Ephesians 1:3-14
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 2:11-22
11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Where do you gain or view your identity from? We tend to put our identity into:
- Accomplishments
- Relationships
- Possessions
- Duties and roles
- Others’ opinions
- Our longings
- Even our sufferings
When it comes down to it, the Bible shows us we are in one of two camps: our identity is either in Christ or in idolatry. Idolatry (in it’s simplest form) is where you let anything become more important to you than God.
The Apostle Paul (author of Ephesians) uses the phrase “in Christ” 216 times in the New Testament. The term “Christian” is only used 3 times.
As Christians, We Live FROM Our Identity, Not FOR It We are defined by who we are in Christ, not what we do or fail to do for Christ. Christ defines us.
You are not defined by your possessions, who you know, what you’ve done, or where you’ve been. If you are “in Christ,” you are defined by Him. Being in Christ means we are viewed by God in the same way He views Jesus, and we have access to God the same way Jesus does.
Think about it like this: Because of who my father is, I get access to things I wouldn’t otherwise have. When Paul writes to us and says we are “in Christ,” he’s using terminology to help us understand our new residency, our new address, our new home that’s fully furnished with everything we need.
From Our Identity Comes Our Activity
We live the way we live because of who we are in Christ, not the other way around.
Getting the order backward creates religion, legalism, moralism, and a “have to” mindset. Look at the Ten Commandments: the first commandment points us to intimacy with God. The second commandment speaks of involvement. The order is important.
We need to find our identity in Christ, not in our activity for Christ. We need to be more aware of what God is doing for us rather than what we are doing for God. We can so easily live as if “doing things” made God more pleased with us.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Who You Are In Christ
Let these truths sink deep into your soul:
I am in Christ. I am no longer seen by God as someone guilty under the law. When God looks at me, He sees Jesus.
I am loved with a love that knows no limitations, ends, or conditions. I am loved more than I can ever imagine.
I am made new. Who I am is not who I was. I am no longer defined by my past, by my failures, or even by my successes. I am in Christ.
I am chosen. Before the world existed, God desired for me to know Him. He saw me, He wanted me, and I am now His.
I am adopted into His family, and not once has God ever regretted the decision to save me, redeem me, and call me His own child. He will not, has not, and shall not abandon me.
I am forgiven. Completely, wholly, fully. No conditions, no restrictions. Jesus has healed me from the sickness of sin and forgiven me.
I am free. Sin no longer has control over me. Christ is now my Lord, and all other rulers of my life have no authority and no chance of dethroning Him.
I am blessed with the gift of salvation and with every spiritual blessing. I am heard. God is not distant to me or uninvolved in my life. He desires to hear from me and for me to hear from Him.
I am redeemed. God’s ultimate purpose is not redemption as such, but the praise of His glorious name through redemption.
I am alive. I was dead in my sin, but now in Christ I’ve been revived.
I am in Christ. I am loved. I am His. I am what Christ says I am.
Not what your past says. Not what your failures whisper. Not what your achievements shout. Not what others think. You are what Christ says you are.
This is your identity. This is your address. This is your home.
Read back through the list of “I am” statements above. Which one do you most need to believe today? Ask God to make that truth real in your heart and help you live from that identity today.
Over these five days, we’ve journeyed through who you are in Christ:
Day 1: You are blessed with every spiritual blessing.
Day 2: You are new: A new creation with a new heart, new life, and new power.
Day 3: You are heard: Your prayers reach the throne of God, and He delights to listen to you.
Day 4: You are loved: With a fierce, jealous, sacrificial love that sent Jesus to die for you.
Day 5: You are in Christ: This is your new identity
These aren’t just nice ideas or motivational thoughts. These are the biblical truths of who you are because of what Christ has done.
You don’t have to earn this identity. You don’t have to perform to keep it. You don’t have to fear losing it.
You are blessed. You are new. You are heard. You are loved. You are in Christ.
This is who you are. This is whose you are.
