I Know Who I Am...

A few years ago, I took a class on the books of Acts & the Apostle Paul's Letters. The entire class was great, but there was one section in particular that always stood out to me as that one defining moment in the class, My "AH-HA" moment, or rather that moment in time when the light bulb finally went on in my head!

Ephesians 1:3-12
How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son. Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth. It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.

All spiritual blessings and privileges are given to each believer as we enter into our position as a child of God in Christ. The Body of Christ has a difficult time recognizing that ALL these blessings are already there for us in heaven. It's been deposited in our heavenly bank account. All we have to do is draw on what is already been provided for each one of us.

According to the above scripture, these are our privileges "In Christ". This is our inheritance now! -

1. All spiritual blessings, not some...ALL
2. We are chosen individuals - He picked us!
3. We are accepted in the presence of God. This word accepted means "give grace to, make acceptable, endue with special honor."
4. In Christ is our redemption
5. We have all wisdom
6. We have all knowledge (according to His will)
7. We are holy, blameless, loved, and known!
8. We are seated on the throne of God in Christ (2:6)
9. We are joint heirs - we don't have to obtain it, we already have it! This was nothing that we did, it was all Him (His grace & His will)

It doesn't end there - verses 15-19:

That's why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn't stop thanking God for you—every time I prayed, I'd think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!

Paul prays for the people of God that they would see with the Spirit of wisdom and revelation how powerful Jesus is. The Lord needs to open our eyes so that we might see whom we have believed.

HOW BIG IS YOUR VISION OF GOD?

When we begin to get a picture of how big our God is, then we will begin to see all he can do in us and through us. This is why Paul prayed what he did in the above verses.

If we really know who we are in Christ and our full inheritance, nothing will hold us back.