Christians Know Who They Are

The famous philosopher, Rene Descartes, once said, “I think, therefore, I am.” Like every philosopher – every person, really – Descartes wanted to know himself, and not just superficially, but on the inside. All people have a desire to know themselves, to know their weaknesses and strengths, their foibles and limitations.

Christians are not immune to this search for self-realization. We’re no different. We want to know who we are, why we’re here, and where we’re going. Thankfully, God has been gracious. His Word answers all of those deep questions. Today, the psalm writer tells us that: CHRISTIANS KNOW WHO THEY ARE. 1) They Are Unique, and 2) They Are Loved.

1) They Are Unique

Today is Confirmation Sunday in our church; a big day for Megan Coyne. She has the privilege to stand before her church family and her Lord as she confesses her faith in Jesus and her willingness to continue in that faith. Yet, Megan will no doubt encounter ups and downs as she continues in her faith. There may be times when she questions who she is. When that happens, remember you are unique.

Go home and dig out your birth certificate if you can, or if you dare. Look at the information printed on it. It shows your birth weight, your height, your eye and hair color, it indicates whether you’re a boy or a girl. “What’s the point?” you ask. Well, the information compiled on that certificate describes who you are. You are unique. No one else in history fits that description.

This is a blessed comfort. You are unique in the way you were made. King David describes it this way: “for you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” The work of the Lord is wonderful. Just look at the life he has bestowed upon us. It’s as the apostle Paul said, “In him, we live, breathe, and have our being.” And each one does this in a unique way.

We are unique in God’s eyes, just as a single crawfish is unique in a sack of hundreds. Yesterday, we had our annual crawfish boil at church. It was funny watching everyone. The adults went right to the tables and sat down. They weren’t interested in the crawfish, not unless they were boiled and dumped out in front of them. The kids were different, however. They were all around the cooler of live crawfish, studying, inspecting, and marveling over them. “Look at the size of this one!” someone yelled. “Yeah, and look at pincher on this one!” another called. “This one has an antennae longer than the other, and this one has a little brown spot on its tail!” They marveled at the unique shape and detail of each crawfish. Imagine how God could come up with so many different shapes and designs for something as mundane as the “mudbug”.

How much more remarkable to think that God formed you in a special way when he brought you into the world! Life is a special gift from God. Just like a single crawfish, so God has made you who you are. You are unique. But even better than a sack full of crawfish is that we are redeemed children of God.

God, our Creator, sent his own Son to buy us back from sin, death, and the devil. God sent Jesus Christ – his own Son in his exact image – to win salvation for us. Jesus was unique. He was a true human being. He had flesh and blood just like you and me. Yet, he was also true, eternal God. He was more than just a snow flaky representation. He was God almighty – the Creator himself – and yet, he humbled himself to become part of the creation, so that he could suffer and die for all creation. Now, that’s unique!

Christ Jesus did this for you, so that you might have eternal life. God brought us into this world, has given us faith to believe in his Son, so that he might take us from this life into his eternal glory. As a child of God, you know who you are. You are one-of-a-kind, unique to God. There’s no one else like you. God made you. He knows you. And he loves you.

A lot of people don’t believe this though. There are subtle lies, which threaten to rob us of our certainty in Christ. For example, the theory of evolution has the capacity to wipe God’s uniqueness from our lives. Consider the repercussions of such thinking. To tell people that the sum total of their lives is just the result of millions of years of trial and error, then don’t be surprised when people don’t think that life is special or unique. Don’t be surprised by the senseless violence, or the blatant disrespect of others. If my existence is the product of some primordial ooze creeping from an ancient swamp, then why should I value my life at all, or yours for that matter? Such thinking can change a person’s outlook on life. If life is merely a disorderly series of random acts – something without design or purpose – then the meaning of life becomes quite simple: greed, selfishness, fits of rage, discontentment, lust, and perversion.