Who am I in Christ?

Edward F. Lundwall, Jr.

Who am I in Christ? - Part 2 

The ultimate message of the Letter to the Ephesians is that those who believe in Christ and seek to live in Christ (be his disciples) form the Body of Christ under the direction of He Himself as the Head of the ekklēsia, the universal church. In the first chapter, Paul clearly points out who we (believers) are “in Christ.” The amazing list that describes believers is as follows:

1. The Saints: Those who are made holy through trust in Christ as their Savior – Verse 1 
2. The Faithful: Those who willfully choose to continually and loyally trust Christ – Verse 1 
3. Receivers of Grace: The undeserved salvation stemming from God’s kindness shown to us through Christ – Verse 2
4. Receivers of Peace: Those who experience a sense of well-being and contentment rooted in their reception of the Gospel and brought about by the Holy Spirit. – Verse 2
5. Receivers of Spiritual Gifts: Blessed with all spiritual blessings originating in heavenly places – Verse 3
6. Purposefully planned to be given the choice of accepting Christ before the beginnings of the world – Verse 4
7. Purposefully planned to be given the choice to be holy and blameless in Christ’s love – Verse 4
8. Adopted as God’s children through faith in Christ’s blood sacrifice for the sins of mankind – Verse 5
9. Redeemed based on the riches of God’s undeserved pleasure and grace – Verses 4-5
10. Receivers of wisdom and prudence – Verse 6
11. Given knowledge of the mystery of God’s will, purposes, and pleasure – Verse 9
12. Part of a believing group of disciples bonded together as a community by Christ on earth and in heaven – Verse 10
13. Inheritors of all God’s purposes according to the wisdom of his will – Verse 11
14. Designed through our trust to give praise and honor (glory) to God’s Name – Verse 12
15. Given a permanently sealed relationship with God through trust in Christ – Verse 13
16. Experiencing assurance through the Holy Spirit, the proof (earnest or guarantee or assurance) of our salvation - Verse 14
17. Given increasing faith in Christ and increasing love for other believers – Verse 15
18. Receptors of prayers of thanksgiving, spiritual wisdom, and personal knowledge of Christ – Verse 17
19. Receptors of the riches of understanding, hope, and glory of being God’s children – