EPHESIANS 1 THE FOUNDATION OF MY IDENTITY IN JESUS2019 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Ephesians 1 The Foundation Of My Identity In Jesus

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2019. We're going to be in Luke chapter 6 because we finished the book of Galatians and we started the book of Galatians as part of a series for our Wednesday nights we call Foundations for Christian Living. And we're talking about

foundational doctrines and truths that the Lord reveals through the letters of the Apostle Paul that impact our lives for living. And the idea and the kind of the background for that was some of the things that the Lord was speaking to me through the parable that Jesus told here in Luke chapter 6. And so as we transition from Galatians into Ephesians,

I wanted to take a few moments and revisit this passage and remind ourselves about what these things mean and specifically in application to the grace of God that we learned about in Galatians, but also to prepare us as we look ahead to the things that the Lord wants to teach us in the book of Ephesians. And so we're going to be here in Luke chapter 6 for a few moments, looking at verses 46 through 49. Let's read through that and then we'll discuss it a bit.

Luke chapter 6 verse 46, Jesus says,

But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great. Here Jesus gives us the parable of the wise and foolish builders. And the basis for it, the reason why he's telling this parable, is he's challenging people who call him Lord, Lord.

So they say, Lord, they look to Jesus and say, you're my Lord. They look to Jesus and say, you know, out of respect, sir, or master, or they look to Jesus and say, you know, you are my Lord. But Jesus is saying also, there's a disconnect. Some of people, some of you say, Lord, Lord, but you don't actually do anything that I say. And so you use the terminology, you use the phrase, you call me the right thing, but

But you don't actually live according to the way that I'm asking you to live. And so Jesus says, let me tell you what that's like. Someone who hears what I say and then does it, they're like a man who builds a house and lays a deep foundation. And so it's founded on the bedrock. It's founded on something that is stable and will last.

And so when a flood comes, the house is not moved because it has a sure foundation. Even though the stream beats vehemently against the house, it can't be shaken. And then he compares it to the foolish. Now there's the foolish man who builds a house, same structure on the outside, looks good. Maybe, you know, even looks nicer in some cases and conditions. Maybe it's a bigger house in some cases, right? But it's a great house, but it's built differently.

On the earth without a foundation. Sometimes, and in other passages, you know, we refer to it as the house built on the sand. But even if it's not sand, even if it's just dirt, the issue is that there's no foundation to really hold that house together. And so when the stream comes and beats vehemently, well, the house is going to fall. And so Jesus says, immediately it fell and the ruin of that house was great.

Now Jesus here is telling this parable to challenge us to make sure that there's not a disconnect between what we say and how we live. We say Lord, but do we live as though Jesus is Lord?

We say Lord, but do we do the things that he says? And there's a need for us, not just in the beginning one time at the very, you know, front of our Christian walk, we believe, we say Lord, and then we start to follow Jesus. But this applies to an ongoing relationship with God that there can be areas of our lives where there are

enters in this disconnect where we say, Lord, but there are parts of our lives where we disregard what Jesus says, and we're not doing the things that he calls us to. And here on Wednesday nights for this season, we are considering the interaction of doctrine and application.

And doctrine is the foundation for Christian living. And it's all of the things that the Lord tells us about who he is, about who we are, about what salvation is and how to receive it, about how he wants us to walk with him. And all of our actions, all of our behaviors need to be examined against what the Lord reveals in his word to make sure that we're not saying, Lord, Lord, and then doing something different.

but that we are saying, Lord, Lord, and then walking according to the instruction that God gave us. As I shared this message to begin this series here in Luke chapter 6,

I titled the message at that time, Build Your Behavior on God's Word. And that's what we're looking to do. We're looking to take the word of God. And so we spent several months in the book of Galatians and we're looking at the doctrine of grace, taking the word of God and then seeking to build our behavior upon that. There was three points that I shared. Point number one at that time was wise people take action that God commands. We, if we are wise, take action.

We hear what God says, and then we take action. Now, throughout the book of Galatians, I think the action that we were consistently encouraged to take was to do grace. All this incredible truth about grace, but we need to then do grace, not just know about grace, not just believe in the reality of grace, but then to, well, take action as a result.

And what that looks like in the context of grace is to draw near to God. Because grace is God's invitation to us. It's his goodness, it's his forgiveness, and it's his invitation to his presence. So that every one of us has equal opportunity to know God and walk with God.

