Our Identity In Christ

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace

Ephesians 1:3-7

Magazines sweepstakes have always intrigued me. I'm not quite sure that I really believe anybody is winning any money. What do you think? Do you know anyone who has won anything from these sweepstakes? The letters always come personally addressed, claiming that you are among the select, chosen at random, and that if you will only mail the form back in, you may be a winner. Yeah, right!

The reason why such a response is common is because we have been conditioned to expect the ordinary, the routine. Indeed, life seems to be filled with the routine. And the possibility of some extremely good thing happening to us seems remote if not slightly unbelievable. Sadly, we not only can't believe it when it does happen, we can't believe it may happen.

Unfortunately, what is so true in the material realm is also true in the spiritual realm. Many of us have trouble believing in the extravagant goodness of God toward us personally. The idea that God would lavish extravagant blessings on us is something we find hard to believe. It seems that we have been conditioned to think of ourselves as unworthy creatures. We are not good enough, or holy enough, or sincere enough to get the really good things from God - that is our thinking. Who are we to presume upon the goodness of God? But the fact remains that all of us have a rich and extrava gant inheritance in Christ. In fact, when we are told just how rich is that inheritance, we easily find ourselves saying, "I can't believe it!" We may not be able to believe it, but it is true.

This is one of the main themes of the book of Ephesians. It reveals to us the extreme magnitude of God's blessings to us in Christ. It tells us who we are and how we can live. And it is powerful.

Paul starts Ephesians by reminding the reader of the amazing truth is that our inheritance in Christ is given to us freely. There is nothing we can do to earn it, or deserve it. We don't have to work for it, or enter any contest.

Now, let me ask you an important question: Do you really know who you are in Christ? How do you see yourself as a child of God? Do you see yourself as powerful? Or do you see yourself as impotent? Do you understand the true extent of what it means to have the Son of God living inside of you? Do you hold your head up high because of your relationship to Christ, or are you sometimes embarrassed? Do see yourself in rags or in riches?

Or, have you treated this promise of God concerning your identity much like the last Publisher Clearinghouse Sweepstakes letter you received telling you that you were part of a select group with a muffled "Yeah, right."

Jesus said, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Sometimes we emphasize the fact that the truth has the power to make us free. Truth is truth whether you believe it or not. And truth is truth whether you know it or not. But let me approach this from a different perspective. There are times when we can never be free unless we "know" the truth. You see, if you do not know the truth, you may be acting on a lie. If you act on the basis of an untruth, then the untruth becomes the reality for you even if it is not objectively true. Don't shortchange yourself by believing you are less than God says you are. What a shame it would be to believe you are a pauper when you are really a prince.

Let me tell you something, if you trying to live a more holy life, trying to be that "royal priesthood", focus on your identity more than on controlling your actions. Otherwise, you will attempting to control your fleshly nature - an unwinable and very frustrating task. Even those who know not God are able to control the flesh at times. But as a child of God, you are something special. It is your birth that determines your identity not your actions! You have the capacity to be so much more than "controlled flesh" because Christ lives inside you.

Since we are in Christ, let’s look a brief look at what that really means. It means, in part that we are:

...a new creation - "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.." (II Cor. 5:17)

...holy and without blame - "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love" (Eph. 1:4)

...adopted - "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." (Eph. 1:5)

...forgiven - " In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins." (Eph. 1:7)(Col. 1:14)

...no longer condemned - "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8:1, 2)

Many times, our daily experience may not reflect our heavenly identity/position at every moment, but nevertheless who we are in Christ is what we are by the Grace of God (1 Cor. 15:10). It's all a gift from God and He wants us to live in these divine blessings and privileges ... it’s good for us.

Consider how God sees you in Christ and take a look at His abundant promises. There's no probation period, instead His infinite love has been shed abroad in our hearts frmom eternity past and His love bestowed all these blessings and privileges on us. Our identity in Christ is absolutely secure and nothing can ever take it away from us, and we ourselves can’t even give it back ... it’s a finished work ... a done deal, and it solely depended on God as it is a perfect work of God. We received it freely.

Isn't it good to know that we're not the sin that we commit?! Some organizations tell their members that if they once lived in a certain habit, like alcoholism or drug addiction, for the rest of their lives they should continue to confess that "I'm so and so and I'm an alcoholic ... and I'm Joe, Charlie, Jennifer and I'm a drug addict." Years after the addiction has been dealt with and the individual has been healed from it and has been set free, these organizations still brainwash their members that such a person has the identity of such an addict. What’s that? Please, forget this humanistic, evil philosophy. Instead, the child of God Christian must embrace his identity in Christ and their heavenly position, because that's exactly how God views each one of His children.