Our identity in Christ combats that discontentment we feel of who we are in this life. In identity in Christ meaning, we learn that we have an identity as Christians. That identity is in Jesus Christ. What traits does that identity have? Let’s explore them together.
Identity in Christ: Six Terms that Define Who You Are in Christ
In Ephesians 1:3-11, we find these six terms that define you are as a Christian and how God sees you.
Identity in Christ: You are BLESSED
Paul said that God has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing (vs. 3). Because Christ died on the cross for us, we are the recipients of every spiritual blessing.
Think about it. If you had a Christmas wish list a mile long and your parent(s) gave it ALL to you. Wouldn’t you feel really blessed? With worldly goods, you’d think that a kid who got everything they wanted would be spoiled. But being given every spiritual blessing means that you would be blessed, not spoiled. I think of it a lot like being given the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) and more.
Identity in Christ: You are CHOSEN
God chose us, before the world began, in Christ, to be holy and blameless. (vs 4). God chose us to be like Him, holy and blameless. Similarly, the story of King David’s anointing reminds me of being chosen.
God was not happy with King Saul. He asked Samuel to go to Jesse’s house to anoint the new king. He looked at Eliab and thought this was the new king. God told him to not look at the outward appearance because He looks at the heart (1 Sam. 16:7). And you may know the rest of the story. Samuel went through all the sons there at the house. God had not chosen any of them. David, who was out tending the sheep, was the one that God wanted to be the next king.
God didn’t care that David was a sheepherder. He chose him to be the next king. Sheepherders were considered the lowliest of jobs. Yet, he was also handsome and had beautiful eyes (vs. 12). And this description reminds me of my husband, also named David, who is handsome and has beautiful blue eyes. 😊
God knew that David had the potential to do the great things he wanted him to do. Similarly, God knows that you and I have the potential to do great things for Him.
Our part is to believe and trust Him with His plan.
Identity in Christ: You are ADOPTED
In God’s great love for us, He predestined us to be adopted, as sons or children through Jesus. This is “according to the purpose of his will” (vs. 5, ESV).
In God’s Will meaning, I wrote about how God wants ALL people to believe in Him and have a close relationship with Him (1 Tim. 2:4). He desires to have a close relationship with us like a parent has with a child.
Yet God, as a loving parent, allows us to make our own choices and mistakes. That love is so deep for us that He allows us to make the choice of even rejecting Him.
Can you imagine a parent being willing to let their child go their own way, even if it meant that child could totally reject them and never come back? Wow! That is an example of real love.
Identity in Christ: You are REDEEMED
Jesus died on the cross and took our place. This redemption was through His blood or the forgiveness of our sins (vs. 7).
His death was so that we don’t have to experience the second death. The second death determines whether we will an eternal life or eternal death for all of eternity. If you aren’t sure about your salvation or would like to know more about peace found in God, you can find that information here.
Redemption is what Jesus did on the cross by shedding His blood for us. Think of it like this. You have a coupon or coupon code to get something at a discount. You exchange that code to get a special discount to buy a product. If you don’t have the code, you aren’t getting the discount.
Jesus’s blood is the redemption code that you need in order to have salvation and get to heaven. If you don’t have that code and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and believe in God, then you won’t be able to get into heaven. By accepting Jesus, you are one of His redeemed children.
You have an INHERITANCE
By being His adopted and redeemed children, you have an inheritance. This is the same inheritance that any birth son or daughter would get. This inheritance comes by putting our hope in Christ and the work He did for us on the cross (vs. 12).
Your salvation is SEALED
When we accept Christ, our salvation is a sealed promise with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance until we get to heaven (vs. 13-14).
A guarantee is like a warranty that never expires. When you buy a product, you are guaranteed that the product will hold up and give you the value for your money, for life.
The Holy Spirit guarantees our inheritance for us. We accept Christ and believe in what He did on our behalf. The Holy Spirit is given to us as a guarantee.
There are days when we have doubts. The Holy Spirit reminds us of what Jesus did and that He is the guarantee for us to get in those pearly gates. We do not need to worry – our ticket is bought and paid for!
Your Identity Defined
Rejoice, dear friend! God loves you and He sees you as blessed, chosen, adopted, and redeemed with an inheritance that is sealed and guaranteed! BOOM!
You have the knowledge from these verses in Ephesians and your Identity IN Christ to combat the discontentment of who you are.
Reflection Thoughts:
- Read Ephesians 1: 3-14 in its entirety. List out the six items and what they mean in your notebook or journal.
- Which of the six items means the most to you and why?
- Spend time thanking God for all these items and why they mean so much to you.
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Resource Library
Check out the Resource Library for downloadable resources! There are Bible Verse cards that you can download and print for you to keep in the forefront of your mind. Place them up on your mirror, memorize one a week or month. In order to save space, the verses are abbreviated on the cards. So if you want to memorize the longer version, go for it! There are also a couple of cute bookmarks as well for printing.
Let us know what you think of these resources. If you have other ideas or resources you’d like, please email us and let me know.
