images") of themselves around the lands they ruled, to show who was in charge. Genesis says that every human, not just kings, is God's living image in the world.
What does being made in God's image mean? Here are three big ideas:
| Image of God means... | From the passage | So... |
|---|---|---|
| Representing | Made in God's image and likeness | Every person has dignity, whatever their age, ability or background. |
| Relating | God says "Let us"; people made male and female | We are made for relationship, with God and with each other. |
| Ruling (caring) | Told to fill the earth and look after it (v. 28) | We have real work to do: caring for the world on God's behalf. |
Notice the order. On day six, humans hadn't achieved anything yet, and God already called them "very good". In the Bible, worth comes before achievement.
Known before you were born
King David wrote a song about how well God knows him:
"For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and I know this very well." (Psalm 139:13–14)
"Your eyes saw my unformed body; all my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be." (Psalm 139:16)
Before anyone else knew you existed, God knew you. David says he knows this "very well". You might find that easy to believe about yourself, or very hard. Either way, the Bible's claim is that your identity is received, like a gift or a name. You find out who you are by looking at the One who made you.
Two other answers, fairly
Secular materialism says you are a highly complex animal, and your sense of "self" is produced by your brain. It gets something right: we are physical, embodied creatures (the Bible agrees, see Genesis 2:7), and many materialists strongly defend human rights. But it struggles with a big question: where does equal worth come from if nature is all there is? Historian Yuval Noah Harari, who isn't religious, argues that human rights are a story humans invented rather than a fact of biology. Is an invented story strong enough to protect the weak?
"Be true to yourself" says the real you is found by looking inside. You discover it, express it, and others should affirm it. It gets a lot right: you are unique, being fake is unhealthy, and other people's labels shouldn't define you. But it struggles too. Feelings change, and the "inner self" can be confused or conflicted. It puts a heavy load on you: you have to build, display and protect your own identity. And it often ends up depending on other people's approval (likes, followers) anyway.
| Achieved identity | Received identity |
|---|---|
| I must build it and keep proving it | It is given and can't be taken away |
| Depends on performance or approval | Depends on God's choice to make and love me |
| Can be lost | Secure |
Key words
- Image of God: the Bible's teaching that every human is made to represent God, relate to him, and care for his world.
- Dignity: the worth and respect every person deserves.
- Achieved identity: an identity you have to build and keep proving.
- Received identity: an identity given to you that you can't lose.
How this points to Jesus
The New Testament calls Jesus "the image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15). If you want to know what a true human being looks like, the Bible says: look at Jesus. And Christians believe that, as they follow him, they are slowly being changed to become more like him (2 Corinthians 3:18). The image that was damaged is being restored.
Think about it
Why was it surprising in the ancient world to say every person is made in God's image?Show answer
Because usually only kings had "images" set up to represent them; Genesis says every human, rich or poor, has that dignity.
What's the difference between a received identity and an achieved one?Show answer
An achieved identity has to be built and kept up by performance or approval, so it can be lost; a received identity is given by someone else (in the Bible, by God) and is secure.
If every person bears God's image, how should that change the way we talk about people online?Show answer
It means no one is just a username or a target; even people we disagree with deserve respect, because they carry God's image too.
Take it further
This week, notice where you look for your sense of worth: results, sport, looks, followers, friends? None of those are bad, but ask whether any of them is carrying more weight than it can hold. Read Psalm 139 slowly one night this week. Your worksheet helps you compare these answers and add the "Who am I?" row to your worldview table.
If you'd like to, you could pray: God, thank you that you made me on purpose and know me completely. Help me believe it, and treat others like it's true. Amen.