Some people have too HIGH a view of themselves.

They think they’re always right and others are always wrong. They think it’s a privilege for you just to be in their presence. They think they’re the best thing since sliced bread.

Others have a too LOW a view of themselves.

They think they’re good for nothing—not worth the skin they inhabit. Human sludge. They mope around in a pity party of self-doubt while chucking negative-thought boomerangs at themselves.

Both are unhelpful.

That’s why a healthy alternative is to have an ACCURATE view of yourself.

If you’re a Christian, an accurate view of yourself is that you are a sinner saved by grace.

That means that yes, you are a sinner. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s true. As Paul writes in Romans 3:23, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” By yourself, you are lost.

But in the very next verse he says that we are “justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” In other words, we are freely rehabilitated into a harmonious relationship with God because of what Jesus has done for us!

Even though we’re broken, misguided and sinful… we are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27), his precious, forgiven children (John 1:12; Galatians 3:26; 1 John 1:9), the light of the world (Matthew 5:14), temples of the Holy Spirit (John 14:17; 1 Corinthians 6:19), ambassadors of Jesus’ love (John 13:34-35; 2 Corinthians 5:20), and victorious in life (1 John 5:4-5; 1 Corinthians 15:57)!

It’s unhelpful to have too high a view of yourself. It only leads to arrogance. And it’s unhelpful to have too low a view of yourself. It dishonours the God who made you.

Instead, have an accurate view of yourself. In Christ you are a sinner saved by grace. As such, you are one of God’s precious, forgiven children, the light of the world, a temple of the Holy Spirit, an ambassador of Jesus’ love, and victorious.

The best defense against a distorted self-image, is knowing in whose image you are actually made.

By Matthew Ruttan

–“Asking God for a sign” is what I’ll be talking about on Sunday at Westminster. Click here for a short 38-second video about what to expect.
–Bible quotes are from the NIV.