Who Am I?

 Who Am I?

Have you ever wondered "Who Am I?"
Where do you begin with this question?

Do you find the answer by looking within?
Or, does the answer go beyond yourself? 

Were you born into a world which was formed with an order and meaning? Would this order and meaning affect your identity?

Or, is our world unformed, like a blank slate, where you can create your own order, meaning, and identity?

Have you ever observed something that made you think there must be a Creator? Have you had any experiences that seem to suggest life can't just be an accident?

If our world is unformed, simply a long series of biological and chemical processes, is there any external truth to anchor our identity to?

If we are only atoms following natural laws, can there be any meaning beyond our own wants or desires?

Or, is it possible that our world was formed and given an order and meaning? Do we find that we have actually entered a world whose meaning, order, and purpose were designed before we were ever born? If we entered into a formed world, then how do we find out who we are? How do we discover our identity in this world? 


A Key Question

I believe before we can answer the question "Who Am I?" we have to answer the key question, "Is our world formed?"

Are there any clues that help us answer this question?

Recently I took a dive into studying the molecular biology of the human body. (Read about what I learned in the blog, What Makes Me Tick.) I was blown away with all I learned! The specificity, complexity, and interdependence of our molecular biology gives me clear evidence that we were designed and crafted by an infinitely, intelligent and powerful God. You can look at any system, body function, or chemical pathway, and every time you will see that a long chain of specified chemicals, anatomical devices, and support systems are needed for every action that occurs in the body.

When I dove into studying the actual specifics of what is required to bring about just a few of our body's capabilities, I was convinced that our body had to be designed. I was thoroughly convinced that we have a Creator who formed our world.

My ability to think and the content of my thoughts are additional clues to answering the question, "Is our world formed?" If I am only atoms and energy in an unformed world, then my thoughts and actions are determined only by the chemical reactions in my brain. Introspection and daily experiences, though, have led me to believe differently. Every day I make choices that determine my actions. I think about my choices and about eternity, and my decisions do not follow predictable patterns or formulas. My consciousness of these thoughts prove to me that I have a free will and must be more than matter and energy.

There is another clue that has led me to decide this world is formed. I am convinced that people have an innate understanding that some things are right and some things are wrong. Simple chemicals in nature are not bound by a sense of right and wrong; chemicals only react to other chemicals and to changing energy levels. But every person I know can relate to being wronged by another and can relate to making a choice on how to respond in these times. This universal concept of rightness and wrongness tells me that our world was designed by a Law-Giver who has a nature that is good.


Our World


The above has led me to conclude that our world has been created and formed with some kind of moral code. Can I find out more about the world we were born into?

I have learned that the Bible claims to tell us about the God who created this world and about our relationship to Him. It claims to be truth and to be the actual words of the Creator God. I have studied the Bible, and I have also journeyed through arguments written against the Bible.

After much study, I have concluded that you can press the Bible from every side, and it proves to be coherent and consistent in every way to itself and to our world. Its prophecies have, and still are continuing to come true, and its words have been proven to be preserved through time. I found that it is not only true history, but its words are alive like no other book. (A good website that offers more details on deciding whether the Bible is true can be found at https://genesisapologetics.com/bible/.)

If the Bible contains the words and messages from our Creator to us, then it must be significant in the answering of the question, "Who Am I?"

If I am born into a formed world, then I will never truly know the reality of myself until I know the reality of my Creator and the reality of the world He made.



"Who am I?" – Answered in the Bible

1. You are His: God made the world, He made you, and you are His. God left you evidence of Himself in the things that He made so you could see His Divine nature and eternal power. God gives you life. God is good, and He values you.

(God made the world: Gen 1:1 says, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (NIV, 2011)

God made you, and you are His: Psa 100:3 explains, "Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His…"

God left you evidence of Himself in the things that He made so you could see His Divine nature and eternal power: Rom 1:20 declares, "For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made…"

God gives you life: Acts 17:25 says, "…He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else."

God is good: Psa 25:8, "Good and upright is the Lord…"

And, He values you: Ps 139:16 says, "Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.")

 

2. You are designed to have a relationship with God: God designed you to know Him, to enjoy Him, to love Him, to have a relationship with Him, and to have purpose in serving Him. He put eternity into your heart so you can know there is more to the world than what you see, and gave you a human spirit that is able to connect to Him in Spirit and in truth.
(God designed you to know Him: Jer 29:13, “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.”

To enjoy Him: Ps 100:2 says, "Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs."

To love Him: Luke 10:27 states, "He answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind…’

To have a relationship with Him: John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 17:3 continues with, "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."

And, to have purpose in serving Him: 1 Sam 12:24 says, "Only fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you." Eph 2:10 states, "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." In Ecc 12:13-14, we find, "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil."

He put eternity into your heart so you can know there is more to the world than what you see: Ecc 3:11 states, "He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet a no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end".

And gave you a human spirit that is able to connect to Him in Spirit and in truth: Job 32:8 says, “But it is the spirit in a person, the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding.” And, John 4:24 Jesus tells us, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”)

 

3. You are made to glorify God and follow His goodness. You were made to glorify God, and you have a moral code in your heart which is defined by God's goodness. However, you were also born with a nature that tends to rebel against God and His goodness. God made a way to offer you forgiveness when you fall short of His goodness; Jesus makes this forgiveness possible through His life and death on the cross. And, when you are injured by your wrongs or the wrongs of others, Jesus knows the way to heal you and offers healing as a gift. God has provided the way to make you new on the inside and to be filled with His goodness; When you surrender to God, the Holy Spirit does this work. Through God's kindness toward us and through Jesus, God offers you eternal life which begins on earth and continues forever with Him in heaven. Through believing in Jesus and surrendering to Him, you receive eternal life.
 
(You were made to glorify God: Isa 43:6b-7says, "…bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

You have a moral code in your heart which is defined by God’s goodness: As we see in Rom 2:14-16, "They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them…"

However, you were also born with a nature that tends to rebel against God and His goodness: Rom 3:23 explains, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…"

God made a way to offer you forgiveness when you fall short of His goodness; Jesus makes this forgiveness possible through His life and death on the cross: Rom 5:8-9 thankfully states, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!" 1 John 1:9 explains, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

And, when you are injured by your wrongs or the wrongs of others, Jesus knows the way to heal you and offers healing as a gift: Ps 147:3 states, " He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Ps 40:1-3, "I waited patiently for the LORD; He inclined to me and heard my cry. He lifted me up from the pit of despair, out of the miry clay; He set my feet upon a rock, and made my footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD."

God has provided the way to make you new on the inside and filled with His goodness; when you surrender to God, the Holy Spirit does this work.: Titus 3:4-7 says, "But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life." In 2 Cor 5:17 we find, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"

Through God's kindness toward us and through Jesus, God offers you eternal life which begins on earth and continues forever with Him in heaven. Through believing in Jesus and surrendering to Him, you receive eternal life: In Rom 6:23 we find, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Rom 10:9,10, continues with "… if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved."

In Eph 2:4-8 we learn, "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith." 

 

4. You are a man or a woman: God gave you a body that is connected to your soul. God designed your body, genetically male or female, with intentionality and love for you to be the person He created you to be. God also fashioned you with a personality and with talents, and He knows you personally. God has given you a mind and a heart to use with creativity to accomplish specific good works.
 
(God gave you a body that is connected to your soul: 1 Thes 5:23 says, "May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

God designed your body, genetically male or female: Gen 1:27c states “…male and female he created them."

With intentionality and love for you to be the person He created you to be: Psa 139:13-16 states, "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. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

God also fashioned you with a personality and with talents, and He knows you personally: In Ps 139:1-2 we find, "You have searched me, Lord, and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar."

God has given you a mind and a heart to use with creativity to accomplish specific good works that He has prepared for you: Eph 2:10 states, "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Col 3:23-24 tells us, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.”) 

 

5. You are designed by God to be in relationship with others. God is relational, and He made you in His image. Therefore, you are also relational; He made you to be in relationships with others. God designed males and females to complement each other and to unite in marriage and become one. This oneness of a husband and wife is an illustration of the oneness of Jesus with His people, the church. God designed the family unit to raise up children and to care for one another. God also designed you to be in relation with friends, co-workers, a nation, and His church where we are to care for one another, love one another, serve one another, and build each other up in truth.
 
(God is relational: John 17:24 says, "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world."

And He made you in His image: Gen 1:27 states, "So God created mankind in his own image…"

Therefore, you are also relational; He made you to be in relationships with others: John 15:12 explains, "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."

God designed males and females to complement each other and to unite in marriage and become one: Gen 2:22-24 tells us, "Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh."

This oneness of a husband and wife is an illustration of the oneness of Jesus with His people, the church: We see in Eph 5:22, 23, 25, 31, 32, "Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her… [A] man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church."

God designed the family unit to raise up children and to care for one another: Deut 6:5-7 says, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." 1 Titus 5:4b "…these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family…"

God also designed you to be in relation with friends, co-workers, a nation, and His church where we are to care for one another, love one another, serve one another, and build each other up in truth: In Prov 17:17 we learn, "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity." Luke 10:27, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Gal 6:10, "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." Eph 4:25-32, "Therefore… speak truthfully to your neighbor… share with those in need… Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs… Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.")

 

"Who Am I?" - Continuing the Journey 

In the pages of the Bible, we discovered our world was created with an order, meaning, and purpose. We learned we are a part of this creation and are deeply valued and loved by our Creator.

Here also we discovered the foundations of who we are. We found the framework for our God-given identity and God-given worth, and saw how these apply to each person and are beautifully connected to the meaning God gives to our world.

What happens though when you look into your "self" and deep within in some ways, or most ways, the "self" you see does not match the identity that God has given you?

Here lies the understanding of our nature. We were born into a broken and sinful world. When the first man and woman rebelled against God, they opened the door for evil to enter them. Their good natures were tainted with broken and evil tendencies, and those tendencies were passed on to all generations of their children.

Each of us has a broken, sinful nature. When each of us look within, we will find a nature that does not match God's plan for us. Each of us will fall short. It is for our good that God does not define what is good based on any of our natures. If He did, we would forever by under our own corruption. Instead, God defines what is "good" solely on what is found in HIS nature.

God's definition of good applies universally to all of us, and it is good for all of us. When we get to know God personally, and begin to see His vastness and greatness, we begin to understand how His goodness is truly good. Only God is free from corruption and evil consequence.

There is great freedom found in knowing that your identity and worth are secure because they are rooted in God's goodness and held in God's Hands.

You are not an accident. You were wonderfully and awesomely made. The God of the universe knows you, has fashioned you, and has chosen to individually relate to you. You are a part of HIS story, with a God-given identity, God-given value, and with God-given good works to do. Within this framework, God has given you individual responsibility and freedom to think, to act, to design, and to work. And within this framework, joy is found.

 

To assist in pursuing these questions further, I have written a short book, What's It All About? which takes a narrative journey through the key events recorded in the Bible (click Products and Services above). It is my hope that this might help you on your search to understand our world and to answer the universal question, "Who Am I?"

 Suzanne Dawson

 

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