Our Identity is Secure

Last week we began our series in Ephesians titled, “New Identity, New Life”

Paul spoke of predestination - basically the fact the God set His mind on adopting us as His even before He created a single thing.

Ephesians 1:5 “5 He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,” - adopted, chosen…

Let me paint a picture - a child was born, his mother held him for a brief moment. Knowing she could not provide for him he was given away. He was place in a home with the hope some family would come along and choose him. He did not know this was going on but he still had a need. Little did he know that a family was looking for a child but they came and saw him and said, “yes we want to adopt him.” Saying yes wasn’t enough. The husband and wife had to do a few things before the child could be theres. They needed to make sure a home was prepared and safe for him to come home to. They needed to ensure that if something happened to them the child would be taken care of financially and physically. Finally, they had to pay a price. The cost wasn’t to purchase him per se but it was more to cover previous expenses, the price of making thing legal, and also by paying resources it show the parents commitment to that child. This is what adoption looks like…

We all come into this world but the world cannot give us what we need. Most don’t realize they are in need or someone to come along and rescue them. There is One who saw us and said, “yes I will adopt them.” Saying the word, making the decision wasn’t where it stopped. He made sure His children would be taken care of, nothing would be withheld from them. Still, to adopt us from the life we were living is not free. There was a great price to pay for making things legal. There was an immense debt each of owed that had to paid before the adoption could be completed…

Ephesians 1:7–14 CSB

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.

Jesus paid for our adoption by clearing the debt we owed.

Redemption… to be bought back. The concept comes from the type of slavery where you owed a debt but couldn’t pay it so you “served” the person you owed until the debt was paid or forgiven.

You can imagine most people did not forgive debts because who would give up free workers?

It was also difficult to work off the debt.

God knew this and stepped in instituting Jubilee - every 50 years God commanded 3 things from the Jews: 1. All financial debts were to be forgiven, 2. All those living in servitude to pay off debts were to be released, and 3. All land leased or sold to pay debt would be returned to the original family…

This was temporary and many found themselves back in debt so God commanded in Leviticus that this would continue.

Jesus has purchased out debt and stamped it PAID IN FULL through the shedding of HIS blood.

God could have just redeemed us and that would have been enough but He also forgave us.

He gave up the right to punish us by taking the punishment Himself.

God’s ultimate plan is not a secret.

Paul says that God made “known to us the mystery of His will”

Right now all of creation is out of whack, it is broken because of sin.

He began the process the moment He made clothes for Adam and Eve… innocent blood was shed but it was only a temporary covering.

The pivotal point in God’s plan took place on Calvary’s cross… again, innocent blood was shed but this time the fix was not a temporary covering but a permanent removal of the sin that separated everything.

The climax of God’s plan is coming… when the time is right, God will restore everything - get that… EVERYTHING! All of creation, earth, sky, space, plants, animals, things in heaven and humanity will once again live in perfect unity because of Jesus Christ.

Every family has conversation that don’t make sense to outsiders. At Thanksgiving, someone brings up a name or a story and everyone laughs - except the guest. The guest hears the words but doesn’t know the back story.

It’s nothing secretive or sinister it is just a shared history.

When a child is adopted, they don’t instantly know the family story. But over time, they learn: why certain tradition exist, why certain names matter and why certain sacrifices were made.

Remember, Paul says God revealed or “made known” these things to us…

As believers we are family and family learns the family secrets or as Paul calls it, “the mystery” - it is only a mystery to those outside of the family.

Part of the plan - to give us an inheritance of hope.

Not that any of us look forward to the day our parents pass but there often comes some sort of inheritance

It doesn’t have to be millions - all you might get is a piece of jewelry, some china (I got our good set of Cool-Whip bowls)…

In truth we don’t have to wait to get an inheritance from our parents - we all inherit characteristics from our parents, we can also learn from their wisdom.

The same is true as believers - we don’t have to wait until the end to receive what Jesus has given us.

When we receive salvation part of our inheritance is - HOPE - not just hope for now but hope for a future that will be far greater than anything we have now.

God has given us a down payment on the inheritance that is coming.

Very few of us would make a down payment on something and then not actually follow through with getting it - right?

Our sin has been paid for, the debt is paid but most of us still find ourselves falling into sin again and again.

God had given us the Holy Spirit to help teach us, guide us and keep us from falling back into the slavery of sin.

The Holy Spirit is a down payment on our inheritance…

Think about a will - you can have a living will that guides those in your life as to what your wishes are should you become unable to make decisions for yourself..

You have a last will and testament - this guides those who are left as to what of yours they will receive when you gone, the inheritance that is waiting for them…

The Holy Spirit is like a living will guiding us, leading us to follow the will of God - and we have the ability because of Jesus

The Holy Spirit also sets apart, seals us until we stand before God… when we do we will finally be released from sin forever.

Praise God! Because of Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit our identity is secure - we are a child of God with full authority and all the benefits now plus an eternal inheritance