No matter, you know, how you might describe your walk, your life, no matter how well you live up to Lord, Lord, and do not do what he says, by grace, we have the opportunity to

to draw near to God. And so to take action that God commands as far as wisdom is concerned, when it comes to the subject of grace, it means for us to draw near to God, no matter what, no matter what you're feeling, no matter what you're experiencing, no matter how far away you think you are or how little you feel like you deserve, to do grace means to take God at his word and to draw near to him, to ask him for help.

to call out to him in times of need, to invite him to work miraculously, to ask him for blessing in your life, to ask him to reveal himself to you, to draw near to God and to seek to know God is to do grace. I would remind us this evening that the only limit on your relationship with God is your own desire to walk with God. That's the only limit. Because of grace, there is no limit.

There is not one of us that has better opportunity or better access to God than one another. We are all on the same plane, desperately wicked in need of salvation and by the grace of God invited to come in and to know him. There is no one who has a better advantage in knowing God than you do. The only limit that exists is your own desire. How much will you do grace?

How much do you want to know God? And that can sting a little bit, you know, because if I don't feel like I'm close to God, if I'm not close to God, to say that, well, that's just because I don't want to be close to God, that kind of stings a little bit, right? That's a little bit convicting. But at the same time, let that reveal to you your heart.

And then approach God and do grace and ask God to change it. You see, that's the point. The Lord is never saying, you're right, you should stay away. The enemy tells us that. We convince ourselves of that. Other people might tell us that. But God wants us to do grace. He wants us to come. And you come and you say, Lord, I'm not very close to you right now because I don't know what's wrong with me, but I just, I haven't really been desiring to draw near to you. And spending time with you is not a priority in my life.

And, you know, I am in this condition, I'm in that condition. And that can be a bit painful for us to acknowledge and to admit, but let it reveal the heart and then draw near to God and do grace. Wise people take action that God commands. Well, the second point as we looked at this passage was that wise people stop behavior that God forbids.

So it's the counterpoint to that, right? So it's wise people take action that God commands, but also what wise people do is they stop behavior that God forbids. Now, in regard to the subject of grace, as we went through the book of Galatians, we saw over and over again that, well, to apply grace, to live out according to grace, we

means that we stop trying to approach God by our works, by our efforts. That's what the Judaizers were trying to get the Galatians to do, and they were falling for it. And so they were falling into legalism. They were falling into reliance upon their works to be right before God, to have better standing before God. They were trying to approach God by their efforts, by their performance. And so if we are wise...

Well, when we find ourselves in that place of approaching God by our works and by our efforts, which we all have a tendency to do, and we have those leanings, well, the wise thing for us to do, to do grace in that case, is to stop. To stop trying to improve upon our righteous standing by our own efforts. And then I would also add on to that, it also means that we stop staying away because of failure.

So you've been putting yourself on timeout. You've been staying away from God. I can't ask God of anything because of, you know, this condition in my life, this place in my life. But no, stop that. That's not doing what Jesus says. That's doing the opposite of what Jesus says. Jesus invites us. He calls us to come, not based on our performance. And even though we have failed and we have issues in our lives, we have to come.

He invites us to come by his grace. It's that invitation. And so wise people do grace and draw near to God no matter what. And when they find themselves approaching God by their efforts, they stop that. They turn from that and they go back to accepting the grace of God and approaching God on the merits of what he has done and stop staying away because of failure.

Well, the final point as we looked at that passage at the beginning was that wise people keep comparing their behavior to God's word. So it's one thing to do it. You know, at the beginning of the year, we went through this passage. Great. And we compared our behavior to the word of God. Good job. We needed to do that. But that doesn't end there. We never grow beyond applying this and considering the grace of God specifically. You and I will never grow beyond grace, right?

We will never grow beyond our need to relate to God according to his grace. We don't, you know, walk with God for 20 years and then we're no longer needing the grace of God. And now we can just go on, on our own efforts and on our own merits and approach God in that way. Never, that never happens. And so we need to continue to compare our behavior and make sure what's my relationship with God like?

What's the basis in my heart? What am I trusting in when I draw near to God, when I ask God for things, when I look for God to bless me? What is the basis? What am I trusting in? Is it the grace of God? And there needs to be this ongoing, continual comparison. We saw that in Galatians as, well, the Galatians themselves started out in grace, receiving the gospel, believing, and then Paul's like, I'm shocked you're so quickly turning away.

They didn't continue to compare their behavior towards the truth of God's word. And they started to approach God, not on the basis of grace, but on the basis of works. And so we need to be comparing our behavior as we recognize, hey, I'm staying away from God. Why is that?

