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"New Identity"

The right to become God’s children is made possible by Jesus, and the incredible news is that because of Jesus, God now says the same thing about us He said about Jesus. Ready for it? Here you go: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11).

Because of Jesus, God says the same thing about you that He said about Jesus. In this one statement, God gives us an incredible supply of affirmation for the identity deficits that we all feel—that gnawing, deep craving for belonging, love, and approval. Note the three distinct elements in this statement of promise:

1. You are My son ...


When God says, “You are My son,” He is identifying Himself with us. He is saying that He wants to be associated with us, that we are together.

Point number one of this new identity is that we are people with whom God is pleased to be associated. He’s saying, “Yep, that’s My daughter; that’s My son.” He never dissociates Himself from us once we have become His children. Pretty flattering that He’d be so kind, despite our sometimes lousy behavior!

2. Whom I love …

Sometimes in a family relationship, we might not always like each other, let alone love each other. If you have a family member whom you don’t like, you might feel, Yes, I have to claim that he’s my brother, but I don’t like him.

But God is not this way. Not only is God saying, “Yes, that’s My son,” but He’s also claiming, “I love this son. He has My affection. My heart is with him and it’s for him.”

3. With you I am well pleased.

God tops off this statement of promise by adding, “I’m so pleased with you.” The God who set the stars in place is saying He’s proud of you. Not of some other person—but you.

As we grow into understanding the depth of God’s heart for us, these affirmations begin to slowly fill the identity-deficit places in our souls. All those things we’ve been doing to look for affirmation, to try to be important, to feel important, to be admired, to be thought of highly—now we have an answer. And not from people, not from material things that don’t fill our hearts, not from titles or positions ... but from God.