Redeemed, Delighted In, Steadfastly Loved

Who we are in Christ

“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen” – Jude 1:24-25

It’s so easy to define ourselves by the things in our lives. As athletes, especially, by our performance. Or by our grades. By our looks, by our wealth, our connections or our likes and dislikes or even by the people we love. These identities are always empty, though. They lead us into either excessive pride at the fact that we believe we have made ourselves worthy of love, or utter despair as we realize we can never measure up. It’s easy to feel overcome by unworthiness.

It’s easy to feel trapped by shame. Sometimes we live with this constant, pressing fear that our sins are too big or too bad to truly be forgiven—this

feeling that our sins are so great and so many, and how could we ever be lifted of that weight? How could that stain ever be removed?

We just celebrated Easter. Yes, we all know—Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again. We’ve heard it before. Sometimes it’s difficult to dwell on what that means.

Jesus knows our hearts—our deepest hidden parts, the worst sins we have committed and will commit, our every darkness is laid bare before him. There’s nowhere for us to hide. He is holy, and we are so far from it. In our hearts, we are unworthy. But that’s not where the story ends.

Because of the cross, because of the empty tomb, because of the Easter we just celebrated, Jesus is able to present us blameless before God’s glory. But not only is he able to—he does so with great joy. Friends, the truth is that Jesus delights in us. He died for us not only because his Father told him to or because he knew it would fulfill a whole bunch of prophecies. He died for us because he loves us. He loves us with an unimaginable love that looks at us and sees all our brokenness, our twisted hearts, and loves us anyway, a love that sacrifices for us and redeems us and presents us blameless before the holy God with great joy.

Jesus tells us “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). This verse from Jude gives us freedom from the prisons of identity we build ourselves. The only and almighty God, who has redeemed you from death through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, to whom belongs all glory, majesty, dominion, and authority since before the beginning of time and until forever, looks on you in love and delight.

In Christ, we are free from other demands on our identity: from shame, from self, from our own worldly sense of worth. The Maker of the Universe has

looked on us in love. Above all else, this is who we are. This Easter, let’s rest in who Christ is—holy and resurrected—and who we are in Him: Redeemed, delighted in, and loved with an everlasting love.

“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him.”— Psalm 103:11

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” – Jeremiah 31:3b

Anna Emmons. Grove City College Women’s Swimming chaplain, backstroke. Pittsburgh, PA.