Strategy 3: Your Identity (Remembering Who You Are in Christ)

• Fervent Reading: Chapter 3: Your Identity
• Bible Reading: Ephesians 5:8-14, Matthew 5:16, Ephesians 1:3-19 

"If I were your enemy, I'd devalue your strength and magnify your insecurities until they dominate how you see yourself, disabling and disarming you from fighting back, from being free, from being who God has created you to be. I'd work hard to ensure that you never realize what God has given you so you'll doubt the power of God within you."

Notes from the study:

"If we don't know who we really are, we'll downplay our real strength. We'll hate our bodies, highlight our weaknesses, cringe with insecurities, and constantly view ourselves as 'less than' by comparison with others." -Priscilla Shirer, Fervent 

Personal Story: Just before reading this chapter on our identity, I had a week filled with little reminders of where I was falling short as a mom, as a wife, as a woman. And then, the weekend came. My husband and his boss were donating their time to build a coffee bar for a ministry a few hours away and the wives and kids were all invited to come along. I had planned a few fun activities to do with the boss' wife while the men worked. I had met her a few months earlier—beautiful, intelligent, stylish, very together—I was excited to get to know her. But, before I could suggest a hike or the local coffee shop, she had changed into work clothes, drill in hand and was ready to help the men work and lay tile. My mouth dropped open. 

"Oh right" I thought, "I should help too. I hadn't thought of that." But then a second thought came to mind, "I don't have a drill or know the first thing about laying tile. I would make a fool of myself." Then a third thought came, "Should I know how to do these things? My husband is in construction. Am I a bad wife because I can't help him with his projects?" The thoughts raced in my mind faster than I could control them: "Look at her by her husbands side. Amazing! And she's not afraid to wear rough clothes around everyone and she still looks beautiful. I could never be that confident. Why can't I be like her? Why can't I do this work? What can I do? Cook, organize, write place cards...not really that amazing." "Well," I said, interrupting my running thoughts, "I had better go check on the kids." 

And with that, I grabbed my Bible and Fervent book and RAN to a quiet place before anyone could read what was written all over my face. I opened up my book to the next chapter, "Your Identity." This was my breaking point. All week it seemed everywhere I looked, I was reminded of where I was failing, weak and inadequate. I let Satan sneak his way into my mind and devalue who I am in Christ. After reading the chapter and all the powerful verses, I fell to my knees in earnest prayer. And, what God had for me was grace, comfort like a gentle breeze, and wisdom. 

As I prayed, God brought to mind a conversation my husband and I had the first year of our marriage—ten years ago!—a conversation I had not thought about since. Suddenly, I remembered my husband expressing to me how much he loved that though we were similar, we each had our own areas of strength that we appreciated about each other. He loves how much he can impress me with what he can build and do. He loves that he feels needed, much the same how I feel when I cook a meal for him and he says, "You are amazing!" Right there—in the midst of my praying—I realized that I am who my husband needs. And while this woman is amazing, she is not married to my husband. I am! 

Then, God kept pouring down the wisdom as I started to see this woman in a new light. She is who her husband needs! I started to appreciate who she is and shifted from praying for myself to praying for her. Rather then resenting her or competing with her, I was now able to love her and be the friend that she needs. Even, to learn from her. I found myself the next week, helping my father-in-law lay his gravel driveway, having learned from her to not be afraid of tougher jobs. 

In the days to follow, I would watch her ride horses, drive four wheelers, and continue to amaze me. But, I was growing in my friendship with her. Why? Because of the wisdom gained through communion with my Father! Prayer brings who we are and how God sees us back into focus. And it is not until then that we can love others in a way that distinguishes us as believers (I Peter 1:22).

__________

"I recommend that you sit down sometime and think about what you are. Just think about it. You say you do not want to get interested in yourself. Well, you had better, because the devil is, and the world is, and so you had better be interested too…and do no let the world or the books of psychology tell you what you are. God to God's Word and find out what you are as a believing man or woman and as a Christian, a follower of Christ…As Christians, we ought to think of ourselves as being what God says we are. We cannot allow false modesty, doubts or unbelief to prevent us from accepting God's favor and putting ourselves in faith and humility where God puts us…We are exactly what God says we are. No more, and certainly no less."  -A.W. Tozer, Living as a Christian

So… 

Who Am I?

• If someone were to ask you to describe yourself, what are the specific things you feel make you, YOU?

• Where do you struggle most with feeling weak or inadequate?

• What does it mean to you to be a child of God?  

Ephesians 5:8-9 tells us that at one time, we were darkness, but now we are "Light in the Lord" and so we are to "walk as children of light." This light produces fruit (v.9)—the fruit of the Spirit—goodness (love in action), righteousness and truth. 

Our light was meant to SHINE in a dark world and glorify our Father (Matthew 5:16).

• Is your light shining? 

"[Without the true reality of your identity], you lose the effectiveness of your influence as a wife, a mom, a friend, a daughter, a sister—all the relationships where God has placed you to be a light of His grace, His power, His love, His well-placed confidence." -Priscilla Shirer, Fervent   

In verse 13 of Ephesians 5, we learn that we overcome the darkness of evil by shining the light of God's goodness. And, in verse 14, Paul encourages the believers of Ephesus to "arise from the dead," reminding them that they are alive! They once were dead in their sin, but now they are a walking, breathing picture of the resurrection.

