We just finished our Tuesday morning Bible study from Princess Unaware. Below are my teaching notes. I hope they enrich your study and relationship with your adoring heavenly Father. As I said last week–feel free to use these if you are leading the Princess Unaware study.

Who You Are

Princess Unaware—chapter 2

Last Tuesday fifty-four Haitian children went from being orphans to being part of a family in a matter of hours. They got on a plane and flew from their homeland to the United States. Miles of red tape was obliterated in order to quickly unite the children with their new families. Their identity was change almost overnight—Haitian orphan to precious, treasured child of American family. They now have all the benefits that go with that—health care, education, clothes, safety, warm home, maybe even a dog or cat. How long will it be before they feel like a part of their new family? How long will it be before they believe they are Americans? How long before they don’t fear when they wake up in the morning it will all be gone and they’ll be dirty, hungry and back in the streets of Haiti? How long will it take them to believe it, to live it, to own it? I don’t know. Maybe days or weeks, but more likely months or years.

We, too, were once orphans with no home. We were unprotected and uncared for. We lived in the rubble of our sin so we were filthy, never able to get clean. But our heavenly Father loves us so much that He went to a lot of trouble to adopt us and make us His.

Let’s look at all He did for us and where we are now.

1. He planned for Jesus to be our sacrifice. God knew we would need a Savior if we were to have a relationship with Him. He knew what we would do—make a mess of everything. Last week we looked at Eve’s encounter with Satan and how she gazed at the fruit, trusted her own discernment, and ate the fruit. We do the same thing. We need a Savior.
2. He provided us with a Savior—His Son. Hebrews 10:5-7 (Psalm 40:6-8).

My husband was in the Marines and the Vietnam War when I was in junior high. (He is ten years older than me.) So I have never said good-bye to a family member especially a husband or child to go and put their life on the line for someone, especially strangers. Have you? If you have—Thank You. I cannot imagine your thoughts or emotions. You have given the ultimate gift.

This sacrifice is from one person to another. However, God gave His Son and Jesus gave His life. The almighty, holy God gave His Son for humanity—across the board. We who are wretched, totally in capable of anything good apart from God, totally undeserving.

1. Jesus left heaven to come to earth. Think about it. Jesus left the glories of heaven to come to live a life like ours on earth. He endured not only life without the creature comforts, but the normal discomforts of life—aches & pains, scratches, heat, cold, dirt everywhere. He also endured living with sinful humans. Can you imagine the mean kids He showed love to? Or the gossip that surrounded His family because He was considered illegitimate? He left perfection to live life as we do.
2. He draws us to Himself. John 6:44, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day” (NIV).
3. Jesus allowed Himself to be captured, tortured, and crucified for you. He then gave up His Spirit. God resurrected Him and the third day and then He was ascended into heaven and reigns with God—all for you.
4. He made you holy and clean by Jesus’ sacrifice of His body and life. (Hebrews 10:8-10).

Your New Identity—Who you are now.

If you have accepted Jesus and all He has done for you, you are His. You have flown from your homeland of Separated from God to your new family—God’s family. You have a new identity and a new life (more on that in the weeks to come).

This is your new identity:

• You are loved by God. God did all this because He loves you. (1 John 4:8-10).
• The dirt of your sins has been washed off by Jesus’ blood. (1John 1:7, Hebrews 9:22). You are acceptable to God. He has received us—to take to oneself, admit to friendship/loyalty. He doesn’t see your past. He sees His beautiful child. I know this may not be the way you view God and your relationship with Him, but it’s true. If you don’t believe see if you can back your view with Scripture—the correct use of Scripture.
• You are treasured by God. Psalm 147:11, “the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.” You are His princess. His eyes never leave you (more about that on our last day). You are never

~just a______.

~or I only work as a ____________.

~or no one special.

You are special and priceless enough to God for Him to go to all the trouble we talked about at the beginning.

I think we get numb to what God did for us. We think God looks at us like one big social project. I’ll do what I can for those pathetic humans, because that’s the kind of God I am. But no! Don’t forget—God is love. He does what He does because He loves you. He went to all that trouble because He loves you. He’s not frowning at you. He’s looking at you like you look at your precious child (at least when he’s sleeping). He delights in you. He made you the way you are because He wanted you that way—your looks, your personality, your talents and the ones He didn’t give to you are all because that makes up you—the you He delights in.

This may be hard for you to get your mind around. It’s a process. Use one of the verses I’ve shared today or any verse that speaks to you about this. Put it on an index card and meditate on it this week. It’s part of the process of being “transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).

• He wants to hear from you and grow in relationship with you. Hebrews 4:15-16, “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (NIV).
  • James 4:8, “Come near to God and he will come near to you” (NIV).
  • Micah 6:8, “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (NIV).
  • Your prayers are kept in golden bowls in heaven (Rev. 5:8).

Are you starting to see the truth about yourself? Are you seeing yourself as God’s child and not the dirty orphan you once were? You have a safe, loving, perfect Father Who has a place for you when you leave this earth. It is crucial that you believe this and live it if you are to live the fabulous life God has for you.

Here I showed a clip from Pride and Prejudice where Mr. D’Arcy with sad, puppy dog eyes declares to Elizabeth, “Surely you know I did it all for you.”

Surely you know God did it all for you. If you accept what He did for you have a new identity. If you have not accepted all He did for you, you may now with a prayer something like this.

“Jesus, I come to you with a lot of baggage and stuff I’m not proud of. I want to be clean and perfect in Your eyes. I’m sorry for the junk in my past and my life. I ask your forgiveness. I want to be Your princess, Your girl.

Thank you for making me holy and perfect. Help me to know you well.

I love you.”

 I would love to hear your thoughts regarding the realization of “who you are.”