It is important now more than ever to understand our identity.  We are blood bought; spirit-filled children of God. Ephesians Chapter 1 is full of descriptions that define Christians.  Paul was trying to explain to the church at Ephesus who they were in Christ.

Verse 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

This verse says we are chosen.  It is easy to accept that we are chosen but take a moment to think about it. Christ the hope of glory, our savior, our father loved us so much that he made a choice to die for us.  He chose death to save us.  We are chosen.

5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,  Verse five says we are adopted.  The spirit of rejection comes from satan. It makes us feel unwanted like spiritual orphans.  It is a lie from satan that says, you are not really a son of God. God says he accepts us and makes us his children. We cannot listen to the attacks of the enemy on our minds. We are loved and precious in God’s sight. He wants us with him throughout all eternity.

6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved  Verse 6 says we are accepted. The enemy will make you feel rejected by people and tell you that you are so worthless that God cannot even love you.  Don’t believe the lies.  Believe the word it says we are accepted.

7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;  We are redeemed, which means to make up for a fault. Christ redeemed us from our sins. God sees our flaws and imperfections but ignores them because the blood of Christ covers us and says we are redeemed.

11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:  Verse 11 says we are heirs of a home in heaven. Satan tries to get us to give up and tell us the road is too hard.  Philippians says I can do all things through Christ.

13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, We are sealed with the Holy Spirit.  I think about this being like home canning food, the food is preserved from spoiling or rotting. God will keep our souls from corruption if we abide in him and stay in his presence.

Chosen, adopted, accepted, redeemed, heirs and we are sealed. All these things say that we are loved by God.  The God of the universe who created everything, LOVES US.  Take a moment to let that sink in, HE LOVES US. We should never allow the enemy to tell us that we are less than, worthless, useless, hopeless or any other “less” words.  Notice he takes good words and adds less, suddenly we are feeling bad about ourselves.

We should never wallow in self-pity or self-loathing even if we make a mistake and fall down.  Jesus is there to pick us up. The next time satan comes whispering his lies about who we are, we need to stand boldly and tell him he doesn’t define us. Jesus has redeemed us and he names us.  His opinion is the only one that matters.

I was watching reruns of a TV show where people race all over the world against other people for a million dollars. I find different cultures fascinating. It is amazing most of all to me the different religions that people of this world have adopted. A lot of it depends on the culture and the traditions that were passed down from generation to generation.

One particular challenge got me thinking about the traditions of men and religion. The contestants had to walk through a temple in India. This temple was to worship rats. These people would cut themselves and put their blood on the door or walls of the temple. Then they would walk barefooted through a maze of rats and rat droppings to leave food for the rats as an offering. To the people in India, this is normal and what they have done from childhood. I don’t even want to tell you what I think is wrong with their religion.  The point I want to take away from it is that this is a tradition of mankind. Something that has been passed down from generation to generation.

All the false gods of the world have a very devoted following. These people do all sorts of things for their false gods.  Some climb flights and flights of stone stairs on their knees to get to the top of a mountain to make offerings to false gods. It is amazing the things people will do in the name of religion.

Our Real God; the Lord Jesus Christ is different than any other of the false gods. One he is real, and two he never asks us to do ourselves harm just to worship him.  There was bloodshed, but he shed it for us. He sacrificed for us.  All He asks of us is to follow him with all our hearts.

Christianity in America has almost become a cultural thing. People have left true faith for a watered-down version.  They want to be Christians and still do their own thing in the name of grace.  His grace is not so we can live any kind of way and walk in sin. God forbid. They do not know what it means to be dedicated to the cause of Christ. They want to embrace the fact that God is Love and miss the fact that we have to live a holy life. Will we ever be perfect? No. But we can walk as close as possible.

Phil 2:12-15  12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.  13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

People think that working out your own salvation means you can piecemeal whatever you want to do as long as you say you have accepted Christ.  Some are even adding elements of new age or witchcraft to their beliefs, without understanding what they are doing.  But this verse means that we all are responsible for our own souls and the salvation of those souls.  Do we follow Christ and follow close or do we repent and then do our own thing? We have to study the word of God, it is our roadmap for our soul. This is a lifelong study and we have to pray for God to guide us.  We cannot lean on a denomination, a preacher, a pastor or teacher and fully trust them.  We have to ask God for guidance. Many of these things seem right in man’s eyes but lead to destruction.

John 14:25-27   25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

We need to have God’s Spirit within us.  Then we need to listen to that Spirit.  He will lead us and guide us. (John 16:13–13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.) He is the ultimate teacher. No longer can we depend on what we have been taught.  Every denomination has things that are not right. It is time the body of Christ got on our faces before God and questioned everything.  Ask Him to lead us in unity as the body.  Only in the unity of His Spirit will we find true grace. 

II Tim 11:15 –11 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: 12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:  13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. 14 Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. 15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

We cannot even begin to understand the depths of God without His Spirit leading us. It is time for the body to grow up. It is time to leave the milk bottle of man’s divisions, doctrines and denominations to honor God with our whole being, leaning on him. This is leaning not on our understanding but in all of our ways leaning on Him. 

I Cor 3:1-4  3 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.  3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?  4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

If Paul were writing to the American church today he would say we were carnal. Instead of saying I am of Paul or I am of Apollos.  We would be saying, My family has been in this denomination or that denomination for ten generations. There is strife and divisions that need to stop.  God will settle the matter if we come to him with an open mind and heart and seek understanding.  We all come short of perfection.  None of us will ever be perfect enough to sit on the judgement seat.  It is not our job, so we need to quit being “religious” and start searching the word for direction.

We are not to walk after the traditions of men, but we are to follow Jesus. The Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus’ day were the equivalents of our denominations today. People look to them as if they are good. But many would not know Jesus if he walked into the room.  I want to know him.  I don’t want to miss him because I am wrapped up in the traditions of men.  He is coming back for a people without spot or wrinkle.  It is time the body of Christ started removing the spots and getting out the wrinkles.  Time is short.

God will never leave us or fail us if we can FULLY put our trust in HIM. Have a good week.  If you like my blogs feel free to share with a friend.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS