# The identity of a believer (Theological Anthropology)

God made mankind for a relationship with Him.

- To permit this to happen, He gives the freedom of [decision](mind-decisions.md) to all His intelligent creations.

Our fallen state (see Harmatiology) essentially makes our bodies (and souls, to a secondary extent) live in *constant* opposition to God's desires.

- [Fear](mind-feelings-fear.md) and [misused pain memories](hardship-ptsd.md) violate any opportunity for [trusting](mind-trust.md) God, which sabotages our ability to [believe](mind-understanding-certainty.md) Him.
- When we develop [habits](habits.md) around our self-defined fears and beliefs, we only feel [safe](safety.md) with our own [understanding](mind-understanding.md) or trust in [other people](groups-small.md) or [social institutions](groups-large.md).
- With enough self-defined understanding, we can become [addicted](addiction.md) to [*anything*](addiction-substances.md).

All lasting [meaning](meaning.md) that can ever be derived for [living a good life](people-goodlife.md) comes through [following God's will](god-will.md).

- To follow God's will forces [change](people-changes.md) inside us that profoundly affects our [personality](people-personality.md).
  - His changes transform us at the deepest possible level we can imagine and in the most uncomfortable ways we can't conceive.
- Every [purpose](purpose.md) must be subordinate to His will, and the rest will be wiped from history.
- The only lasting [identity](people-identity.md) of any significance comes in being a redeemed child of God, which is antagonistic to our modern culture (see Teleology).
- Even when we receive tremendous glory or shame from [our efforts](results.md), our [legacy](legacy.md) will all be held to God's judgment at the end (see Eschatology).

Our fallen state creates a stable-enough, [morally disastrous social existence](https://theologos.site/unnatural-law/).

- It's a vastly [elaborate social system](lawsaxioms.md) built around [power management](power-types.md), which creates an emergent [economic system](money-economics.md) around a medium (i.e., money).
  - This system creates the consequence of [class stratification](people-classes.md) and [slavery](people-slavery.md), as well as magnifying the adverse [consequences](results.md) of failed [social risks](entrepreneur-why.md) and [taboos](morality-taboo.md) and [giving *far* too much power](power-influence.md) to those who can [maintain an image](people-image-distortion.md).
  - Eventually, we will always develop the [vast variety of political systems](politics-systems.md) we're accustomed to, and will engage in [endless conflicts](people-conflicts-war-why.md) over all sorts of stupid reasons.
  - Even if a perfect system were hypothetically created, it would eventually [descend into corruption](mgmt-badsystems.md), thereby perpetuating our [cycle](people-trends.md) of inflicting misery on each other.
- As we [specialize](jobs-specialization.md), we can more and more easily create idols among our [specialized groups](groups-member.md), further hastening our decline.
- It keeps growing more fallen, though, and its full emergence represented when Noah was alive to where God had to "reset" humanity to prevent further destruction of nature.
- Even after that, God had to both cut down our lives to about a century and confuse the languages of Babylon to slow the decay.
  - At some point, [everyone who God does not restore becomes a narcissist](https://theologos.site/narcissism/).

There are only two things that pass past this life into eternity, and everything will be at least partially destroyed or changed upon death:

1. Our friendship with God.
2. Our friendships with other believers, who are destined to become closer than [family](church-family.md).

There is *much* more on this in the above-stated Metaphysics, Epistemology, Logic, and Aesthetics.

[Additional exposition on who people are](theology-godandman-humanity.md)

## A Christian's identity

God sees Christians differently.

- We are accepted, and Jesus isn't ashamed to call us His siblings and friends (Romans 15:7, John 15:15, Hebrews 2:11).
- God intends to see you as perfect (Hebrews 12:2).
- He sees us as His chosen priesthood and a holy nation (1 Peter 2:9).
- We receive the [right](people-boundaries-why.md) to become children of God through faith. (John 1:12, Galatians 3:26).
- God gives us a new heart and newly reborn [spirit](theology-godandman-humanity.md) (Ezekiel 36:26).

As new [creations](creations.md) in Christ, Christians have a new [identity](identity.md) (2 Corinthians 5:17).

- We have been set free from [moral slavery](theology-sins.md) (Galatians 5:1).
- We are holy and dearly loved (Colossians 3:12).
- We've been blessed with the Holy Spirit and can now communicate with God (John 14:15-18).
- The Holy Spirit will transform and renew our mind as far as we permit Him (Romans 12:2).

As part of the Church, we are becoming the Bride of Christ for an eternal union with Him (Revelation 19:6-9).

- This union makes us one in spirit with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17).
- When [Jesus comes back](theology-end.md), we will appear with Him in glory (Colossians 3:4).
- We will share in Jesus' inheritance (Romans 8:17).

## This new state will change us

Your body has died and is buried with Christ by baptism, and are now made alive again to live new lives (Romans 6:4).

We're supposed to let God renew our minds and put on a new self (Ephesians 4:21-24).

- Most of this is in accepting our complete inadequacy, then submitting to Him being everything we need (2 Corinthians 3:5).
- Our mind, in particular, is a present reality (1 Corinthians 2:16).
- We are made complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10).

We will slowly bear more [spiritual fruits](morality.md) over time (Galatians 5:22-23).

- More [loving](people-love.md), kinder, gentler, humbler and more patient (Colossians 3:12).
- More [joyful](mind-feelings-happiness.md) and good.
- More [faithful](mind-understanding-certainty.md).
- More self-controlled, [disciplined](results.md), and at peace.
- An increased [state of humility](https://theologos.site/devotion-chaos/) (Philippians 2:3).
- More forgiving (Colossians 3:13).

God will heal *all* your [past trauma](hardship-ptsd.md) (Matthew 11:28, James 5:13-16), but your improvements will rarely be instant.

- Many of your physical problems can serve a spiritual benefit for you or others, so God doesn't always heal them.
- A Christian doesn't instantly become Christlike, but slowly changes to it (Titus 3:5).
- We change as fast as we're willing to give up ourselves and our past (Romans 12:2).

Our spirit will be bold, loving, and self-disciplined (2 Timothy 1:7).

- We will be *more* than conquerors through Him (Romans 8:37).
- This will come through having a long-term hope and trust in Him (Psalm 71:5, Psalm 139:14).
- We will partake of God's nature (2 Peter 1:4).

We have a new home in heaven (John 14:2) where we'll receive a new, more [powerful](power.md) body (Philippians 3:20-21).

- By implication, all aspects of our current living situation are merely transitional.

## Our new identity won't mix with our old life

The world won't like this "new you" (John 15:18-19).

- In fact, you *can't* be [friends](people-friends.md) with the world (James 4:4).

The sacrifice is worth it, but you *will* endure [hardship](hardship.md) (2 Corinthians 6:3-5, 2 Timothy 4:5).

Our [social support network](groups-large.md) will be in [the Body of Christ](church.md).

God will typically frame our [hardships](hardship.md) to confront the defects of our [personalities](people-personality.md):

- High openness to experience: He will give a monotonous life for a season.
- Low openness to experience: He will give more major life [changes](people-changes.md).
- High conscientiousness: He'll bring around more [disorganized](organization.md), messy people.
- Low conscientiousness: He'll give more [duties and obligations](success-4_routine.md) where you must honor your [promises](language.md).
- High extraversion: He'll isolate you and require you to spend more time alone in [meditation](mind-awareness.md).
- Low extraversion: He'll bring many more people around you on a consistent basis, and may even [make you a leader](mgmt-1_why.md).
- High agreeableness: He'll give more [conflicts and contentions](people-conflicts-christian-why.md) where you must take a [moral](morality.md) stand against others.
- Low agreeableness: He'll force circumstances that require [getting along](people-conflicts.md) more often with other people.
- High neuroticism: He'll require you to give over the [unknown](unknown.md) to Him more frequently.
- Low neuroticism: He'll introduce more [emotionally volatile](mind-feelings.md) people into your life.

All of these changes are to develop you into the perfection Jesus has planned for you:

- A *very* high openness to any experiences God wants to provide.
- High conscientiousness, where you will enjoy living righteously.
- Extraverted enough to enjoy connecting regularly with the Body.
- Agreeable and gracious with others, except regarding [immorality](theology-sins.md).
- A well-disciplined [soul](theology-godandman-humanity.md) that manages [emotional](mind-feelings.md) flare-ups and devotes it to a framing of mysticism more than anxiety.

However, this requires us to be sincerely honest with ourselves, so we must integrate our shadow personas with ourselves to prevent a double-minded approach from all the [changes](people-changes.md) He requires of us.

