Yet in perfect love He gives everyone free choice to receive Him ?or reject Him.
Ephesians 1:9-10 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.
God Himself made a way, became the way taking on human form, died in human form, raised ?in human form and remains in glorified human form. Through Jesus' shed blood He made peace, conquered death, the bondage of self and the powers of evil.
All who have received Jesus as saviour and Lord are rooted in Him. The daily walk is being built ?up in Him, knowing and experiencing His true identity and our true identity in Him.
God the Son in Jesus became our identity so we could become His identity. Our identity in Him ?is defined by who He says that we are. When God speaks it is so.
Today we are going to journey through Ephesians chapter 1 beginning at verse 3. It is about identity. Jesus identity is our identity.
Ephesians 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before ?the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
We are blessed with every spiritual blessing, past, present and future. That is corporately as the body of Christ and individually - intimately and personally. Our identity in Him.
Chosen - Christ, the messiah or the anointed one is chosen by God. God Himself in Jesus chose to be the chosen One. Before the creation of the world, God in His great love chose to create humanity and give them His identity. Humanity chose to allow their identity to be marred, ?or damaged or corrupted, by giving power to selfish desires and evil.
So God in Jesus became our identity, so we could become His identity. As Jesus is, so are we ?in Him. Jesus was chosen, so are we.
We are chosen.
Holy - This word holy is the same word used to attribute to God's presence, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit overshadowed a woman, her name was Mary. She carried the chosen child and gave birth to baby Jesus. It is this even that we celebrate as Christmas.
God in Jesus chose to take on human form, born of Spirit, so we born of corrupted human seed can be born of incorruptible seed, the Spirit. Jesus came clothed in human flesh to restore and renew our identity in Him. Jesus is holy, so are we.
We are holy.
Blameless - That was God's desire since before He created. A people in equal love relationship with Him. Without blame, without shame, His crowning glory. Yet His love is so great that even knowing that humanity would reject His love and their identity in Him, He still created, He still gave free choice and never interferes with our right to choose.
Remember humanity chose to be unholy and blameworthy living life opposed to God's perfect will. So before the creation of the world God, the Father, the Son and Spirit chose in love to create, give free choice and make a way to receive His chosen identity. The position of being chosen is available to all. How we respond to the invitation determines our identity.
In Christ Jesus this is our identity now. We are not talking about behavioural issues. This is about identity. To realise who we are in Him. When we see ourselves as God sees us, surrendered to His perfect will, letting Him make this truth a powerful reality in our hearts and minds, our behaviour and desires become one with Jesus. Jesus is blameless, so are we.
We are blameless.
Verse 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
Adopted as sons who inherit all things - It is the will of the Father for all to be predestined to be ?a child of God. That is His heart felt perfect destiny since before He created.
Yet each one has a free choice and not everyone will choose to receive Jesus as their saviour ?and Lord. Jesus is the Lord of everyone's destiny, whether they receive Him or not. Jesus determines the destiny of all creation.
In Him we are adopted into a privileged position, as first born sons (male and female). As sons ?is not a gender description it is a position of inheritance speaking into a culture where the first born son inherits all things. It is about identity. Sonship is as Jesus. His inheritance, His identity, His kingdom He gives to us. Together we are declared one with Jesus. Jesus gives all of Himself ?to us. Jesus is the son, so are we.
We are as sons.
Verse 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
Accepted - How we long to be accepted, included, loved. In this context accepted is more than included it means to embrace with special honour. God said of Jesus, this is my beloved son, ?in Him I am well pleased. Jesus is not only the personification of God's love, He is also the supreme object onto whom the Father lavishes His love. Beloved is most loved.
This is the amazing thing about God and His love, each individual is most loved. In the reality ?of Sonship, we are caught up into the perfect love, oneness and intimacy between our Father and Jesus. Jesus said to His disciples when you pray, our Father. Jesus' relationship of love, oneness and intimacy with the Father is ours, to the praise of the glory of His amazing grace. Jesus is most loved, so are we.
We are accepted in the beloved.
Verse 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
The words here we have is a present reality. It is an action. It actually means to take, to possess, ?to hold onto out of necessity, to be joined to, to find oneself, to adhere to. What a wonderful picture of being redeemed, set free from imprisonment to death, evil and self and to be forgiven.
God in Jesus took on human form, shed His blood and provided the deliverance for us to choose to take and possess or reject and deny. Jesus sacrifice is an eternal sacrifice, for eternal deliverance. We are totally delivered from guilt, shame and bondage to self, evil and death ?in Jesus. Jesus is victorious, so are we.
We are redeemed. We are forgiven.
Verse 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,
It is the perfect will of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ that we are one in Him. Remember it is the predestined will of God that all things will be gathered together in one in Jesus. Yet never interfering in free choice. As we read earlier in Jesus we are adopted in the beloved as first born sons, therefore we have obtained an inheritance. It is for us to take it, possess it and live in the reality of it. We have already (present tense) obtained inheritance. Jesus inherited all things, so do we.
We are predestined. We have obtained an inheritance.
What is our inheritance?
We have a future inheritance of perfect resurrected glorified bodies, that never get sick, never wear out, never die. Perfect bodies, perfect character, perfect spirit just as Jesus. This is our future inheritance. Jesus is in resurrected glorified body, so we will be.
The book of Ephesians testifies of our today inheritance, His identity. We have His presence within, we are holy, blameless, adopted, in the beloved, redeemed, forgiven, made alive, raised up being built together, empowered, gifted, living witness, children of light, one with Christ, His bride, ?His body.
Verse 13-14 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who ?is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
We are sealed wIth the Holy Spirit of promise. 100% guaranteed by God Himself. We are a purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
By His Spirit let His identity become an active force in our hearts and minds.
