(Ephesians 1: 15 – 23)
Who are we in Christ? (Ephesians 1: 15- 23)
1. We are the body of Christ: Jesus is the head in whom all the fullness of God dwells and with Him God has placed us in a position of authority. Verse 21 says “Far above principality, power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also that is to come. Ephesians 2: 5-6 reminds us that we are raised with Christ and seated with Him in heavenly places.
2. We are citizens of Heaven: In Ephesians 6: 20 Paul calls himself an ambassador for Christ Jesus. In 2 Corinthians 5: 20-21 we are called ambassadors, an ambassador is an official envoy, a spokesman for a country’s chief executive and his official residence is a foreign land. We must remember that though we are in this world, we are not of it and God expects us to function like Him here on earth.
3. We are the righteousness of God: In Ephesians 2: 8 we see that we are saved by the grace of God through faith. Our righteousness are like filthy rags before God, but we have been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5: 21). God has called us to a life of glory and virtue.
4. We are his offspring: Acts 17: 28-30 Tells us that in Him we live, move and have our being. We are his offspring. 1 John 4: 15-17 also reminds us that as He is so are we in this world.
5. God has made us Kings and Priests:
(Revelation 1: 5-6; Rev 5: 10). We are not ordinary people we have been
called to a life of kingship. 1 Peter 2:9 says we are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood and a holy nation. We were chosen even
before the foundations of the world (Ephesians 1:45). It is important we
know that although many are called to the faith but few are chosen
(Read the parable of the wedding feast Matthew 22: 1-14).
The reason people do not function in their place and use their authority
in Christ is because they lack knowledge. (Gal. 4: 1-7; John 8:32;
Proverbs 11: 9).
Two important reasons you must take your place in Christ and be effective:
i. It is your responsibility to live an overcoming life; that is the reason Jesus came to save us. (1 John 4: 4).
ii. All of nature (creation) is waiting for the manifestation and demonstration of God in you (Romans 8:19-21)
If you feel you have not been living right, or you are yet to
exercise dominion, power and authority over life circumstances; there is
still time for you to do so (Phil.3: 13). Your time to reign in life is
now (Romans 5: 17).
Now that we know some of the great values that the word of God has, how can we make the Bible to work for us? What do I need to do to make it work for me?
1. We must be born again: The only way God’s word can come alive to us is by establishing a personal relationship with God; then the Holy Spirit dwells within us and gives us a true understanding of God’s word (Acts 19: 11 – 20).
2. Faith: The word of God must be mixed with our faith to make it work (Heb. 4: 1 – 2). The four elements of faith include seeing the word, being persuaded about the word, embracing the word and confessing the word. Abraham is our example of faith (Rom. 4: 16 – 24)
3.Confess: Confession means speaking the word until it becomes real. The power of confession is in speaking. Our universe is a by-product of the spoken word of God (Gen. 1: 1-2); death and life are in the power of the tongue (Prov. 18:21) and we also get what we say (Num. 14: 28; Prov. 6:2)
4. Holiness: This means purity or sanctity. God is holy and He cannot tolerate sin (Heb. 1:13). A life of holiness will guarantee the efficacy of the word. Moses was a good example of holiness (Ex. 33:11)
5. Humility: We must humble ourselves before God and His word. The Bible says God resists the proud but He gives grace to the humble (Js. 4:6; I Pet. 5:5). Jesus is our example of humility (Phil. 2: 1 – 11)
6. Patience: We must wait patiently for God’s word to work for us because He makes all things beautiful in His time. Abraham waited for Isaac for 25 years. 7. Forgiveness: This is the ability to let go of people who have offended us. If we live in unforgiveness, we will hinder the performance of God’s word (Matt. 5:23–24). Joseph forgave his brothers who sold him into slavery (Gen: 50:19-20)
8. Love: Living in love makes the word of God to work for us. God instructs to love even our enemies and to pray for those who hate us (Matt. 5: 43 – 48)