Eph 1

Wow what an incredible chapter! There is so much in this chapter. I have read it several times and got something new out of it each time.

This passage speaks so much of our identity – who we are now we have Christ in our lives.

V7 ‘Since we are now joined to Christ, we have been given the treasures of redemption by his blood—the total cancellation of our sins—all because of the cascading riches of his grace.’ (TPT)

This verse reminds us that our identity is something we can’t earn, it’s not something we work for by trying hard. It is an amazing and wonderful gift given to us by God. It is also written there in the past tense – ‘we HAVE been given’ that means that this identity is something you already have – it is who you are!

So who are we?

• You are blessed with every spiritual blessing. (v3)
• You are chosen. (v4,11)
• You are holy. (v4)
• You are blameless in God’s sight. (v4) (I love the way TPT words this You have an unstained innocence.)
• You are adopted. (v5)
• You are wanted. (v5) (God chose you, it was His will for you to be adopted into His family and it brings Him pleasure.)
• You bring God pleasure. (v5)
• You are forgiven. (v7)
• You are fully covered with God’s grace. He lavished upon you. (v7-8)
• You are marked with God’s seal of ownership. (v13) (This reminds me of Toy Story where the child Andy has written his name on the bottom of each of his toy’s feet. This is really special to the toys – they know they are Andy’s.)
• You have the Holy Spirit. (v13-14) (TPT says this is like receiving an engagement ring – a promise of even greater things to come – eternity with God!)

These are all true for each of us who have welcomed Jesus into our lives and accepted His amazing free gift of salvation. If you struggle to believe any of these aspects of your identity (I know I do!) turn them into ‘I am’ statements ‘I am chosen’ etc. and declare them out loud regularly – this is powerful and so important that we know that this is who we really are – regardless of how we feel!

I want to pray v17-19 over you as you read this today – particularly that God would give you greater revelation of who He is and who you are – How He sees you:

‘I pray that the Father of glory, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would impart to you the riches of the Spirit of wisdom and the Spirit of revelation[u] to know him through your deepening intimacy with him.

18 I pray that the light of God will illuminate the eyes of your imagination,[v] flooding you with light, until you experience the full revelation of the hope of his calling[w]—that is, the wealth of God’s glorious inheritances that he finds in us, his holy ones!

19 I pray that you will continually experience the immeasurable greatness of God’s power made available to you through faith. Then your lives will be an advertisement of this immense power as it works through you!’ (TPT)

Amie Lymer