BEHOLD - GOD MAKES ALL THINGS NEW! Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2 CORINTHIANS 5:17
UNKNOWN TO GOD & LOST IN SIN
There once was a time when we were under God's curse, doomed forever in our sins. We went along with the crowds and were like everyone else, full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air, who is at work even now in the hearts of those who are against the Lord Jesus Christ.
Each of us used to be just as they are today, our lives expressing the evil within us, doing every wicked thing that our passions or our sinful thoughts might lead us into. We started out in sin, being born with evil natures -- what... you don't think we we "born into sin?"
JUST ASK ANY LITTLE BUT "GUILTY" CHILD
When you ask a child, who has just stolen a toy or a cookie, what is his or her most likely answer? One simple and yet sinful little word, "No" or "I didn't do it!" Even a child knows how to lie simply because we were under God's anger, just like everyone else!
GOD'S LOVE IS GREATER THAN OUR SIN
But God is so rich in mercy; He loved us so much that even though we were spiritually dead and doomed by our sins, He made a way -- He gave us back our lives again when He raised Christ from the dead -- only by His undeserved favor have we ever been saved. We were lifted up from the grave into Glory along with Christ, where we sit with Him in the heavenly realms, all because of what Jesus did for us on the cross of Calvary!
Let's take our second look into our Identity in the
(EPHESIANS 2).
1. We are QUICKENED, each of us who were dead in trespasses and our own sins; in a time when we walked according to the course of this world, according to the power of the air, and the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience.
(EPHESIANS 2:1).
2. We are SAVED through our faith in God; not of ourselves: it is a gift from our loving God: and not of works lest any of us should boast in our own works. (EPHESIANS 2:5)
3. We have be RAISED UP together, which made it possible for us to sit tin heavenly places with Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus. For by grace we were saved through faith, what a wonderful gift from our God!
(EPHESIANS 2:6)
And now God can always point to us as examples of how very, very rich His kindness and love are, as shown in all He has done for us through Christ Jesus. Because of His kindness and love, you have been saved through trusting Jesus: even in trusting it is not of ourselves; it too is a gift from God!
Salvation is not a reward for the good we have done, so that none of us can take any credit for it. It is God Himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from the Lord Jesus Christ; and long age ago He planned that we should spend our lives in helping others.
Never forget that we once were heathens and that we were called godless and "unclean!" For Christ himself is our way of peace. He has made peace between we being Jews and Gentiles by making us all one family, breaking down the wall of contempt that used to separated us! (EPHESIANS 2:7-18)
4. We are NO LONGER STRANGERS to God and foreigners to heaven, but we are members of God's very own family, citizens of God's country and we belong in God's household with every other Christian. (EPHESIANS 2:19)
5. We stand upon A FIRM FOUNDATION now: the apostles and the prophets; and the cornerstone of the building is Jesus Christ Himself! (EPHESIANS 2:20)
6. We are JOINED TOGETHER with Christ as parts of a beautiful, constantly growing temple for God. You also are joined with Him and with each other by the Spirit and are part of this dwelling place of God! (EPHESIANS 2:21)
For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto our Father God. In who we are also built together for an habitation of God through the Spirit of God!
It is vitally important that we KNOW OUR IDENTITY in CHRIST JESUS, because these are the very bedrock and core for our BELIEF SYSTEM IN GOD and HIS HOLY WORD! While I know we can't cover our every identification and testimony of who we are in Jesus, come back tomorrow for another building block of your salvation!
ONLY JESUS SAVES, KEEPS & SATISFIES US
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