As we recognize that we're really proud of, you know, how great we are, then we need to stop and do some comparison and recognize the word of God, you know, says something different about me than I think about me. And I need to continue to approach God differently

not by grace. When I start feeling like I've earned or deserve something from God, that he owes me something, oh, I need to compare my behavior, my heart, my mind, my attitude to the word of God. There's a mismatch in those cases. I say, Lord, Lord, but I don't do the things that he says because I feel like he owes me this work, this blessing, this miracle, this whatever it might be. Things are not lining up the way that they should. And it's very common. After time, you know, maintenance is needed. Right?

For a physical building, foundations need to be repaired. The digging down deep and laying the foundation, that's what's needed at the beginning. But over time, those attachments, you know, began to decay. And the same thing happens for us spiritually, right?

We're solid in this aspect of our life. In that aspect of our life, we've laid the foundation. We've approached God by grace. We're walking in grace. And over time, we can find ourselves slipping or straying and not usually or necessarily all at once overnight abandoning ship. But those ties begin to loosen. And we can find ourselves in areas where we used to be really strong.

having departed from the grace of God. And so saying, Lord, Lord, but having that mismatch, not actually doing the things that Jesus says. For those who've been in the Lord for a long time, we need to make sure that we verify, that we go back and compare our behavior to the word of God. And not just assume that we're solid because we've been around for such a long time, but that we go back and we check, is the way that I'm living matching up with what God says?

Well, throughout the book of Galatians, we were looking at the subject of grace. Now, as we move on to Ephesians, we'll still talk about grace. Grace is still a dominant subject throughout the book of Ephesians. So we'll be talking more about grace. But overall, the book of Ephesians has a different emphasis. And so we're going to jump now to the book of Ephesians. If you'd like to turn there with me, Ephesians chapter 1.

Here in Ephesians chapter 1, I've titled the message for our time together this evening, The Foundation of My Identity in Jesus. The Foundation of My Identity in Jesus. And as we spend time together on Wednesday evenings working our way through the book of Ephesians, I want to spend some time considering your identity in the Lord. My identity, our identity.

A lot of times in the book of Ephesians, we describe that, we talk about that as position, your position in Christ. And that's good. That's an appropriate way to describe it. And in Christ, you know, that position idea is throughout the book of Ephesians. But as I was spending some time in the book of Ephesians in preparation for our time together here on Wednesday evenings, the little twist on that is this idea of identity. Who am I?

And the Lord has a lot to say about who we are. And talking about foundations that impact our lives for living, doing what Jesus says, hearing what he says, and then putting it into practice. I think it's appropriate for us to spend some time over our study in the book of Ephesians to consider our identity. Who am I?

And not based on, you know, who I think I am, not based on who Elsa says that I am, not based on who society says that I am, but who does God say that I am? And there's some great truth about who we are packed into this book of Ephesians that the Lord wants to use to impact us so that we know who we are so that then we can walk in

and live according to the reality of who we are. And sometimes there's a mismatch. We live differently than who we really are. And the Lord wants to address that as we spend some time in Ephesians together. Well, we're going to just camp out in verses one and two here of chapter one this evening. Let's read through those. It says in verse one of Ephesians chapter one, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God to the saints who are in Ephesus and faithful in Christ Jesus. And

grace to you, and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Here in these first couple verses, we'll just kind of introduce this idea of identity a little bit and think about what is my identity and what is this foundation that God wants me to have. As Paul addresses the Ephesians, as he writes to them, he introduces himself as

And there's some identity that we can learn from and apply as well in that. But he also addresses the church. And as he addresses the church, there's some things the Lord wants to speak to us about in that, about who we are like the church at Ephesus. We have a new identity in Jesus Christ.

Whoever we were before Christ, however we were, you know, whatever our habits were, our personalities were, whatever our background was, whatever our culture was, we have a new identity in Jesus. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.

