How does God see me?

TL;DR:

God sees us as His beloved creation, desiring for all to be saved from sin and the devastation that it has brought. In Christ, God sees us as His children who can experience the full measure of His love.

what does the bible say?

God sees us as His intricate creation, wonderfully made with purpose and love. Despite our human frailties and limitations, God views us through the lens of Christ’s righteousness if we are in Him, saved by Him. In Christ, we are seen as blessed, chosen, adopted as His children, and co-heirs with Christ, with an inheritance beyond measure. God also sees us as His beloved friends and desires a deep, personal relationship with us. Understanding how God sees us should encourage us to embrace our identity in Christ, live with humility and gratitude, and engage deeply in our relationship with Him.

from the old testament

Psalm 139 talks about how we are fearfully and wonderfully made.
God intentionally made us and He loves us. He alone sees us completely and rightly (1 Samuel 16:7). Psalm 103:14 tells us, "For [God] knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust."

from the new testament

Second Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." When we come to Jesus for salvation, we are made completely new. We are said to be "in" Christ. We are reconciled with God and counted as righteous before Him (2 Corinthians 5:17–21). Whereas before we were seen in our sin, when we are saved, God sees the righteousness of His Son.
Ephesians 1:3–14 is an excellent list of some of the ways God sees us in Christ. We find that God "has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 1:3). We are also chosen "that we should be holy and blameless before [God]" (Ephesians 1:4). We are loved. We are counted as holy and blameless, and we are also being made holy through the process of sanctification. We are accepted (Ephesians 1:5), redeemed (Ephesians 1:7), and forgiven (Ephesians 1:7). He brought us together in Him (Ephesians 1:10) and has an inheritance for us (Ephesians 1:11), which the Holy Spirit confirms in us (Ephesians 1:14).
Ephesians 1:5 tells us that we have been predestined "for adoption to [God] as sons through Jesus Christ." God sees us as His children. John 1:12–13 says, "But to all who did receive [Jesus], who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God."
Romans 8:17 tells us that we are children and "heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ." God sees us as His own, even to the extent that we are co-heirs with Christ.
Jesus talked about calling His disciples friends in John 15.
In John 17 Jesus talked about His desire for His followers to be with Him.
In Christ, God sees us as His "chosen ones, holy and beloved" (Colossians 3:12).
God lavishes us with His love, equips us for all we need, calls us to obedience (John 15), disciplines us that we may walk alright (Hebrews 12:6–11), and teaches us to live holy and pleasing lives, all that we may someday be with Him (Revelation 21:3).

implications for today

Imagine being seen through the eyes of the Creator, who made you with awe-inspiring detail and purpose, as Psalm 139 declares. Despite our human frailties and limitations, captured in Psalm 103:14, God's perspective on us is both tender and transformative. He knows our frame, yet He loves us profoundly, calling us to embrace our true identity when we trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. In Christ, we are not only forgiven but fundamentally renewed, as 2 Corinthians 5:17 reveals. We shed our old selves and step into a new creation, fully reconciled and righteous before God.

As a result of our salvation, we are told how God views us in Christ: blessed with every spiritual blessing, chosen, adopted as His children, destined for an inheritance beyond measure, co-heirs with Christ, and even friends. Our salvation changes us from being seen as dead in our sins to being a part of His family and in deep relationship with Him. Yet, we are reminded that God sees us with love, even before we are saved, wanting to save us from what enslaves us. God’s perspective of us should compel us to respond with humility and gratitude as well as deepened commitment to Him and joy. As God lavishes His love and equips us for a life of holiness and obedience, this profound truth inspires us to live fully in our identity as His beloved children. What shall we do then? Engage deeply in our relationship with Him by knowing Him through His Word and walking by His Spirit, holding firmly to His promises, and letting His thoughts toward us define how we live each day.

understand

God sees us as His masterpiece, created with purpose and love despite our frailties.
Once saved, God sees us as renewed in Christ, transformed into new creations and adopted as His children.
God sees us as beloved friends, desiring a close relationship and equipping us for a holy life.

reflect

What encouragement do you receive from the way God sees you, both before you are saved and after?
How does knowing that God sees us as renewed in Christ and adopted as His children influence our sense of identity and relationship with Him?
How does the truth that God sees us as beloved friends, desiring a close relationship, affect how we approach our personal relationship with Him?

engage

How does understanding that God sees us as His masterpiece—that He created each of us with purpose and love—impact how we view ourselves and those around us?
What are some practical ways we can help others understand and live out of the way God sees us?
How can the idea that God desires a deep, personal relationship with us shape our approach to building and nurturing relationships with other believers?