At the Movies:
Identity
Understanding and accepting who we are in Christ is foundational
to the life of abundance Jesus claimed to grant us.
Identity attributes of the Christ-follower:
1. We are favored v.3
2. We are chosen v.4
3. We are adopted vv.5-6
4. We are redeemed v.7-8
5. We are enlightened. vv.9-10
6. We are wealthy vv.11-12
7. We are sealed v.13-14
Opening clip from Spiderman
Turn to Ephesians 1:1-13
Begin a new series today. We’re using the themes of some popular movies to contrast what the Bible says about key issues versus prevailing cultural thinking.
And first out of the box is the issue of identity. Many counselors and mental health experts point to a strong sense of self-identity as a primary basis for mental health.
And the person who should have the strongest self-identity is the Christ-follower! I’ll make this claim and promise: if you know who you are in Jesus, I mean really know down deep in your heart, if it is a settled persuasion, then your mental and emotional well-being will be as healthy and robust as it can be this side of heaven. Your relationships will be richer, your inner peace will be stronger. Your joy will be deeper. Your love for God and people will be incredibly intimate and rewarding. My premise is this: Understanding and accepting who we are in Christ is foundational to the life of abundance Jesus claimed to grant us.
And there is not a more appropriate and fundamental passage in all the Bible to instruct us on identity than what we are going to study this morning. First, let me give you a disclaimer and then another promise. The disclaimer is that there is NO WAY we can plumb the depths of this passage in just one morning. In fact, as I was preparing for this morning, I counted no less than 24 incredible truths that would make 24 amazing Sunday morning studies for us. 24! And I’m attempting to handle this in 30 minutes!! So this is a flyover; a macro look at the passage to whet your appetite to dig deeper into the passage and the amazing life you can have in Christ!
The promise is this: if you will memorize this passage, start this week, memorize the first 13 verses of chapter 1, if you’ll memorize it and bind it around your heart and mind, I promise, I promise that your life, both inside and outside, will dramatically change and improve.
You may know that this passage is just once sentence in the Greek. One sentence. In your English translations, it is usually broken into 8 sentences. But in the original language it is one sentence. I think that one reason the Holy Spirit prompted Paul to write it in one sentence is because the foundational truths in this passage are all integrally linked together. Together they paint a picture of the person who is in Christ and God wants us to get the whole exposure at once.
So let’s stand and read this passage out loud together. Ephesians 1:3-14 (on screen)
As we read through this, undoubtedly you picked out some of the identity attributes of the Christ-follower. I’ve isolated 7 of them for this morning. So listen fast!!
Identity attributes of the Christ-follower:
1. We are favored v.3 (on screen)
Notice that phrase: “blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ.”
The Greek word for blessed usually means, to speak well of. When we bless God, we speak well of Him. But when God blesses us, He doesn’t speak well of us—He does well for us. He does good for us. He favors us.
This is critical for us to grasp: God is not against us; He is for us. In Christ He has done well to save us and He continues to do well for us in our every day lives.
He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens. The meaning is that spiritual blessings are found in heaven and brought to us as we live out our lives with Christ in the center of our lives.
This may or may not include physical blessings like health or jobs. But most assuredly it DOES include the sense that God is on my side and that He highly favors me.
Knowing that God favors me is everything. It changes how I view hardship and adversity. It changes how I see other people who might have more worldly benefits. It changes how I feel about my worth.
There was a lady who used to attend here that when she walked in the door, she’d say, “How you doin’ pastor?” I’d says I’m fine. I’d say, How are you? She’d say, “Blessed and highly favored.” That’s it. Get that straight and life will change for you. Let me hear you say it: I’m blessed and highly favored.”
2. We are chosen v.4 (on screen)
That word chose: to select for one’s self
I don’t know if you watch the CBS news but every Friday they have a segment called On the Road. It’s always heart warming. Some times it moves me to tears.
(“On the Road” Clip Begin at 0:13-52; 1:04-2:21 –stop after “The kid no one would pick and cut out “is now everyone’s hero; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6qhFwc5_i8 )
I’m that kid. There was no reason God would choose me to be a part of His team, His life, His family. But He did. It says that He chose me before the foundation of the world. I don’t know if the universe is 10,000 yrs old or 10 billion years old, but since God is outside of time, before He created time and created the universe He had it in His heart to love me & choose me. If you’re in Christ, from the Beginning of time God had it in His heart to love you and choose you. He purposely selected you for Himself.
Notice the phrase, He chose us to be holy and blameless. The word holy means set apart. It means that He selected me and chose me for Himself and that I am different in nature and character than those who are not in Christ. I’m special! Joke. What it means is that I am special and I am chosen for something special. And what is that special purpose you have? Our purpose is to bring the holy and blameless God pleasure. I have pictures of my family sitting on my bookshelf. (please take a 10 second video of the pics on my file cabinets; run here) They are there for one purpose: to bring me pleasure. God has selected you and looks at you to bring pleasure to Himself.
In Christ I am blessed and highly favored. And in Christ I am chosen; I’m included; I’m wanted-- for the special purpose of bringing God pleasure and honor.
