Finding Identity and Purpose (Finding Truth 2)

Ephesians 2:1–10 NIV

1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

How many of you in here are saved? Have you accepted Jesus as your lord and savior? You know that means 2 things if you have.

1. Jesus is changing you to look like Him everyday.

2. You will one day be in heaven with Him.

Sometimes though, because we are Christians now, we forget who we were before jesus. Ephesians tells us in verse 1-3 who we once were before Jesus.

Sometimes forgetting who we were, makes us feel like we are better than everyone else. Knowing Jesus is not a good reason to forget who we were or to make us feel like we are better than anyone else. We have to remember Jesus’ sacrifice in verses 4-6.

The entire point of Jesus sacrifice is that it was a sacrifice you could not make, and to teach us that if it wasn’t for Jesus we would still be stuck in our old ways and still be covered in sin and we would be far away from Him. Without Jesus, God and heaven would be out of reach.

Verses 7-10

But maybe you are on the other end of the spectrum, maybe you haven’t accepted Jesus as your Lord and savior. So maybe you feel like you aren’t worth it, or feel like you aren’t enough. Maybe you feel like it is your fault you are in the situation that you are in. God tells you that you are His child, and what you or other people think about you is not right. What matters is what He thinks about you.

If you draw a painting and you put a lot of effort into it, as a matter of fact after you are done you might even think, hey! this is perfect! other around may say

That’s a bad painting

I don’t like those colors

Why would anyone make this.

but you know who’s opinion matter the most? yours, because you made it. God made you, so the only one who knows you better than even yourself, is Him. His opinion of you is so high that Jesus came to pay for the price of sin. Jesus came to die on the cross for you to be in heaven with Him one day.

My question for you is: Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior? and if you haven’t what’s stopping you?

Our Mirror verse for today is

Psalm 34:8 NIV

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

You may not know if following Jesus is worth it, why don’t you come and try Him for yourself.