Affirmation// Identity 3: Eph 1
How a first person reading helps us understand the Spiritual Blessings given from our Identity in Christ
Read time: ~2-5 min
Intro
Our identity is at the core of everything we do, which makes our actions symptoms of who we believe we are.
Paul illustrates this in his Letter to the Ephesians. After a brief greeting, he frames out what a new identity looks like for someone committed to Jesus.
We are being invited into a new way of seeing ourselves... Into affirming our identity first and primarily in Jesus...
Affirmation Begins: Ephesians 1 in First Person.
Blending: ESV | NLT | Greek — Ephesians 1:3–14 — Identity blessings in bold
Full time: (~2:00) || 45s // 35s // 45s
3 Praise the God and Father of my Lord, Jesus Christ,
In Jesus I am blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
4 In Jesus I am chosen before the foundation of the world,
Lord, show me how I can be holy and blameless before you.
5 Jesus, you chose me in advance to belong with you, and
with great pleasure, I am Adopted into your family.
In Jesus I have the purpose of your will,
6 So I praise you God, for the generous gift of honor you pour out on me, to be one with you.
7 God you are so rich in kindness and grace, that you purchased my freedom.
In Jesus I am forgiven of my sins through your blood,
8 Thank you for your kindness, wisdom and understanding.
9 In Jesus I can know the mystery of God’s will and purpose,
10 In Jesus I engage in the plan of your fullness,
I submit to the authority of your rule and control,
We unite heaven and earth,
We unite all things in you.
11 In Jesus I receive your inheritance,
In Jesus I am chosen first, even before I choose,
In Jesus, all things work out according to the advice of your will,
12 By placing my hope in Jesus,
I can enable your purpose and bring praise and glory to you God.
13 I hear the word of truth, the good news of my rescue, and I trust in you Jesus.
Therefore I am identified as your own,
and I am sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
14 You guarantee my inheritance as God’s child, until I fully receive it,
to the praise of your reputation.
From Belief to Action
From here, Paul prays for the community to understand God through the lens of this identity. He enters the next chapters with what it now means for this identity being made new.
An identity takes form in our beliefs, and pours out into our lives - into actions between people. It may start personal, but if it's real it can't stay private. It must overflow into our community. In Jesus, this is uniting heaven and earth, and all things.
Our core beliefs manifest first with the people in our household - our family. When we are just being. Then we show up to perform in other community vehicles such as work, church, and various hobbies or pursuits.
Paul wraps up the letter with a reminder that claiming our new identity is more than a struggle. It's a battlefield not merely between humans, but dark spiritual forces. Using modern language... from ideas and influences that seem to have a will of their own as they enter our thoughts, bringing division and confusion to our identity.
Why does identity seem to be so important to Paul?
The design of the passage points toward a central phrase to suggest the core idea - it’s how we can know the mystery of God’s will and purpose.
In Jesus, the cornerstone of our identity isn't political or religious. It's not based on our race, sex, orientation, or family background. When our identity comes from Jesus, it manifests toward unity in love.
This central idea in verse 9, is bookended by the phrase “to the praise of his Glory” in verses 6 and 12. It's also reaffirmed as the last phrase in the blessing, and the opening line to bring praise to God.
What Does it Mean to Bring “Praise his Glory”?
"Glory" seems to be one of those ancient words we only hear used in a religious settings or shouted right before a medieval battle, but what is it really?
It's mentioned 3 times in this passage (Greek: δοξα // dox'-ah), and we can usually substitute it with the word "honor." Dr. Charles Stanley describes this honor both as given to use, and as a radiance we can observe. John Piper frames it as "Public Holiness," or "an intrinsic worth and value, being publicly displayed."
This certainly reinforces Ephesian's intrinsic identity publicly communicated through community action.
The most practical description I found though came from Tim Mackie discussing the Language of Faith. He put a clear storyline to it by describing the Hebrew word Kovod. Similarly, we can observe this "weightiness; reputation; honor," in one's possessions.
For a modern example, we can discover my own glory in the photos and decor of my childhood room or my current office. Likewise, we see the glory of God through our natural world, all creation, and especially this new humanity made in his image.
When we live into the identity of this new humanity, we bring him praise. It shows God honor because we're embodying the reputation and identity of Jesus.
Next Steps
🙏 I would also encourage you to pray through what these implications mean for you. A good place to start is with a phrase or concept that stood out to you the most - prioritizing the affirmation or passage itself over my commentary.
💬👇 Upon multiple re-readings and meditations, new things strike me depending on my season of life. What lingering questions, comments, or compliments come up for you?
Let me know in the Comments!
📚 Continued reading: My Morning Affirmations: How I start my day with intention + How You Can Implement your own Affirmation Practice
📚 Affirmation// Identity 1: Power
📅 Affirmation written on: April 26, 2021
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