Identity of Faith
Ephesians 1:15-18 NKJV
[15] Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, [16] do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: [17] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, [18] the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
Where is your identity?
Who are you!
What are you like? What is your nature?
What defines who you really are?
Today there are many people that grope around to try to find out who they really are. Many will take a lifetime trying to find that one thing they can cling on to to make a profession of identity.
We all have many talents and gifts that the Lord has granted us to be used for His Glory.
We all have many “hats” that we wear throughout our days.
But once all of those gifts are put away. When all of the talents start to fade away, when the day comes to an end and the “hats” get put on the shelf, who are you really?
We have a tendency to identify ourselves with things that really have no certain measure.
We identify ourselves by our jobs.
We identify ourselves by those same gifts and talents.
We identify with our past. Our failures, our regrets, our shame.
Some identify in their success and victory.
Paul addresses the Ephesian Church with beautiful opening statements.
“I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love”.
Identity is having distinguished character.
It is the absolute fact of who we are!
Paul says that he heard of their faith.
He didn’t identify them with their work. It wasn’t their situation. He didn’t look at riches or poverty.
What he found is what should be found in all who proclaim Jesus Christ as their Salvation and Redemption, FAITH and LOVE!
What gives you faith?
Why?
Why do you have this trust in Jesus Christ?
But why!
We often look at what the Lord has done in the past.
We see His hand throughout history move in nation’s and hearts of men and women.
We can see His faithfulness in our own lives.
There may be times when our faith lacks.
When we are not positive that the Lord will come through this time.
Paul couples faith with something that we really wouldn’t bring together with our faith,
Wisdom.
Sometimes faith comes over time. It can be difficult for the heart that has been battered to trust. We tell people things like
“ just have faith”.
But with wisdom we can see the Mighty Hand of God move in our lives. We can see thr fruit of the seed of the Word of God grow, rooted deep and fruits, being ready for the Harvest Of the Kingdom of Heaven!
Wisdom is more than knowing something.
It is having the experience and the knowledge to see that something or Someone is worthy and has the ability to show their worthiness!
Jesus Christ is the only One worthy!
We say things like this when we don’t have an answer to the hurt. When we don’t know what time say and we tell someone to have this blind faith can actually do more harm than good.
Do we have the right to tell someone else to have faith if we don’t have enough of our own?
We must always be careful how we use the word “faith”.
We can easily reduce it to just a saying.
It has to be active trust in what God has done and what He will do!
Faith is living a life in anticipation!
Faith is also living a life of participation!
We must be constantly reminded of His Goodness and Faithfulness.
We must look at how Righteous He is.
And through that Righteousness is the Lord’s perfection. In His perfection He can not lie because He cannot deny Himself!
Look at what God has done!
Do people “hear” of our faith or do they see it?
Can they look in your eyes and without a shadow of doubt look at you and say “ they believe “!
Mark 11:22-24 NKJV
[22] So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. [23] For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. [24] Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
Faith in Christ is one thing, but if we could have the wisdom and faith melted together in our hearts, that is a whole different level of having Faith and wisdom!
Paul’s prayer to the Ephesian Church was simple
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
Wisdom
Revelation
Knowledge
Understanding
Hope
The riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints!
Think about this today.
Faith Is more than believing.
Faith must be active. Faith must be alive.
We keep faith alive by having Wisdom of who God is! Do you know about the love, grace and mercy. Can you tell people about His Holiness, His Righteousness and even His Justice to come. Do you know exactly who you are in Christ!
Revelation of His Promises to come.
The revealing of His love, grace and mercy to those that have this faith in Him and His Resurrection!
Knowledge in having His Divine guidance in our lives through the understanding of His Word!
Hope!
All of these things should bring us hope!
Hope is faith for tomorrow!
You need to remind yourself today that God is constantly moving but He never changes.
Be rooted and establish your hearts to be still and allow Him to guide us with no resistance.
Where is your identity?
It is God’s activity in our hearts, our minds, our bodies that establishes and defines us, and not just that we are free from bondage or forgiven or redeemed.
It is not by what we’ve done but because of what God has done. We need constant reminders of the transforming from the nature of sin to God’s act of love in the Crucified Jesus who now reigns as Lord of all creation!
Can they look in your eyes and without a shadow of doubt look at you and say “ they believe !“.
Today have active faith.
Faith in the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints!
Our identity is in our inheritance!
Our inheritance is Heaven because of the completed work of Jesus Christ!
Have faith in love with wisdom and understanding in that!
Pastor Ed