Love Jesus 13

Excerpt of an excerpt.

From a prior post:

Christians are saints in Christ (1:1); blessed in Christ (1:3); chosen in Christ (1:4); adopted by Christ (1:5); lavished with love in Christ (1:6); redeemed and forgiven in Christ (1:7); participants in God’s good plan in Christ (1:11); glorified in Christ, sealed with the Holy Spirit (1:12-13); made alive in Christ (2:5-6); created in Christ (2:10); brought near to God in Christ (2:13); growing in Christ (2:21); built in Christ (2:22); and sharers in God’s promise in Christ (3:6). Get the picture? Everything in the universe is centered in Christ (1:10).

-end-

It’s a good idea to pause and reflect on all that, rather than quickly reading it and moving on. Read slowly enough to think about each concept, what that means, and how this reality might encourage a weary saint:

Our Identity in Christ

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he[b] predestined us for adoption to sonship[c] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.. ” (Ephesians 1)

We are:

* Saints in Christ (1:1)
* Blessed in Christ (1:3)
* Chosen in Christ (1:4)
* Adopted by Christ (1:5)
* Lavished with love in Christ (1:6)
* Redeemed and forgiven in Christ (1:7)

In him we were also chosen,[e] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 1:11-17

We are:
* Participants in God’s good plan in Christ (1:11)
* Glorified in Christ, and sealed with the Holy Spirit (1:12-13)

“God … made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do…13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

(Ephesians 2:5-10, 13)

We are:
* Made alive in Christ (2:5-6)
* Created in Christ (2:10)
* Brought near to God in Christ (2:13)
* Growing in Christ (2:21)
* Built in Christ (2:22)

Ephesians 3:6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

We are
* Sharers in God’s promise in Christ (3:6)


Everything in the universe is centered in Christ (1:10).