This is the reality, but sometimes there's a mismatch in our lives. I am a new creation in Christ, but I live like the old creation that I've always been, right? That there can be this disconnect, this mismatch. I say, Lord, Lord, but I don't actually do what he says. I live differently than who I actually am. I behave as someone that I'm not, and

We're reminded this evening that we are a new creation. We have a new identity. And that is not an identity that we get to make up for ourselves. It's not something that we invent or that we create. Now as we spend this time in the book of Ephesians, I would encourage you to let God declare who you are. Let God declare to you who you are. Don't let anybody else define you.

whether it be, you know, a personality test, a profile, right? Those things have a little bit of value. They can be helpful, but it's really bad to just take that. Okay, well, this test I took on the internet, you know, in the last three minutes, you know, this is this about me. And so then I go and behave according to that because, well, that's, you know, there's science behind it and that's what it says. And, you know, a lot of times that stuff is just nonsense. Sometimes it's good, solid stuff and it's helpful, but

But it's always bad if we let those things define us when it's contrary to what God says about who we are. Don't let anybody else define you. Not friends, not family, not society, not your own self. Listen, the enemy will be lying to you continually about who you are and wants to convince you that you are not who God says you are. Your own feelings and how you perceive yourself are not going to be accurate

About who you really are. And we need to come to the place where we let God declare. This is who you are. So that we can begin to walk according to the person that God has created us to be.

All throughout the book of Ephesians, you're going to see the phrase in Christ or in him or in the beloved. In a variety of ways, it talks about how we are, the position we have, we're in Christ. But that's not just, you know, doctrine for our head. It's also speaking to us about who we are and the new identity that we have in Jesus Christ. It includes an inheritance, right?

If I'm adopted into a family, I take a new identity, right? I take a new name and there's a different inheritance that I have. There's the benefits. There's all that comes with being a member of that family. Everything changes for the one adopted into the family in that way. And we are adopted into the family of God by faith in Jesus Christ and everything changes. And so we need to let God tell us who we are so that...

As Paul does many times in his letters, he's going to spend several chapters laying down the foundation of doctrine and leading us then into the application of that. And so in chapter four, we see kind of that division. First three chapters, we see him laying down the doctrine of who we are in Christ, what we have in Christ, our position in Christ, everything that is just incredible about what God has done for us and what that means for us.

But then in chapter 4, verse 1, you can turn there. It's just a page over probably. Ephesians chapter 4, verse 1, he switches into application mode and he says, Here Paul begins kind of the focus of application in chapter 4 by calling us to walk worthy of the calling with which we were called. Or in other words,

Walk according to who you really are, your identity in Christ. Walk in a manner that is worthy of who you really are. Don't walk in the manner of, you know, what you used to be and continue to, you know, go slosh around in the mud when that's not who you are any longer. You're a new creation in Christ. Walk worthy of the calling. And so he's going to be challenging us as he teaches us who we are

Well, to then begin to live according to that reality. And so again, that's why I titled the message, The Foundation of My Identity in Jesus.

We're going to begin to lay that foundation here as we look at these verses, but we'll continue to consider that over the next several weeks as we work our way through chapters one through three. And man, make sure that solid foundation stands, that it's thick and deep and is established, that we dig down deep and found it upon the rock, that this is who I am. I've got all kinds of voices screaming at me internally and externally trying to tell me who I am, but I need to let

God's voice drown out all of those and say, no, this is who I am because this is who God says that I am. Well, we're going to have three points as we work our way through verse, really just verse one this evening. As we talk about the foundation of my identity in Jesus, point number one, I am set apart for Jesus. As we talk about who I am, who you are, here's the first thing that we need to consider this evening. I am God.

A saint set apart for Jesus. Here in verse one, again, Paul introduces himself. He says, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God to the saints who are in Ephesus and faithful in Christ Jesus. Paul is writing to the saints in Ephesus. Now, if you happened to be in Ephesus at the time that this letter from Paul arrived, would you consider this being addressed to you? Would you say yes? Yes.

Calling all saints. Yeah, that's me. What do you need? You know, like, is that how you see yourself? Is that who you think that you are, who you believe that you are? Do you know that you are a saint? Now, it's a little bit tricky for us because, well, in our culture and in some other cultures like ours and sometimes even more so, there's all this stuff that is attached to this word saint and

that doesn't line up with what the Bible actually teaches. Pastor Warren Wiersbe puts it this way. He says, no word in the New Testament has suffered more than this word saint. The word saint means one who has been set apart. It is simply one of the many terms used in the New Testament to describe one who has trusted Jesus Christ as Savior.

The word saint, it's a special word. I'm not trying to diminish the word saint. It is an important word. It is a special word. But there are those who have taken it too far. And so saint means something different than what the Bible actually means. When Paul writes to the saints who are in Ephesus, he's talking to, he's addressing the believers in Jesus. And so if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, this letter is addressed to you. You are saints.

A saint. And we can go back to the book of Galatians and talk about the grace of God and talk about how that could possibly be true.