## However, some things are *not* true

It's not uncommon for things we *think* are Christian behaviors to actually be inappropriate [responses to trauma](hardship-ptsd.md):

- Unable to accept a raw compliment.
  - Comes from feeling unworthy, since Jesus certainly sees us as worth dying for us (Romans 5:8).
- Sacrificing needs for the sake of peace.
  - This is actually based in [fear](mind-feelings-fear.md), and discredits what someone deserves as God's loved creation (2 Timothy 2:6).
- Unwilling to let others share in suffering.
  - Derived from [trust](mind-trust.md) issues, and not what God commands (Galatians 6:2).
- Constant preparedness for [risks](safety-riskmgmt.md).
  - Another trust issue, which is against the peace God promises to His children (Philippians 4:7).
- Feelings of [guilt and shame](mind-feelings-shame.md) for resting.
  - A misunderstanding of what a relationship with God looks like (Matthew 11:28).
- Apologizing for things that aren't your fault.
  - Another implementation of shame, driven by an inaccurate understanding of [boundaries](people-boundaries.md).

While on this earth, we can't be wholly sinless or perfect (Philippians 3:12, 1 John 1:8).

We won't have an easier life and may not gain [financial wealth](money-investing.md) (Malachi 3:10, Luke 6:38, James 5:1-6).

We don't need "Christ and nobody else", and *always* need 3 other [same-sex](people-gender.md) believers in our lives:

1. A mentor who gives us input and guidance from their superior experience (e.g., Paul with Timothy (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy)).
2. A [friend](people-friends.md) walking through the same challenges and experiences we're having (e.g., Paul with Barnabas in Acts 13).
3. Someone less experience we can [mentor](spiritual-discipleship.md) (e.g., Timothy with Paul).

God *does* often bless us in ways money can't provide:

- [Family](people-family.md), [friends](people-friends.md), and a [community](groups-member.md)
- Physical health, often from [lifestyle decisions](body-why.md)
- God providing every need we have
- Giving [purpose](purpose.md) and [meaning](meaning.md)

Religious rituals won't always help our relationship with Jesus.

- We can strengthen our [faith](mind-understanding-certainty.md) with [religious routines](spiritual-exercises.md), but doing them for the wrong reasons can *separate* us from God (Matthew 23:27-28).

Don't search for mystical experiences such as miracles, healing, or supernatural phenomena (Matthew 12:38-39).

- God will bring mystical experiences when He wants to, and our faith is more important to Him than miracles (John 20:29).
- Many Christians will pursue a spiritual [feeling](mind-feelings.md) from listening to worship music, but there's no good from seeking it without [understanding](mind-understanding.md).

## A relationship with God requires unconditional devotion

God paid heavily for you with His son's life (1 Corinthians 6:20).

- We were [slaves](people-slavery.md) to sin, but now slaves to Christ (Romans 6:18-22).
- Slavery to Jesus has many, many liberties because we have a *very* kind master (Matthew 11:29-30).
- Christians, however, often [abuse the freedoms](christian-new.md) God gives them.

Everything we own is God's (Matthew 5:27-30, Matthew 13:44-46).

- God will give us more than we can acquire ourselves, but we must sacrifice everything for it (Matthew 19:27-30, Mark 10:28-31).
- We don't always have to burn bridges, relationships, and opportunities, but must always be prepared to release control of them if He asks.
- The Bible doesn't provide details for *what* we must give because each person and the timing for each sacrifice is different.

We are frequently ungrateful for many of the things He gives us:

- Possessions, of any kind (Matthew 19:23-26).
- Money (Luke 6:30).
- Any relationships with family or friends (Matthew 10:37-39).
- Dreams, goals, and plans (Matthew 6:26-34, Luke 12:22-30, James 4:13-16)

Our relationship with God either thrives or falters.

- Jesus wants our full submission (Matthew 10:37-38).
- We must give up everything else for Him in [faith](mind-understanding-certainty.md) (Luke 9:24).
- God wants complete submission from us, all the way to our [souls](theology-godandman-humanity.md) (Romans 6:13).
- Christianity is a near-constant [inner battle](people-conflicts-inner.md) between our body's [impulses](habits.md) and the [Holy Spirit's commands](god-will.md) (Romans 7:22-25).
- We must even submit [personal shame](hardship-worthlessness.md) and [past trauma](hardship-ptsd.md) to Him (1 John 3:20).

Christianity is a long-term commitment (Luke 9:61-62).

- To build our relationship with God, we will grow to desire a variety of activities oriented toward [following His will](god-will.md):

- [Communicating](spiritual-exercises-prayer.md) consistently with Him
- Removing [any further sin](theology-sins.md) through repentance
- [Consuming His Word](bible-study.md)
- [Many other rituals and routines](spiritual-exercises.md) that strengthen our connection with Him