Embracing Our Identity in Christ: A Call to Worship

Introduction

What compels you to worship God even when everything else fails to inspire you?

Life presents challenges that can make it hard to feel motivated—personal loss, disappointment, mundane routines.

In our faith journey, there are seasons when God's presence feels distant, leading to spiritual dryness.

Exploring Typical Motivations for Worship

External Factors:

Circumstantial Reasons: Health, success, relationships.

Emotional Highs: Uplifting music, inspiring sermons.

Community Encouragement: Fellowship and shared experiences.

Limitations of These Motivations

These motivations can be temporary and fluctuating. When they fade, so might our motivation to worship.

The Need for a Deeper Foundation

What if there is a deeper, unchanging reason that compels us to worship, regardless of our circumstances?

Let's turn to the Apostle Paul's letter to the Ephesians, where he lays out profound truths that can anchor our worship in any season.

Introducing Ephesians 1:1–14

We are starting a new series in Ephesians, written by Paul—likely from prison. Yet his opening statement in the epistle is loaded with worship, not grounded in his current circumstances but in the work of God.

Highlighting Its Relevance

This passage reveals foundational reasons for worship rooted in God's unchanging work in Jesus Christ.

Scripture Reading

Please open your Bibles to Ephesians 1:1–14

Ephesians 1:1–14 CSB

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will: To the faithful saints in Christ Jesus at Ephesus. 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him. 5 He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8 that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 He made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he purposed in Christ 10 as a plan for the right time—to bring everything together in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth in him. 11 In him we have also received an inheritance, because we were predestined according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will, 12 so that we who had already put our hope in Christ might bring praise to his glory. 13 In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. 14 The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.

Exposition of Ephesians 1:1–14

Verses 1–2: The Audience

This message is for the faithful saints in Ephesus but has application for all believers in Christ.

Those who are faithful have proven their faith and are called saints, meaning "holy ones."

Verse 3: Our Reason to Worship

Paul reminds his readers of the reason to praise God in worship: “Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ.”

God has not held back in graciously blessing His people—not with worldly means, but with spiritual blessings.

Important to note: All these blessings are centered in Jesus.

Question: What are these blessings, and how is Jesus involved?

Verse 4: God Chose Us – Election

God chose us in Him before the foundation of the world—we call this election.

While there are many theological interpretations of how election works, the key points are:

God chooses us.We are called to come to Him by faith (v. 13).This may be a mystery to us, but it is not a mystery to God.

Attributes of God in Ephesians 1:1–14:

God is loving (vv. 4–5).

God is sovereign (v. 5).

He is gracious (v. 6).

God is wise (v. 8).

God is glorious (v. 12).

Actions of Election:

God chose the faithful saints in Jesus before the beginning of the earth to be holy and blameless—a loved people before God.

Ephesians 1:4 (MSG): “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.”

Verses 5–6: Predestined to Be Adopted as Sons

Predestination is an extension of election.

By His own choice, God works out the course of history so that we, the faithful in Christ, would become adopted through Jesus Christ.

Galatians 4:4–7 (CSB): “When the time came to completion, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba, Father!’ So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then God has made you an heir.”

Why did God predestine us to adoption?

Simply because He wanted to do this in Jesus. Thus, we worship.

Ephesians 1:6 (NLT): “So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.”

Verses 7–8: God Removes the Barriers to Us Becoming Sons and Daughters

One of the biggest concerns about election and predestination is that it feels like we don't have any control over our lives.

We often forget that if God had not decided to save us, we were already lost in sin.

That's why the language of grace is so appropriate.

God had to redeem us:

To pay the purchase price to free us from our sin—like a slave whose freedom was purchased.We were not able to free ourselves.

God also had to forgive our trespasses (sins).

Why did God have to redeem us and forgive us?

So that we could be His holy and blameless people, loved by Him!

Verses 9–10: Why Would God Want Us?

Ephesians 1:9–10 (NLT): “God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.”