Because I'm filthy. How could I be a saint? I haven't worked miracles. How could I be a saint? I messed up this way and I cursed out that person and I cut that person off on the freeway and I always fall into this pattern or do that behavior. I'm no saint. And we'll often say that, right? I'm no saint, right? We have issues. We have struggles. We have battles. I can't be a saint. I have these battles in my life. But it's because we...

have a misunderstanding of what this means this this is referring to believers in jesus and nine times throughout the letter to the ephesians paul will use the word saint to address them it's found here in ephesians 1 1. it's found also in ephesians chapter 1 verse 15 where he says therefore i also after i heard of your faith in the lord jesus and your love for all the saints

Now he's not talking about their love for their statues of people that they, you know, revere and they just really love those saints, you know, like that's not what he's talking about. He's talking about you love other believers. And so he's addressing the Ephesians and saying your love of one another causes me to pray for you. He mentions the word saints and,

In verse 18, again, talking about the inheritance that Jesus has in the saints that's in us. And that's some incredible things we'll be considering once we get there. In Ephesians chapter 2, verse 19, he addresses us and he says, look, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. Talking about the separation and distinction between Jews and Gentiles and

There's no separation any longer. You're now the same. You're part of this group called the saints as a believer in Jesus. Paul refers to himself as the least of all the saints in Ephesians chapter 3. He prays that we would be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height of the love of God in Ephesians 3.18. In Ephesians chapter 4 verse 12 says,

He talks about the roles that are given to the body of Christ for the equipping of the saints. Now, if you think about saint in the, you know, context that we usually would think about it and all that's, you know, history that's built up on it, you would think, well, those saints don't need to be equipped, right? Like they don't need that. They've already, you know, arrived and achieved. And no, no, no. The roles that God gives within the body of Christ are to equip and build up the saints to do the work of the ministry and

It's not a reference to some special class that only a few select people belong to, but it's every believer in Jesus is a saint. Ephesians chapter five, he says in verse three, but fornication, all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you as is fitting for saints. Notice that, as is fitting for saints. Don't let this be named among you because that's not who you are.

Don't let it be a mismatch. I'm a saint, but I have all of this uncleanness and covetousness. No, no, no. Don't be participating in those things. It's a mismatch. You're a saint.

Don't walk in the mud. Don't, you know, stay there because that's not who you are any longer. It's like, you know, the prodigal son going back to feed the pigs and hang out with them in the pig pen after he's returned to his father. Like, no, don't go back. That's not who you are. You're the prodigal son. You've been restored, right? You have your place in the family. That's who you are. Don't go back there. That's who we are. We're saints. Well, then Ephesians chapter six, verse 18, he refers to the saints again and

As he asked for prayer, he says, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. Now I walked through those, not just to kind of reiterate the idea of what saints are, but I think it's interesting to note that at least one time in every chapter in Ephesians, Paul refers to the Ephesians and calls them saints. He refers to believers in Jesus and says, you guys are saints. That's who you are.

You may think differently. You may feel differently. Lots of people may tell you differently, but you are saints because you believe in Jesus. The word saint literally just means to be holy or to be set apart. It speaks of our devotion to something. We are saints because we are devoted to

I like the way that J. Vernon McGee describes it. He says this. He says, Why? Was it because they were especially holy and very fine and nice? He says, no. I think they were all beat up and battered after that long wilderness journey. They were called holy because they were for the use of God.

It's not like, you know, you have that pristine China, you know, that it's like it's been untouched. It's been, you know, perfect condition, you know, and so it's holy in that way. He says, no, it's not so much that they were in great condition. They were used for bloody, messy things. But they were holy because they were set apart, dedicated to the Lord and used only for those purposes. That's who you are.

You are one, as a believer in Jesus Christ, you are one who has been dedicated to the Lord. And your life has been devoted to the Lord. And sometimes we describe, you know, salvation experiences. I gave my life to Jesus, right? That's what that's expressing. I'm a saint because I gave my life to Jesus. I've given myself over to him. I've devoted myself to God and to the things of God. I am set apart for Jesus. That's what it means to be a saint, right?

And that's who you and I are as believers in Jesus. Now, Paul is going to go on throughout this book to say, look, that's who you are. Now walk according to that. Walk in a way that's fitting to that. And so don't just in name only be a saint, in name only be devoted to God, but let that be true of how you live. But before we can spend a lot of time talking about how we live out that,

We need to come to terms with the reality that that is who I am. I am a saint. I am one who has been set apart, devoted to the things of the Lord. It's not based on how perfect I am and whether or not I've been banged up or muddied or dirtied. No, it's based upon the declaration of God. This is who you are. You are a holy vessel, one that is set apart for the things of God. Let God declare who you are. You are a saint.

