Appropriating Our Identity in Christ – Eph. 1:3-7
Many Christians gain their identity more from their family background, work or human relationships than they from who they are in Christ. Too many young people gain their identity from the latest fashions, trends or popular expectations from their peers.
No wonder Paul emphasized that we are in Christ throughout his epistles. Could it be today that one of the greatest problems facing Christians today revolves around an identity crisis? Many believers are not growing in Christ or experiencing fruit because they have somehow lost or never realized or appropriated their identity in Christ. In order to prevent Christian from becoming zombies who walk around with a clear sense of their identity it is essential to define who we are in Christ.
Illustration: The dilemma of an unclear sense of personal identity was illustrated by an incident in the life of the famous German philosopher Schleiermacher, who did much to shape the progress of modern thought. The story is told that one day as an old man he was sitting alone on a bench in a city park. A policeman thinking that he was a vagrant came over and shook him and asked, "Who are you?" Schleiermacher replied sadly, "I wish I knew."
Source Unknown.
Let us learn how to fully realize and appropriate our identity in Christ with the following twelve guidelines:
1. We, who are in Christ, those who have trusted Christ as their personal Savior and Lord, are blessed with every spiritual blessing. (Eph. 1:3) Paul writes, “Blessed be the God of Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessings, in Christ.” People who fail to realize this will continually feel insecure not praising God for all the good things they already possess in Christ. The world sees us as poor, naïve and ill-equipped, but we can be confident that we can do everything through Christ who gives us the strength and power. (Phil. 4:13)
Illustration: Setting out from Hamburg, Germany, one day to give a concert in London, violinist Fritz Kreisler had an hour before his boat sailed. He wandered into a music shop, where the proprietor asked if he could look at the violin Kreisler was carrying. He then vanished and returned with two policemen, one of whom told the violinist, "You are under arrest."
"What for?" asked Kreisler.
"You have Fritz Kreisler’s violin."
"I am Fritz Kreisler."
"You can’t pull that on us. Come along to the station." As Kreisler’s boat was sailing soon, there was no time for prolonged explanations. Kreisler asked for his violin and played a piece he was well known for. "Now are you satisfied?" he asked. They were!
Today in the Word, December 22, 1992.
Illustration:
2. We, who are in Christ, are holy and blameless, having been chosen in Him before the foundation of the world. (Eph. 1:4) Believers, who do not realize their identity in Christ, will live with a gnawing sense of guilt feeling that they have to earn their forgiveness, acceptance or belonging through good works.
3. We, who are in Christ, have been adopted as His sons and daughters deserving all the privileges of being in His eternal family. (Eph. 1:5) Paul writes, “He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.”
The world thinks we are haughty, high-minded and exclusive, not realizing that we are a part of Christ’s family while they remain in the family of the evil one. Jesus said to the Pharisees, “You are of your father the devil and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him… he is the father of lies.” (John 8:44)
We no longer have to be slaves of sin as we are set free through the blood of His cross. Too many believers are living under the stress, strain and imprisonment of sin since they do not appropriate their new identity in Christ.
4. We, who are in Christ, live primarily for the praise of His glory. (Eph. 1:6) Our greatest purpose, joy and sense of fulfillment comes through pleasing the Lord in all respects. (Col. 1:9) Carnal believers think that their great purpose is gained through their own selfish satisfactions. Yet, Paul wrote, “Whatever you do in word or do, do it all for the glory of God. (I Cor 10:31)
As we praise God for His attributes we are infused with a greater nearness of His dearness and splendor. He fills us up with every good thing. As Peter wrote, “Seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises so that you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped corruption that is in the world by lust.” (2 Pet 1:3,4)
5. We, who are in Christ, enjoy being eternal redeemed (purchased, bought back from condemnation) through the His blood. As Paul wrote, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.” (Eph. 1:7)
Many people fail to replace their anger, hurt, pain, fear, feelings of rejection for the rich grace that is found in the loving arms of Jesus Christ. Many Christians need to learn how to replace their anger, jealousy, wrath, fear, and feelings of pain for the compassion, encouragement, and affection, consolation of love and fellowship of the Spirit, found in Jesus Christ. (Eph. 4:22-32)
6. We, who are in Christ, are equipped with great wisdom and insight. Paul wrote, “Which He lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight.” (Eph. 1:8) We can praise God as He generously gives wisdom and knowledge and discernment to believers who ask Him for wisdom needed to accomplish 100% of His will.
