The moment you believe the truth of the gospel you gain in your identity. In that instant, God identifies you as his own. Part of your identity now becomes that you belong to his family. To make this evident to everyone, he marks you with the seal of his Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14). As a member of his family, that Spirit also serves as a deposit or guarantee that you will inherit the benefits of those who belong to his household. The Holy Spirit guarantees that inheritance by ordering your life, and causing you to produce fruits. He guides you, instructs you, and keeps you on a path that ultimately unites you with God. It is that Spirit that causes us to lose an old identity that was marked by selfishness, sin, idolatry, strife, immorality, anger, and all of the trappings of a world that hates God. It gives us a new identity marked by love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, gentleness and self control (Galatians 5:16-24). The rest of the world will then identify you by those fruits (Matthew 7:15-20).
In gaining this inheritance, we become beneficiaries of the same great power that raised Christ from the dead. That incomparably mighty power, is the same power that seated Christ at the right hand of God. That divine power raised Christ above every other name, and gave him authority over every other person, power, authority, kingdom, government, dominion, or anything else in the universe (Ephesians 1:19-21).
When God placed Christ at the pinnacle of that hierarchy, he did it for the benefit of the church, which serves as his body (Ephesians 1:22-23) Do you praise God for this benefit? Is it evident in your life? How do you identify as a member of God’s family? Is the mark of the Holy Spirit visible to those around you? Do you light the world with God’s power? If so, how?
Comments