Feb 01 2:05 AM

Your Identity In Christ | Part 6 | Forgiven

Feb 01 2:05 AM
Feb 01 2:05 AM

Monday, February 1, 2021

 
 
This week, we're doing something unique. We're actually carrying over the theme of last week into this week as well. Our theme "Your identity in Jesus Christ". It's amazing to me that when people become a Christian they really fail to grasp who they are in Jesus. They've been transformed, translated, and they're new creations. And they don't understand how. If you don't understand your identity in Jesus Christ, you'll never be able to fully live it out.

So we're looking at Ephisians 1, which is a fascinating, rich chapter that speaks more of our about our identity in Christ and different traits of that than any other chapter that I'm aware of in the Bible. And so far, we've looked at five of them, and I'll give you them by way of review from last week. And if they intrigue you can read, watch or listen to them. So far, we've learned that our new identity in Christ means that because of Jesus Christ, we are blessed, chosen, adopted, accepted, and redeemed.

So today, I'm going to talk about the sixth, it's perhaps the most plain, but the most beautiful nonetheless, in Jesus Christ, our new identity is that we are forgiven. We are forgiven. It doesn't matter what somebody wants to hold over your head. You're forgiven. I had a friend, when I worked at RIT, we had desks next to each other in the office, where we were technical lab assistance. And he had a sticker on the wall behind our desk that said "Christians aren't perfect, we're just forgiven".
We're not perfect. We're just forgiven. But thank God that we're forgiven. I get that from Ephesians 1:7-9, it says "in Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding,...". God forgave our sins, according to the riches of God's grace. And he lavished us in forgiveness.

What a thought -- lavished in grace and forgiveness. Forgiveness, the Christian bar of soap, it cleanses you, from everything in the past, everything in the present, everything in the future. Did you know that? That God has forgiven you of everything in your past? That's the most obvious. Do you know that because of his forgiveness, he's forgiving you of the sins you're struggling with in the present? Did you know that he's forgiving you of sins you haven't even dreamed of committing yet? That's how rich His grace is, forgiveness. I know this, when God has forgiven me of something, I can forget about it. It doesn't mean I don't learn from it. It doesn't mean I'm not warned to not do it again. Jesus said "go and sin no more" to the woman caught in adultery who he forgave, and didn't condemn. But forgiveness is a great feeling. When I know I'm forgiven, man, I feel good. Life has meaning. When you are a Christian, you are a forgiven person. Live the freedom that forgiveness provides. That's your identity in Jesus Christ.

Are you living free? You should because you're forgiven.

Let's pray. Father, thank you for forgiving us. We didn't deserve it. But your grace, determined that we would be forgiven and not only do forgive us, by grace you lavishly, graciously forgave us. Thank you for something we couldn't do, couldn't earn and it was all through your Son, Jesus Christ who shed his blood to forgive us. Help us live free, free not just to do what we want, but free to please you with our life, because that's our new identity. And we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.

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