You are set apart. Don't let anybody else define you. Don't let society or friends or family or some tests you took online define you. The enemy will use all of those things to lie to you about who you are. And you might feel like I'm just a, you know, worn out, worthless thing stuck in the mud. God says, no, no, you're a saint. You're holy. You're special because you're devoted to me. I am set apart for Jesus. Well, continuing to consider this,

Our identity in the Lord here in verse one. Here's point number two. I am faithful in Christ Jesus. Number one, I'm set apart for Jesus. Number two, I am faithful in Christ Jesus. Anybody get a little uncomfortable at the thought of saying that, expressing that? I am faithful in Christ Jesus. You go, oh, I don't know. I'm not faithful, right? I don't want to be

Saying that, there's going to definitely be a mismatch. You know, I say I'm faithful, but I'm not faithful, right? I'm wishy-washy and I have some issues. But you are. As a believer in Jesus Christ. Again, in verse 1, Paul says, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God to the saints who are in Ephesus and faithful in Christ Jesus.

You think Paul's addressing two different groups here? He's saying, okay, first I want to talk to the saints. You know, those extra special holy people who are off by themselves and, you know, they've achieved high status and, you know, have all this kinds of insight. So I'm going to talk to them. And then I'm also going to talk to the faithful.

So there's some who are faithful that aren't quite, you know, the level of saints yet. You know, they're not, they're not there yet, but they're faithful. So, so I'll talk to them and I'll talk to the saints. And then the poor, you know, rest of us, bunch of Christians were like, well, I guess this letter is not for us. You know? No, that's not what Paul is saying at all. He's addressing the same group. He's first of all, calling us saints. He's declaring you are a saint and you are faithful in Christ Jesus. Would you describe yourself that way?

And although you might wrestle with it a little bit in your head, let me rephrase it this way. Do you still believe in Jesus? If you still believe in Jesus, you're faithful in Christ Jesus. Wrapping up all that we learned in the book of Galatians, if you approach God according to his grace,

and not your own efforts, and you don't, you know, run away from him because of your failures, but that you draw near to God, you grasp hold of what Jesus did for you, and you say, I know I'm messed up, and I'm a wreck, and I'm unfaithful, but God, I come to you, and I'm trusting in you, and I'm walking with you. If you approach God by his grace, you're faithful. It's not about perfection. It's not about never failing in any capacity. The word faithful is

Well, Albert Barnes, the commentator, describes it this way. He says, the word faithful is not used in the sense of trustworthy or in the sense of perfection, as it is often employed, but it's in the sense of believing or having faith in the Lord Jesus. Do you believe in Jesus? Then you're faithful. You're holding fast to the Lord in the way that he's called us to. And so you may feel all kinds of different ways. But again, don't let someone else define you and don't let your own feelings define you

And put you in a place where you would think, I'm not faithful. Because you are requiring of yourself a standard that God, he doesn't require of you. He calls us to perfection and he's working us in the process of sanctification to that. But the ultimate fulfillment of that is in eternity. He is not surprised when we fall or fail or when we waver or waffle or whatever else we do. That's not issues for God. God says, I knew about all that.

Come back to me by grace. Still believe in Jesus. Still walk with me. Listen, if you do that, you're faithful. Not because you've never failed, but because you continue to believe in Jesus. Do you still believe in Jesus? And you can say, I am faithful in Christ Jesus. This letter is to me. This is who I am. This is who God says that I am.

Not because I'm saintly in the sense that I am perfect and I work miracles and I have all these amazing accolades behind my name. No, but because I have believed in Jesus Christ and I continue to believe in Jesus Christ, I am a saint and faithful. I have this standing before the Lord. Now, this is really important to consider because as Paul writes this letter to the Ephesians,

It's not like the book of Galatians where like right off the bat, remember how Paul was shot? Like, I can't believe you're turning away. And it's like strong rebuke throughout the whole book of Galatians. The book of Ephesians isn't like that. It's solid encouragement and reminders of who we are and our identity. It's not, you know, stern rebuke and correction. And so it seems that, you know, the Ephesians, they were really well off in the Lord. They had a strong walk. They were going the right direction.

Paul spent three years in Ephesus establishing the church. And so here he is, he writes to them, you know, probably about 10 years later. And they're just, they're plugging away. They're going steady. They are faithful in Christ Jesus. But after some time passes, as we talked about the foundation, you know, sometimes it needs to repair and needs some attention, some maintenance after the process of time. For the church of Ephesus, this certainly was true.