God wants us to be part of His work in Jesus. His plan is to put everything under the authority of Jesus, His Messiah. He wants us to be part of that plan.

Verses 11–12: The Jews Were the First to Participate in God's Plan

When we hear the word inheritance, we often think of a monetary gift after someone's passing. However, in this context, inheritance refers to the sum of a family's land, business, and other ventures.

Illustration: A family business passed down through generations, with each generation participating and contributing. (Miramonte Sanitation)

Paul is describing how the Israelites were the first to be God's inheritance.

Exodus 19:5–6 (NLT): “Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.”

Deuteronomy 32:9 (CSB): “But the Lord’s portion is his people, Jacob, his own inheritance.”

The Israelites were also the first to believe in Jesus.

Romans 1:16 (NET): “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

Israel, as God's inheritance, became the conduit God used to bring His Messiah into the world.

They were the first to participate with Jesus in faith, thereby gaining an inheritance in Jesus, who will unite all things.

Verses 13–14: The Gentiles Participate by Faith in God's Inheritance

Part of the work of the Holy Spirit is to act as a seal.

Think of it as a cattle brand—the Holy Spirit is a marker indicating that you belong to God.

When we hear the Gospel and believe, we become God's own through the indwelling of the Spirit.

The Spirit not only marks us as His own but is also a guarantee (down payment) that we will get to participate in God's inheritance.

Thus, Jews and Gentiles become unified as co-heirs (siblings) in God and unified participants in the inheritance that God gives them in Jesus.

All of this work—from election to faith—is for one purpose: to bring praise to the glory of God through the work of Jesus.

Main Point

The proper response of all believing saints to God's sovereign work in Christ—choosing us, adopting us, redeeming us, forgiving our sins, and sealing us with the Holy Spirit as co-heirs in His eternal plan to unite everything in Jesus—is worship.

Why This Matters

A. Relevance to Our Lives

Understanding Our Identity in Christ: Recognizing that we are chosen, adopted, redeemed, forgiven, and sealed with the Holy Spirit transforms how we see ourselves. It gives us a secure identity in Jesus Christ that is not based on our circumstances, achievements, or failures.

Foundation for Unshakable Worship: When we grasp the depth of God's sovereign work, our worship becomes anchored in who God is and what He has done, rather than in our fluctuating emotions, external situations, or our own worth.

B. Impact on Our Relationship with God

Deepening Our Love for God: Realizing the extent of God's grace and love toward us stirs our hearts to love Him more deeply.

Enhancing Our Trust: Knowing that God has a sovereign plan and that we are part of it increases our trust in His purposes, even when we don't understand our circumstances.

C. Fostering Unity in the Body of Christ

Breaking Down Barriers: Recognizing that all are co-heirs in Christ promotes unity and eliminates divisions within the church.

Collective Worship: As a community, we are called to join together in worship, celebrating God's work in all of us.

Application

If you believe in Jesus, embrace your God-given identity in Him and worship.

Recognize that you are chosen by the Father, adopted into His family, redeemed and forgiven through the sacrifice of Jesus, and sealed with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of your inheritance.

Let these unchanging truths define who you are.

Use this profound understanding as the foundation for your worship of God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let your worship flow not from fleeting emotions or circumstances, but from the eternal reality of what God has accomplished for you in Christ.

Immediate Action

Personal Reflection: This week, spend time meditating on Ephesians 1:1–14.

Worship Intentionally: Make a conscious effort to begin your times of worship by focusing on these truths. Whether in personal devotion or corporate worship, let your identity in Christ be the starting point.

Prayer: Ask God to deepen your understanding of your identity in Him and to help you live in a way that honors Him.

Closing Encouragement

By embracing your God-given identity in Jesus, you anchor your life in the unshakable truths of God's sovereign work. Let this identity be the foundation of your worship, influencing not just how you praise God on Sundays but how you live every day. Remember, you are His beloved child, part of His eternal plan in Christ. Let this reality transform your heart and lead you into deeper, more authentic worship of our gracious and glorious God.