Our True Identity

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010 | Lent Meditations

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. -Ephesians 1:3-8

Yesterday we talked about how easy it is for us to slip into pride or envy when we compare ourselves with others. Sometimes we become so concerned with who we are not and what we don’t have that we miss out on the truth about who we are and what we do have. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is full of beautiful reminders of our true identity in Christ.

According to Paul, this is who you are in Jesus:

Chapter 1
A saint (holy one)
Predestined to be adopted as God’s child
Redeemed and forgiven
Lavished with God’s grace, wisdom, and understanding
Chosen
Included in Christ
Marked with God’s seal, His Holy Spirit
Part of the Church, Christ’s Body
Chapter 2
Alive with Christ
Saved and seated with Him in the heavens
God’s workmanship (handmade by Him)
Near to God through Christ
Fellow citizen of God’s household
Chapter 3
God’s heir
A member of Christ’s Body
One who shares in the promise of Christ
Rooted and established in love
Chapter 4
Sealed for the day of redemption
Forgiven
Chapter 5
Light (not darkness) in God
Holy and blameless!