Tuesday, February 2, 2021
If you don't know your identity in Jesus Christ, you're never going to live a full and complete life. You're forgiven, you're going to heaven, but you want to live a full and abundant life. And you'll do that, when you appreciate your new identity. The seventh thing is that your new identity in Christ means that you are
Tuesday, February 2, 2021
Ephesians 1:9-10
We're glad you're spending part of your day with us. Our whole purpose in Life Lifters is to give your life, as the name implies, a lift through encouragement and scripture.
We're continuing to talk about 10 new things that come into your life that form your new identity when you become a Christian, your identity in Jesus Christ. And so far, we've talked about six of them. And today, I want to talk to you about a seventh amazing thing that changes your identity and gives you a new identity in Jesus Christ.
If you don't know your identity in Jesus Christ, you're never going to live a full and complete life. You're forgiven, you're going to heaven, but you want to live a full and abundant life. And you'll do that, when you appreciate your new identity. The seventh thing is that your new identity in Christ means that you are enlightened. Now when I say that word, enlightened, you may think of some yoga, or some new age guru or something. I'm not talking at all about that "enlightened", I'm talking about enlightened that means the light has turned on and you understand God, and you understand life.
Before you are a Christian, you are not enlightened, your mind has been darkened. You don't know what life's about. You don't understand the purpose of life, you can't figure out the sense of things. But there's an amazing sense that when you become a Christian, the light has come on and you now understand why you exist, you now understand why the world is the way it is, you now understand God in His heart. And I get that from Ephesians 1:9-10. Look at what it says it says, "he made known to us the mystery of his will, according to His good pleasure". Now we understand God's will. When you're a Christian, you understand God's will. Before, you couldn't understand God's will, you couldn't understand God at all, you were dead to him. When you become a Christian, you know the mystery of his will, "according to His good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ", again, in Christ is where this happens. Ephiasian 1:10 goes on to say "to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment -- to bring all things in heaven and earth together, under one head, even Christ".
In other words, he not only helps you understand what's happening now, he's going to help you understand the future. You can't understand the future and make sense of it until you understand Jesus Christ. You're going to understand the future, the future that sin has to be dealt with, that God's going to have to judge the world, that God will judge people who reject him, forever and that God will forgive people, even in the last days, and will bring them to heaven. You have an understanding of the future. A lot of people can't believe God would do that. It's because they don't understand God, and don't understand His will. They're not enlightened. When you are a Christian, you are enlightened. Life's purpose makes sense. God's will make sense and you know how to live it out in your life.
Life will not make sense if you're living out your own will. Life only makes sense when you live out God's will. "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven", according to Jesus Christ, and the Lord's Prayer, you're enlightened. You can figure things out through Christ. The Bible even says, you have the mind of Christ. Does that mean you're omniscient, and you know everything? No. It just means that you can begin to think like Jesus does. You can begin to think like God does and know his perfect will. You're enlightened. And when you're enlightened, you can figure out what God wants you to figure out. It's a great feeling.
Let's pray. Father, thanks for revealing your will to us. Thanks for helping us make sense of this life. Thanks for giving our life meaning and purpose. And our main purpose, our meaning in life, is to glorify you with every bit of it because you have enlightened us, and you've done everything for us, that we've only dreamed could ever happen. And it's all through your Son, Jesus Christ. Help us to have his mind, his thinking. Help us to see our life for what it is and to see the future and what you'll accomplish. Help us understand the scriptures on the future so that we're comforted that you will make all the wrong things right, one day, and we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.
