You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 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! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Romans 5:6-11

Many people, even in the church, suffer from self-rejection.  We don’t feel “good enough.” We don’t feel “worthy,” or we’ve done too many bad things or too many bad things have happened to us.  This type of thought pattern can go on for years, sabotaging the truth about who we are in Christ and how valuable we are to our heavenly Father.  When such lies reign in our minds, feelings of worthlessness follow.

If we’ve received Jesus Christ as Savior, we’re accepted by God – not based on our performance but based on Christ’s substitutionary atoning death on our behalf.  This is what we celebrate at Easter!  This is the truth that should govern our self-perception.  But getting rid of or eliminating wrong patterns of thought and behavior takes more than simply knowingwhy we’re accepted.  To develop a healthier outlook, we must saturate ourselves with God’s Word so the Holy Spirit can renew our minds with truth and reveal any unbiblical thinking.  Then we need to take those thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ (2 Cor. 10:5) by refusing those thoughts.

There are many verses in the Bible that express who we are in Christ.  Let me give you three foundational principals for us to stand on.            

1. As believers, we belong to God’s family (Romans 8:15-17).

2. We are so loved by Him that He sent His Son to rescue us from sin and condemnation (Jn. 3:16)

3. We’re empowered by his indwelling Spirit to successfully live as God desires – in righteousness, holiness, and truth (Gal. 5:16-25).

If we allow three facts to permeate our being, and refuse the lies to the contrary, over time, our perception of ourselves will change, the proper feelings will eventually follow as we see our self in the image of Christ.