The Bible teaches that people are made in the image of God. What does this mean about our identity? It means two things: 1) our value is inherent, which means that we have value simply by being human and 2) our value is contingent, which means we’re utterly dependent upon God. According to the Scriptures, our identity is not something we earn but is given by God’s grace, in the work that Jesus purchased in the gospel.

Keller contends that a crucial way to preach on the biblical view of identity is to highlight three aspects of the salvation we have in Jesus: 1) justification as legally righteous, 2) adoption into God’s family, and 3) union with Jesus.

Furthermore, he writes,

…a Christian, as it were, arrives at a far higher self-esteem by getting much lower self-esteem. Only if we repent and admit we are far worse than we ever imagined can we become justified, adopted, and united with Christ, and therefore be far more loved and accepted than we ever hoped. The Christian identity then creates a profound humility even as it bestows an infinite love and sense of worth upon us.