Feb 05
2:07 AM
Your Identity In Christ | Part 10 | Assured
Feb 05
2:07 AM
Feb 05
2:07 AM
Friday, February 5, 2021
Ephesians 1:14
Thanks for joining me in this Friday edition of Life Lifters. We've reached the end of our 10 session Life Lifter study on "Our Identity in Jesus Christ". Who are you in Jesus Christ? Do you know? It's important that you know. You're never going to live out the fullest blessings of God, you're never going to enjoy life to the fullest until you understand your identity in Christ. Yet too many Christians don't know who they are in Christ. They lack a full understanding of their identity.
Well, we've spent the last two weeks talking about our identity in Christ based on the most incredible chapter describing our identity in Christ in the most depth and detail, Ephesians chapter one. I won't review all the previous things, but we've talked about nine important ways to understand your new identity in Christ, and you can review any of those previous Life Lifters. Today, I want to talk to you about the final one, and that's your identity in Jesus Christ is that you are assured.
Ever go into a situation where you weren't sure and somebody says you can do this, and you aren't sure you believe them? Well, when God says you can be assured, you are assured. God assures us that he'll never leave us or forsake us. He assures us that we're his and he assures us of our inheritance. When you become a Christian, you get some things now, you'll get some things as you grow in your faith in this life, but then you'll also get some things in heaven. Those are called your inheritances. Not just heaven, but there's reward in heaven.
And that's what Ephesians 1:14 talks about, the last verse says, "who is [the Holy Spirit] a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession, to the praise of his glory". The Holy Spirit is a downpayment, guaranteeing that we will have our future inheritance in heaven. How do you know you're going to go to heaven? The Holy Spirit's that downpayment.
You know, when I was a kid, there used to be a thing called a layaway department? If you wanted to buy something and you didn't have all of the money, and credit cards weren't popular or very common at all. If something costed $100 and you wanted it, you'd put $10 down, and they'd pull that item off the shelf, put it in layaway, and then you could pay another $10. And once you made all the payments, you got it. You know what the Holy Spirit is? That first $10 down payment. Nobody's buying that thing. They took it off of the shelf, they put your name on it, it's waiting for you, but you didn't inherit it until you made the full payment. The full payment of this life will lead to our inheritance in heaven and the Holy Spirit's is the down payment. He assures us that we're going to heaven.
Do you know that you're going to heaven? What an amazing thought. Well, I can get through a lot more in life when I remember where I'm going and having this life is not all there is. We're just passing through this life. Heaven awaits. But it only awaits if Jesus Christ is your Lord. It only awaits when you have an identity in him. And I hope that you've trusted Jesus Christ. So you can experience this assurance that the Bible talks about. This assurance that you will go to heaven. He assures you. Why? Because we doubt.
How can you be assured you're going to heaven? Four things:
1) You acknowledge that God is holy. Do you believe that God's holy?
2) You acknowledge that you're a sinner, not an occasional sinner, but it's your career. It marks you.
3) That Jesus Christ bridged the gap between God's holiness and our sinfulness.
4) That you believe this and receive it into your life. Here's the key - by faith alone. If you're ready to do that, say "Jesus Christ. I believe everything that Vince just described about the Good News, that you are holy, that I'm sinful, that Jesus Christ is the only way between my sin and your holiness and Jesus Christ shed his blood to forgive me and rose to justify me as if I'd never sinned before. I ask you to come into my life right now. Cleanse me and forgive me. Make me a Christian. In Jesus name. Amen." If you do, you have all the things we talked about the last two weeks, you have a new identity in Christ. And I want to tell you today, you can be assured that you're a Christian and going to heaven because of this final truth!
1) You acknowledge that God is holy. Do you believe that God's holy?
2) You acknowledge that you're a sinner, not an occasional sinner, but it's your career. It marks you.
3) That Jesus Christ bridged the gap between God's holiness and our sinfulness.
4) That you believe this and receive it into your life. Here's the key - by faith alone. If you're ready to do that, say "Jesus Christ. I believe everything that Vince just described about the Good News, that you are holy, that I'm sinful, that Jesus Christ is the only way between my sin and your holiness and Jesus Christ shed his blood to forgive me and rose to justify me as if I'd never sinned before. I ask you to come into my life right now. Cleanse me and forgive me. Make me a Christian. In Jesus name. Amen." If you do, you have all the things we talked about the last two weeks, you have a new identity in Christ. And I want to tell you today, you can be assured that you're a Christian and going to heaven because of this final truth!
I hope these last two weeks have helped all of us who are Christians, to find our identity and understand our identity in Christ. And if you're not yet a Christian, keep seeking Him. If you seek Him, you'll find him if you seek Him with all your heart. Keep seeking Him.