As believers, we should be living fully alive, fully awake, fully aware of the truth of our identity.

Let's study Ephesians 1:3-19:

1. The TRUTH of your Identity (v.3-14):

Living "in Christ" (v.3) is the most significant aspect of your identity. "In Christ" we have EVERYTHING we need for a successful, satisfying Christian life ("all spiritual blessings"). 

• If you were rich, how would your life be different? [less struggle]

• What do you think it means to be spiritually rich? [no limits]

• How does living "in Christ" affect who you are and how you live? [we have all resources available to us]

• How does it affect your influence of others? 

"Believers today have limitless wealth at their disposal, and yet they live like paupers." -Warren Wiersbe, Ephesians: Be Rich 

The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One. Many ordinary treasures may be denied him, or if he is allowed to have them, the enjoyment of them will be so tempered that they will never be necessary to his happiness. Or if he must see them go, one after one, he will scarcely feel a sense of loss, for having the Source of all things he has in One satisfaction, all pleasure, all delight. Whatever he may lose he has actually lost nothing, for he now has it all in One, and he has it purely, legitimately and forever." -A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God

What we have received from the Father:

• He has __________________ us. (v.4)  "God is always previous." -A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God. It humbles us to know that our salvation is truly a gift!  

• He has __________________ us. (v.5)  "Adoption is the gracious act of God whereby He chooses us. calls us to Himself, and gives us the privileges and blessings of being His children…adoption includes two precious benefits: a blessed status and wondrous privileges. God's adopted children share a status similar to the very Son of God (cf. Hos. 1:10; Rom. 9:26; 2 Cor. 6:18). This means that they enjoy the same love from God that exists between the Father and His Son (John 17:23; cf. Jer. 31:3; I John 3:1)…From being a child of the Devil to becoming a child of God; from a child of wrath to the object of God's favor; from a child of condemnation to an heir of all the promises and a possessor of all blessings; from the greatest misery to the highest felicity—adoption is a stupendous wonder." -Reformation Heritage Study Bible, p. 1628 

• He has __________________ us. (v.6) We are one with Christ and thus in God's favor. God sees us as He sees Jesus Christ. You cannot do anything to earn more of God's favor or to decrease God's favor. Our standing is perfect.  

What we have received from the Son:

• He has __________________ us. (v.7a) Gift of freedom by the payment of a ransom price, the sacrificial death (blood) of Christ (Mark 10:45); Christ redeemed sinners by satisfying God's justice (Rom. 3:24-26).  

• He has __________________ us. (v.7b)  

• He has __________________ God's will to us. (vv. 8-10)    

• He has made us an __________________. (vv. 11-12) We have been given the right to enjoy God's kingdom, as sons and daughters. Believers exist for the "praise of His glory." 

What we have received from the Holy Spirit:

• He has __________________ us. (v.13) (legal documents were authorized by the impression of a seal upon wax—the Spirit impresses the gospel on the heart)

• He has given us an  __________________. (v.14) (i.e. "down payment": a legally binding pledge of full possession in the future) 

2. The PRAYER for your Identity (v. 15-19):  

Paul prayed fervently that the believers would know their true identity—that they would:

• Know God (v.17): The Holy Spirit gives wisdom and reveals truth so that believers increase in the experiential knowledge of God. 

• Know God's Calling (v.18) We need to pray for more spiritual light in our minds and hearts (Psalm 119:18).

• Know God's Riches (v.18) 

• Know God's Power (v.19)  "Paul wanted us to know the greatness of God's power so that we would not fail to use our wealth, and so that the enemy would not deprive us of our wealth." -Warren Wiersbe, Ephesians: Be Rich 

"There's strategy to this combination of the Word and prayer. From Scripture we receive written proof of what God has done for us, what He's created us and called us and empowered us into becoming. Then in prayer we cooperate with Him to stamp these truths repeatedly into our hearts. In prayer we…transform the way we think of ourselves, receiving and believing our true identity—the one that was stamped on us the moment we ran to the foot of the cross." -Priscilla Shirer, Fervent

We often live in half truths, when we were meant to live in WHOLENESS. We are to put on the "belt of TRUTH" (Eph. 6:14) —meditate on God's Word—and then to think on those things that are TRUE (Phil. 4:4). TRUTH is God's standard and viewpoint about us, secured through God's Word and prayer. Rather than surrendering to an army of insecurities and misdiagnosis, you can be COURAGEOUSLY THRIVING in the security of your identity in Christ. Paul said, "I CAN through Christ" (Phil. 4:13).

And the truth is—those areas in ourselves where we see flaws, inadequacies, failures, weaknesses—those are the areas that are primed to display God's glory through the strengths and resources we now have in Christ!

"Let us by the grace of God, with [love] for all and hatred for none, but determination to be loyal to truth if it kills us, put our chin a little higher and our knees a little lower." -A.W. Tower, Living as a Christian

Say it with confidence and gratitude: 

"I am His and He is mine!" 

• Read through all the verses at the end of the chapter, and write one on a card to look at throughout the week and be reminded of the truth of who you are or what you have in Christ. 

For further study, click this link to enjoy a sermon by John MacArthur on Ephesians 1

Before Next Week:

• Read Chapter 4: "Your Family" and take notes in your journal   

• Write a prayer for each member of your immediate family 

• Pray!