Week 3: Our Relationship With God/ Our Identity In Him
Sorry if the video isn't great, I couldn't really find a really good one to go with this topic. If you find one though, please tell me an I'll put it up ASAP! Sorry that this is late guys! Wattpad wouldn't publish it!
Hey girls! It's Kayla here, and this week's topic is who we are in God.
Today we will answer several questions that fall under this category.
Some of them are:
• What makes us who we are?
• What is a relationship with God like?
• How do we have a healthy relationship with Him?
To begin, I want you to watch the video.
The video talked about what makes us who we are.
We are not what we've achieved.
This means that it doesn't matter if we've made a million dollars and run a top world enterprise, or if we haven't done much with our life. This is not what makes us who we are. If this were the case, people would try to be the best at everything. This seems like a better world, because everyone would try harder, but it's not. People would bully those who didn't achieve as much as them, and those who don't achieve much would be frowned upon. This is not what defines us.
We are not what we do.
This means that it doesn't matter if we are the CEO of a huge company like Microsoft, or if we work at McDonalds. This is not what makes us who we are. If this were the case, everyone would strive to do everything. This is impossible, because the list is endless. This is not what defines us.
We are not what we've done right or wrong.
This means that it doesn't matter whether we have never sinned once in our life, or if we sin every minute of every day. This does not make us who we are. If this were the case, people would go through life trying to do everything right. This seems like a better world, but it's not. If this happened, people would beat themselves up over the smallest of mistakes, thinking that it changes who they are. This is not what defines us.
We are not what others say we are.
This means that we it doesn't matter if you are the most popular girl in school, or if you aren't what society says you have to be. This does not make us who we are. If this were the case, people would make others good or bad depending on how everyone thought of them. This is not what defines us.
If none of this is what defines us, then what does define us? What makes us who we are?
God helps make us who we are.
If this seems confusing to you, please tell me so I can explain it.
Here is a list of a few things that make up our identity in Him:
We are all children of God. (Based off of John 1:12) No matter what we do, what we've accomplished , what society says we are, or what we've done right or wrong. This is part of who we are.
I am Christ's friend (John 15:15)
I am a member of Christ's Body (1 Corinthians 12:27)
I am a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20)
I am adopted as his child (Ephesians 1:5)
I am in Him (Ephesians 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:30)
I am a saint (Ephesians 1:18)
I am a personal witness of Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8)
I am God's coworker (2 Corinthians 6:1)
I am a minister of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:17-20)
I am alive with Christ (Ephesians 2:5)
I am raised up with Christ (Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 2:12)
I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6)
I am God's workmanship (Ephesians 2:10)
I am a member of God's household (Ephesians 2:19)
I am a dwelling for the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:22)
I share in the promise of Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:6)
I am completed by God (Ephesians 3:19)
I am not alone (Hebrews 13:5)
I am His disciple (John 13:15)
I am prayed for by Jesus Christ (John 17:20-23)
I possess the mind of Christ (I Corinthians 2:16)
I am chosen and dearly loved (Colossians 3:12)
I am crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20)
I am the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21)
I am part of God's kingdom (Revelation 1:6)
I am a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
That's a long list. That's because He is a huge part in who we are. We have a huge relationship with Him. He is a part of everything we do, everything we achieve, and He forgives us for what we've done right or wrong. So of course He is going to affect who we are!
Now that we understand a little bit more about what makes us who we are, let's talk about relationships with God.
First off.... What is a relationship with God?
Unlike religion, a relationship with God comes from His amazing love and grace reaching out to us. It's always been God's desire to unveil Himself to us since creation (Romans 1:20). Adam and Eve "heard the sound of the Lord God as He [God] was walking in the garden [of Eden] in the cool of the day" (Genesis 3:8). Since the beginning, God desired an everlasting, loving relationship with man. Adam was made in God's image then chosen to wisely manage "everything that [had] the breath of life in it." We were designed for relationships. Then, God provided Eve as a companion so Adam could experience an intimate union. When you have a real relationship with God through Christ, life becomes exciting because He stirs up a passion inside us to love people—and we don't have to struggle to do the things He calls us to do. It happens naturally.
I got this excerpt from a Joyce Meyer article:
If there's one thing people need to hear over and over again, it's this: God loves you. That's all there is to it. He may not like everything you do, but He's never going to stop loving you. God is not impressed with your works at all. What He cares about is your heart. I believe the greatest thing God wants to hear from us is, "I love You, Lord. Thank You for everything You've done in my life. I want to do what's right. Keep teaching me." Many of us don't pray and ask God for what we need because we don't think we have a right to ask. But the Bible says God wants us to learn how to receive His mercy. Hebrews 4:15 says we have a High Priest, a perfect Savior, who understands our weaknesses. He's been tempted just like we are, yet He never sinned. Verse 16 says we can come fearlessly and confidently before God in prayer to receive His mercy and be forgiven.
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Now here's a good question: How do we form or build a better relationship with God?
Picture the relationship that Jesus shared with His Heavenly Father. Jesus was the only begotten Son of the Father. The relationship the two shared while Jesus was on earth was unparalleled. Through Christ, we experience God's presence, strengthening our relationship:
Love – "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
Sacrifice – "...But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:1–2).
Faithfulness – "God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful" (1 Corinthians 1:9).
Mercy – "...For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ" (Romans 3:23–24).
Peace – "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7).
Joy – "...We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ...and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5:1–2).
Eternity – "I [Jesus] give them eternal life, and they shall never perish...My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one" (John 10:28–30).
A personal relationship with God begins with knowing His Son Jesus Christ. Our earthly relationships change. You and I are destined for change. But Jesus is changeless. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. When you draw near to Jesus Christ, you will be changed.
God wants to be involved in everything we do. He wants us to fellowship with Him, which means communicating with Him throughout our day just like we do with someone who's our close friend or family member. Knowing God loves us, loving Him, spending time with Him, and being grateful for what He's done and is doing in our lives can help us have a real relationship with Him.
A close relationship with our Savior is possible for all of us. If we ask for it and work towards it, we can feel confident we will receive it, just as we are told in Luke 11:9-10 which says, "And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened."
Now for the questions:
1) Do you feel like this will help you have a closer relationship with God?
2) Anything else you could add/take away/change with the lesson?
3) Was this lesson confusing for you at all?
4) Did you like the video? Do you have a video that we could use sometime in the future?
5) Do you have any questions for us?
Sorry this isn't as long as usual. I've been a little bit busy.
Thanks for joining us today! Please comment and join us next week!
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