Because Jesus writes a letter to the church of Ephesus in Revelation chapter 2. If you want to turn there briefly, we'll just take a look at a couple verses for a moment. Revelation chapter 2, as Jesus writes letters to seven different churches, the first one that he addresses is the church of Ephesus.

which is where Paul stayed for three years, which is where Paul, you know, was writing to when he wrote this letter, the book of Ephesians that we have. Now Jesus writes his own letter. It's probably about 30 years later after Paul writes the book of Ephesians. And as Paul writes the book of Ephesians, they're solid, they're right on. It's, you know, no correction, no rebuke. It's just exhortation and further laying the foundation of the doctrine of who we are.

But Jesus has a different perspective after some time passes. In Revelation chapter 2, verse 1, it says, Verse 2,

And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not and have found them liars. And you have persevered and have patience and have labored for my name's sake and have not become weary. So all good things, right? Verse four, nevertheless, I have this against you that you have left your first love. Here's the issue that the Lord highlights 30 years later after the book of Ephesians is

He says, you know, you're doing really good on a lot of stuff. And notice what he says. I know your works, your labor, your patience, right? Going back and putting our minds in the book of Galatians, we can kind of interpret the church of Ephesus had fallen into legalism. They were really good about practicing rituals, doing good works, and

They were really good about parsing doctrine and, you know, identifying those things, but they had missed something really important. They had left their first love. They had forgotten about the relationship with the Lord. What does it mean to do grace? It means to draw near to God no matter what. And the Ephesians had forgotten about that. They forgot about who they were. And so they were not in a position of faithfulness later on, not because...

They weren't doing good works, not because, you know, they had some sin issues in their lives, not because, no, no, the issue was the broken fellowship. They were not drawing near to God in a loving relationship any longer. And so wrapping it, you know, back to, going back to what Paul is saying here as he addresses the Ephesians, the saints, the faithful in Christ Jesus, they are in that place of walking with God and

in that way. And so they are the faithful. And you are too, as you continue to walk with God on the basis of his grace, not on the basis of your efforts. And so you can look at your life, and if it's filled with good works, that may be good, but it also may not mean anything at all. What really matters is where's your relationship with God? Are you drawing near to God by faith in Jesus Christ? And if you are, then you can say, I am faithful in Christ Jesus.

That's not saying I'm perfect. That's not saying I'm flawless. But I continue to come back to God, trusting in what he has done for me. That's what it means to be faithful in Christ Jesus. Let God declare who you are. Don't let other people define you. Don't let how you feel about yourself define you. Don't let the enemy lie to you. Let God declare who you are. You are faithful in Christ Jesus. Paul writes something similar in 1 Timothy 1, verse 12.

He says, I thank Christ Jesus, our Lord, who has enabled me because he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. And this idea of counting me faithful is the idea of just like we are imputed the righteousness of Christ, that is, we are counted as righteous by believing in Jesus, we are counted as faithful by believing in Jesus, by walking with God in that way. We're counted as faithful. And so you can say, I am a saint, right?

even though you have issues and flaws. You can say, I am faithful, not in a way that is like boastful or something, you know, it's just, this is the position that I'm in because of what God has done. And this is who he says that I am. And I need to accept that and receive that so that, well, I can begin to then walk according to how he has created me and who he has declared that I am. Well, the final point I want to consider going back to the book of Ephesians is

chapter one, verse one, point number three is I am sent by Jesus. So point number one was I am set apart for Jesus. Point number two, I am faithful in Christ Jesus. Point number three, I am sent by Jesus. And here we're looking at Paul in his introduction. He says, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. As Paul introduces himself, he follows his normal pattern of

He introduces himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ. And that also, like the word saint, has a lot of history behind it. And there's a lot of things that we apply to that word apostle that doesn't necessarily fit and mean the way that the scriptures use it or the way that the apostle Paul is using it here.

But there are the 12 apostles, right? Those who were with Jesus. And then, you know, there's the idea of the apostles, you know, capital A, that they're this, you know, foundation of the church and these appointed positions, you know, that were necessary right at the beginning of the church. And we could get all into that. But here's what I would emphasize this evening. The word apostle means one who is sent, right?

And so Paul was an apostle in every sense of the word, but he was also an apostle just in the sense that he was sent by Jesus Christ. That's what he says, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. It was God's will that I be sent to represent Jesus. And this evening, I would remind us and encourage us that we may not have the position of apostle, capital A, you know, we are the foundation of the church today,

But we are in that same position that, well, we're in this place that we've been sent by God. We've been commissioned by God. There is something that he has for us in his will and he is sending us to represent him in some capacity.

