This past Sunday we began a new sermon series on the book of Ephesians. We looked at Ephesians 1:1-14 and saw how the letter begins by praising God for all the benefits that come to those who embrace their identity as being “in Christ.” To understand one’s identity, it is vital to understand the difference between one’s roles and one’s identity. We each engage in a variety of roles in our life. There are the roles we have in our families, with our jobs, and in various groups we are part of. Many people confuse their roles with their identity, falsely believing that what they do is who they are. In truth, who we are is eternal whereas our various roles, as important as they may be, are only temporary. As believers in Jesus, we are to see our core identity as “in Christ”. In just 11 verses, that identity is referred to 7 times. Paul names the benefits that come from this identity. He says that in Christ we are:
- Blessed with every spiritual blessing
- Chosen to be holy and blameless
- Destined for adoption
- Bestowed with grace
- Redeemed by the blood of Christ
- Forgiven of our sins
- Given access to know God’s will
- The recipients of an inheritance
- Marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit
All of this is wonderful news that stems from a clear understanding of our true identity. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for this! May we each come to deep understanding of this wonderful news.
