Does God See Us As Nobodies, Wretches or Sinners? Understanding Our Identity In Christ
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There is this constant narrative that I have been aware of for years where we are told that or we declare of our selves that we are “nobody’s,” wretches, sinners, and the like. There is this line of thinking that implies that we, as believers, are still somehow worthless or God’s little charity orphans.
People are crying out for identity all around us, so I believe it matters more than ever what we say of ourselves. The question is, does what we say of ourselves match what the Father says of us. It is after all His opinion that matters the most, so let’s dive in and see what scripture says about our identity and worth.
Our Righteousness
We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. Isaiah 64:6 ESVFor God made the only one who did not know sin to become sin for us, so that we who did not know righteousness might become the righteousness of God through our union with him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 TPT
I will start here because I believe this will be the verse used towards the most significant push back. Isaiah said that our righteousness was as “filthy rags,” which some translate to even mean mensural pads. It’s a pretty vivid picture.
Righteousness is our “right standing with God.” In our humanness and frailty before salvation, we had no righteousness of our own. There was no way we could climb out of the pits we had dug for ourselves, and there was absolutely no way we could ever repay the debt we owed.
We needed a savior because we were lost and stuck and bound by sins.
So yes, we were pitiful and in need of some serious help, but that does not mean we had no value or that we were nobodies. It also does not paint a picture of our state after salvation.
The best place to start in the search for identity and purpose is with the truth of how incredibly loved you are by the Father. We created a six day email challenge that focuses on just that - how loved you are and how knowing that changes everything. The challenge is free and has impacted thousands of women so far. Join us and receive daily prompts that are sure to change the way you see yourself and the way you interact with the Word. You can join us here!
Are we wretches?
Let’s break down three common words I often hear believers refer to themselves as, starting with wretches.
This one is made popular by Amazing Grace. In short, we were wretches, which is an unfortunate and unhappy person. That is the state in which the Savior found us.
However, at salvation, that definition would no longer apply to us. We are blessed. Our sins are forgiven.
How happy and fulfilled are those
whose rebellion has been forgiven,
those whose sins are covered by blood.
How blessed and relieved are those
who have confessed their corruption to God!
For he wipes their slates clean
and removes hypocrisy from their hearts. Psalm 32:1-2 TPT
Are we sinners?
Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]. 2 Corinthians 5:17 AMP
We were born sinners. Sin is death. We went into the world and lived our lives before salvation in a spiritually dead condition with self-destructive and sinful habits and characteristics.
At salvation, we were raised to life in Jesus Christ. So it is safe to say, we were once sinners saved by grace, but now we are fully alive children of the most high God. (Ephesians 2:1-6)
But God clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Therefore, since we have now been justified [declared free of the guilt of sin] by His blood, [how much more certain is it that] we will be saved from the wrath of God through Him. Roman 5:8-9 AMP
Notice that Romans says Christ dies for us while we were still sinners. Past tense. We are now free from sin, so we are not sinners.
Are we nobodies?
This one has gained popularity in recent days. The idea is that we are nobodies pointing to Jesus. I think we have to be careful as we walk the line between resisting pride where we make a big deal of ourselves and humility, which is where we believe what God has said of us.
The Father does not say that we are nobodies. Over and over, He calls us, chosen, and worthy. (John 15:16, John 3:16) He calls us His children. (Galatians 4:5) He reminds us that we have power and authority through Him.
On our own, are we nobodies? From the moment we were born, we were image-bearers of God. In our lives up to salvation, we lived in ways that were contrary to who we were created to be.
We wore masks that made us look like nobody’s, but all the while, the cross shows we had value and worth.
So who are we?
And I will put enmity (open hostility)
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed (offspring) and her Seed;
He shall [fatally] bruise your head,
And you shall [only] bruise His heel.” Genesis 3:15 AMPFor this is how much God loved the world—he gave his one and only, unique Son as a gift. So now everyone who believes in him will never perish but experience everlasting life. “God did not send his Son into the world to judge and condemn the world, but to be its Savior and rescue it! John 3:16-17 TPT
From the beginning of the world, when man and woman fell, God announced a redemptive plan. In this announcement, we see that we have always meant something to the Father.
As an artist, I can tell you that the worth of a piece of art or any product is what someone else is willing to pay for it. The value of my work is what you are willing to pay to make it yours.
God was willing to give His only Son for you. Jesus was willing to lay down His life to pay your price.
You are so valuable. You have worth and not because of anything special you have down or achieved, but because the One who created you says so.
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All the verses marked TPT shared in today post are taken from one of Mike and I’s favorite translations, The Passion Translation. We love this version and the heart behind it. The best part is the Kindle version is usually available on Amazon for under $10. Last time I checked, it was only $8.99! You can check it out here.