He's sending us to be ambassadors on his behalf, to declare his word, to express his love, to represent the truth to the people around us. And every one of us, Paul will go on to talk about that in Ephesians chapter four and make that more applicable. But as we look at the example of the apostle Paul, we can consider that now. I am sent by Jesus, just like Paul is sent by Jesus. And every much-

Every, every, how am I trying to say this? Just as much as Paul was sent by Jesus, you are sent by Jesus. I am sent by Jesus. That's who I am. I am one who is called by the Lord and commissioned to, well, to represent him to the people around me. And we often will think about that in terms of, you know, church-related roles and activities and functions, but

Well, it would be wise for us to expand that a bit and understand that it's not just talking about the apostle role position in the church. It's not just talking about, you know, specific things related to a facility or a gathering of believers, but in every aspect of our lives. As parents, you are sent by Jesus to your children. As children, you're sent by Jesus to your parents.

As employees or employers, you are sent by Jesus for that context. Whatever place we find ourselves, we need to begin to recognize who I am. I'm not just here at Starbucks by happenstance. It's just random, you know, facts or just random accounts or random events. It's God is working out his will in my life. And he has me in different places at different times for different reasons.

Commentator H.A. Ironside says, And so you may find yourself in one place or another. And you might just think it's just random or it's just because, you know, you had a flat tire or because you made some bad decisions or you did some dumb things or, you know, you might be, you know, sent by Jesus into the courtroom and not in the way that, you know, would be heroic, you know. That's okay. There you are.

That's who you are. You're sent by Jesus, called according to the will of God, commissioned by God to be his representative in the context that you find yourself. And so here, as we see this introduction that Paul gives to the Ephesians,

We just begin to lay the foundation. You know, we're digging, you know, some footings and we're starting to frame it a little bit. We'll get more in depth as we begin in kind of digging through the real passages here in the book of Ephesians. But what I wanted to begin this evening, just starting to lay the foundation, helping us to begin to think about who am I?

My identity in Jesus, it's not who I think I am. It's not who I say I am. It's not who other people tell me that I am. But I need to come back to who does the Lord say that I am? As I call him Lord, Lord, well, come back to him and say, okay, well, who do you say that I am? What is my identity according to you? You say I'm a new creation in you. So what does that mean? And we need to kind of discover and explore a little bit what that means. What does it mean that I'm a new creation?

And who am I? What is this new creation that you've begun in me? It's not the things that I automatically think or know about of myself. It's not, you know, my personality. It's not my history. It's not, you know, well, I'm Irish and so I have this temper or whatever. I don't know if Irish people have tempers, but you get the point, right? You know, I have this culture. I have this upbringing. I have this history. And so that's who I am. No, no, you're a new creation in Christ. Don't let those things define you.

You are set apart for Jesus. You're a saint, holy, devoted to him. That's who you are because you've believed in Jesus. And as you continue to believe in Jesus, you are faithful in Christ Jesus. Not without sin, not flawless and perfect, but you're faithful because you continue to come back to walk with Jesus, to know him. And you're sent by Jesus.

Again, not because you are the apostle. You know, you have the only message, you know, that God can't speak through anybody else, but only to me. No, no, no. You're one of many, but you're sent. You're part of God's plan. You're part of God's work in the lives of the people around you. You're sent by him. He strategically placed you in these different contexts according to his will to represent him, to be his ambassador. Let God declare who you are.

Let's pray. God, I pray for each one of us that you would help us. Lord, as we do have this identity that, well, we've developed of ourselves, Lord, and our own ideas and who we think that we are according to different aspects and things. And we've been led to believe some things that are not true. Some things that disagree with who you say that we are.

And so God, I pray that you would help us tonight and as we continue our way through the book of Ephesians, that Lord, you would help us to recognize those areas where we say, Lord, Lord, but then when you say we are this and we think differently, Lord, we let our opinion and our impression take precedence over yours. Lord, help us to come to you in a way that we say, Lord, Lord, okay, you say this is who I am. This is who I am.

I'm sent by you. I'm faithful in you. And I'm set apart for you. God, I pray that you would establish this truth in our hearts and our minds. Remind us of it frequently. And Lord, I pray that you would begin to pour out your Holy Spirit upon us in a way that we would begin to learn how to walk according to the reality of who you have created us to be. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His Word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.