I. The Foundation of Calling

Knowing Who I Am and Whom I Belong To

1. Understanding “What Should I Do?” Begins with Knowing “Who Am I?”

The biblical account of humanity begins with God’s creation.

“God said, ‘Let’s make man in our image, after our likeness. …’ God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:26–27, excerpts).

This passage connects human identity with responsibility. Human beings are created in God’s image and entrusted with governing the created world. Yet life and dignity are not rewards earned by completing a task. We receive life from God and bear responsibility as His creatures. We need to do our entrusted work wholeheartedly, but achievement cannot determine whether a person deserves respect.

“Image” and “likeness” together describe the unique relationship between human beings and their Creator. The passage does not explain them as two components of human nature or limit God’s image to a single ability. Although created in God’s image, human beings remain creatures, fundamentally distinct from their Creator. God is spirit, so we cannot simply equate human appearance with the nature of God (John 4:24).

In light of Genesis 1:26–28 and the wider witness of Scripture, human beings have a unique identity and dignity. God has given them the ability to know Him and respond to Him, as well as the responsibility to manage the created world under His authority. This responsibility should be exercised with faithfulness to the Creator and care for what He has made, rather than taking whatever we want or destroying what He has made.

Both men and women are created in God’s image and have equal human dignity and worth.

Human dignity does not depend on wealth, education, occupation, ability, influence, or the approval of others. Nor does it depend on how much work a person has done for the church.

Even after sin entered the world, human beings remained made in God’s image. Genesis 9:6 uses this truth to emphasise that human life must not be taken arbitrarily. James 3:9–10 likewise teaches that we must not praise God while cursing people made in His likeness. Sin damages human life and relationships, but it has not erased the dignity of being created by God.

As I seek direction in life, then, I need to recognise that my life comes from God and that I am someone He has created. I need to take my responsibilities seriously, but I do not have to prove through achievement that I deserve to exist. I have dignity, and I should also respect others and be accountable to my Creator and to other people.

2. Adam: After Sin, the Fundamental Human Problem Concerns Our Relationship with God

God created Adam and placed him in the garden of Eden “to cultivate and keep it” (Genesis 2:15, excerpt). Work and responsibility were originally part of God’s good creation. After he sinned, the ground was cursed because of him; work was accompanied by hardship and frustration, and he would eventually return to dust (Genesis 3:17–19). The curse brought by sin must therefore not be confused with work itself.

Adam received both life and responsibility from God. His responsibility was grounded in his relationship with his Creator. This reminds us that work enables people to use their abilities, serve others, and bear responsibility, but cannot be the measure of a person’s entire worth. Unemployment, retirement, or diminished physical ability may change what someone can do, but cannot remove the dignity God has given their life.

Genesis 3 records that after disobeying God’s command, Adam and Eve felt shame and fear and hid from His presence. God called to Adam, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9, excerpt). He then questioned them about their actions, exposed their sin, and pronounced judgement.

God was not unaware of Adam’s location. His questioning confronted those who were hiding with their actions and with why their relationship with Him had changed. Here we see both God taking the initiative to approach people and His exposure and judgement of sin.

This call cannot simply be equated with the New Testament proclamation of the gospel calling sinners to trust Christ. It reminds us that when God speaks to people, He does more than help them find direction: He also confronts them with sin and the responsibilities they must bear.

The fundamental human problem is therefore more than a lack of planning for life. People receive life from God yet disobey His commands. They should trust Him, yet fear and hide from Him. It is this estrangement from God through sin that the biblical unfolding of redemption and calling addresses.

3. Our Identity as Created Beings Must Be Distinguished from Our New Identity in Christ

Before Adam heard God call him, he was already a person God had created. Our identity and dignity as created beings do not depend on later receiving a particular calling. Yet because sin has estranged us from God, we also need His redemption. In Christ, God calls people to turn to Him, giving those who receive His grace new life and belonging in Him.

In terms of creation, everyone receives life from God, lives under the Creator’s sovereignty, and has the dignity of being made in His image. Yet this identity as a created being does not mean that a person is already reconciled to God or has already become His child in the sense of redemption. Sin separates people from God, and they need His redemption.

John writes, “But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name” (John 1:12). Peter describes believers who have received grace as “a chosen race,” “a royal priesthood,” “a holy nation,” and “a people for God’s own possession” (1 Peter 2:9, excerpts). Paul also says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17, excerpt). These passages describe different aspects of the new life and identity people receive through Christ.

Becoming God’s children means being welcomed by Him and being able to draw near to Him. Becoming His people also means worshipping Him and bearing witness to Him alongside other believers. This belonging comes from God’s grace, not our positions or achievements in the church.

A person who has not yet turned to Christ does not thereby lose their dignity as a created being. Nor does being created by God automatically mean possessing salvation in Christ. Creation and redemption are related, but they must be clearly distinguished.

To understand calling, then, we need to know where life comes from and how we should be accountable to God as His creatures. We must also face a personal question: Have I been reconciled to God through faith in Christ? Calling is grounded in the God who creates people, reveals Himself, and redeems them in Christ.