In contrast, the world might think we are merely pretending to be something that we are not because they see what we are doing as foolishness. Some people “have a form of godliness but they deny its power…” In other words, they are faking and shaking and it causes a detrimental effect on the entire body of Christ.
7. We, who are in Christ, have understanding into the mysteries of God’s great will. Paul wrote, “He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him.” (Eph. 1:9) People who are in growing in their identity in Christ see the church like a social club where people get together to put on a show with various hairstyles and entertaining music.
Many folks assume that Christians assemble just to share their ideas about how they are superior to everybody who does not attend church. Fortunately, those who are growing in Christ gain a greater insight into the way the Lord is carrying out His broader will for the earth, for the church as well as for our own personal lives and enrichment.
We can praise God for His increasing ability to pray like Paul, “This I pray that your love would abound still more and more in real knowledge and depth of insight. So that you may discern what is best having been filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.” (Phil. 1:9-11
Illustration: Commitment
General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, was asked the secret
of his amazing Christian life. Booth answered, "I told the Lord that he
could have all that there is of William Booth."
James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited, Wheaton: Tyndale, 1988, p. 98.
8. We, who are in Christ, have obtained an inheritance in Christ so He now works out all things according to His purpose both to will and to do of His good pleasure fro the working out of His will. (Eph. 1:11; Phil. 2:13,14) Even thought the world thinks we are fanatics, extremists, or second-class simpletons, we can be assured that He is working out His will through us as rich inheritors of His nature, power and Spirit.
We are not renegades but instead we are people who are merely doing the will of our heavenly Father, seeking to give Him glory, love Him with all our hearts and trying to fulfill Christ’s great commission of Matthew 28:18-20
9. We, who are in Christ, have been brought under Christ’s authority, protection and responsibility. Paul wrote, “And this is His plan. At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ – everything in heaven and on earth.” (Eph. 1:10) Many people think of Christians as weak, shy and intimidated.
Instead, those who appropriate their identity in Christ can be strong, bold and authority that they are given in the name of Jesus, in the word of God and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
10. We, who are in Christ, have been given the Holy Spirit. Many people think they are a product of their own thinking, their own effort and their own family background.
Instead, Spirit filled believers need to see themselves as empowered, equipped and enabled by the power of their resident Holy Spirit. We gain our identity from who we are in Christ, through the educating abilities of the Holy Spirit. He sanctifies us, teaches us and comforts us with His all sufficient grace. (2 Cor. 12:9,10)
11. We, who are in Christ, are His workmanship. (Eph. 2:10) Paul wrote, “For we are God’s masterpiece, He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
Application: Thank God that He is still working in us to be more conformed to the image of His dear Son. He works all things together for good so that we might be like the Master, Jesus Christ, emotionally, mentally as well as spiritually.
12. We, who are in Christ, share in Christ’s promises. Paul wrote, “That the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” (Eph. 3:6) As a result we are made His ministers. Paul wrote, “Of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.” (Eph. 3:7)
Not only do we enjoy all the promises in Christ, but we are privileged to be His ministers and representatives. The carnal Christian cannot begin to appreciate the blessings of being a disciple-maker, leader, reproducer and multiplier, until they ascend to the higher levels of ministry maturity, fruitfulness and productivity.
Illustration: Suffering from terminal spinal cancer at the age or 47, former North Carolina State basketball coach Jim Valvano spoke with a reporter. He looked back on his life and told a story about himself as a 23-year-old coach of a small college team. "Why is winning so important to you?" the players asked Valvano.
"Because the final score defines you," he said, "You lose, ergo, you’re a loser. You win, ergo, you’re a winner."
"No," the players insisted. "Participation is what matters. Trying your best, regardless of whether you win or lose -- that’s what defines you."
It took 24 more years of living. It took the coach bolting up from the mattress three or four times a night with his T-shirt soaked with sweat and his teeth rattling from the fever chill of chemotherapy and the terror of seeing himself die repeatedly in his dreams. It took all that for him to say it: "Those kids were right. It’s effort, not result. It’s trying. God, what a great human being I could have been if I’d had this awareness back then."
Gary Smith in Sports Illustrated, quoted in Reader’s Digest.
Concluding Application: May the Lord help us continue to grow up in all aspects in Christ as we fully realize and appropriate our true identity in Christ.
