So many Christians walk this life without a clear understanding of their identity in Christ. Neil T Anderson says that "You need to see yourself for who you really are." You must see yourself (if you have trusted in Jesus Christ, God's only son) - that you are indeed a child of God!" You must see yourself as a child of God in order to live like a child of God. Your blessed hope as a believer under the sun is "Christ in you, the hope of glory" - Colossians 1:27.
The Apostle Paul writing to the Ephesians said, "For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles (Ephesians 3:1)".
What reason is the Apostle Paul talking about?
- That we who believe in Jesus Christ have been make alive from trespasses and sin (Ephesians 2:1) which we once conducted ourselves in the lust of our flesh (Ephesians 2:2).
- We were disobedient, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind (2:3).
- But God, who is rich in mercy,
- loved us and made us alive together with Christ 4,
- raised us up v5,6,
- made us sit together ... in Christ Jesus v5,6,
- saved us by grace through faith v.8,
- created us for good works v.9,
- We are no longer:
- strangers v12,
- aliens v12,
- without hope and without God v12,
- We are now in Christ, we have been brought near by the blood of Jesus Christ!
Are you struggling with an identity crisis? Are you finding yourself living in your past order of life without regrets? Probably you have not received the grace and love of God that saves those who believe.
Are you unsettled about the current status of your spiritual walk. Yes! You know you are born again! You are not a stranger or alien - you have hope in God. However there is a lingering lack of peace in the spirit inside you! One way to address this is by trusting in the Word about who you really are according to Ephesians chapter 2.
Simply believe who you are: a child of God! Accept who God says you are and commit yourself to God's great aim for your life - to be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29).
When your basic faith system about God and yourself is not stable, your daily behavioral system will be unstable. Make your relationship with God based on the truth of and you will have little trouble working out the practical aspects of your daily Christianity.