3. We are adopted vv.5-6 (on screen)
So much in these 2 verses but let me focus on the word adoption.
Adoption was not a Jewish practice; it was Roman. The adoption was fairly extensive and at times painful. When the adoption was complete, it was absolutely complete without any chance of reversal. The child adopted had all the rights and privileges of a legitimate, biological son in his new family. He lost all rights and status in his old family. In the eyes of the law—he was a new person. Any debts and obligations he might have had were abolished as if they had never existed. A natural born child could be disowned—but not an adopted child.
Moses Camden Barksdale. (pic attached) My oldest kids, Ben and Lauren, found him in an orphanage. He was suffering from malnutrition. When we adopted him, it marked one of the most meaningful events of my 68 years. He is legally my son’s son. He is my grandchild just as much as my other 8 are. He is included at my table. He is included in all our family pictures. He’s included in all our celebrations. He is an heir to whatever pittance I’ll have left after I die. He didn’t do anything to deserve it. From the moment we adopted him, He took on a new name and a new identity and a new family and a new future.
When you’re adopted by God, you take on a whole new identity. You’re a new person, literally. You have all the rights and privileges of belonging to the Creator of the universe! There’s no chance of reversal.
vv.5-6 again (on screen) Which He lavished on us. (Need a pitcher of water and a 6-8 oz glass) Not just a little grace. Not just a lot of grace. Overflowing. Over the top. Lavished. In Christ, I am blessed and highly favored. I am chosen by the God of the universe to bring Him pleasure, I am adopted into His family where He lavishes His grace and goodness on me.
4. We are redeemed v.7-8 (on screen)
To adopt us He had to redeem us. Redemption: “to buy out of the slave market, to buy off, to buy for one’s self.”
We were slaves to sin. We were enslaved to our brokenness. Enslaved to our disordered desires. And destined for an existence experiencing the judgment and wrath of a holy and righteous and just God.
I have recently been captivated by 2 words. Upon these 2 words everything pivots. With these 2 words, eternal destinations are changed 180 degrees.
Ephesians 2:1-6 (on screen)
I was lost and destined for a life that had no ultimate meaning…But God!
I was dead spiritually with no way to establish a relationship with the Supreme Being and Creator of all that is …But God!
I was living according to the customs of this world that ended up leaving me empty and pursing things that only accentuated my emptiness when I did actually attain them…But God!
I was rebellious & disobedient to the One who created and gave Himself for me…But God!
I had no way to extricate myself from the slavery I knew in my soul would ultimately destroy me…But God!
But God, rich in mercy stepped into Satan’s slave market and ransomed me and rescued me and paid for me with His own precious blood! But God!!!!!
5. We are enlightened. vv.9-10 (on screen)
Don’t have time to dig down into this but watch the news and read the blogs and talk to your friends, and they are clueless as to what is going on in the world. Wringing their hands…What about the deteriorating environment? What about Russia and N.Korea’s military buildup? What about the trade wars with China? What about the constant threat of an expanded war in the Middle East?
But we who are in Christ are not clueless as to what is going on in our world. We know there is a spiritual warfare going on for hearts and minds. And we are a part of this epic battle. We know that the Adversary is doing all He can to deceive people and try to keep them from the One who loves them and gave Himself for them. We know that the battle is going to get worse and there will be times and places that some saints will suffer greatly. But we also know that Jesus will return and restore justice and righteousness and every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is lord and He will throw Satan in the pit with all his demons and there will be a new heaven and a new earth and God will be glorified forever and every amen!
So comfort yourself with this knowledge.
6. We are wealthy vv.11-12 (on screen)
Hetty Green was known as America's greatest miser. She managed an inherited fortune so shrewdly that she was also considered the greatest woman financier in the world. In 1916 she died leaving an estate that was worth nearly 100 million dollars. Yet she would eat cold oatmeal because she didn't want to spend the money to heat the water. Her son eventually lost his leg from a relatively minor injury because she took him to a number of free medical clinics instead of calling for a doctor. She had tremendous resources but didn't make use of them.
V.3 says God has already bless us with every spiritual blessing. And yet it breaks my heart to see so many of us living as if we’re paupers: so little peace; so little joy, so little hope, so little richness in relationships, such scant love & intimacy in marriages.
Beloved, these things ought not be. Memorize this passage; pray for God to open your eyes and hearts to the WEALTH that is yours in Christ.
7. We are sealed v.13-14 (on screen)
Pickles: Holy Spirit in you and nothing and no one can possess you. You are God’s own possession, sealed with His Spirit for His joy and purpose.
This is who we are in Christ. This is our identity: blessed & highly favored, chosen for God’s own pleasure, adopted into His family, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, when everyone around is caught up in the chaos of this world, we are enlightened and understanding of what’s going on and assured that God is still on His throne, we’re wealthier than Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, and we are invaded, marked and sealed with Spirit as God’s own prize possession.
One last point; and this is the most important point: this is all about God and His glory.
v.3 “Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”
v.6 “ to the praise of his glorious grace”
v.12 “so that we who had already put our hope in Christ might bring praise to his glory”
v.14 “to the praise of his glory”
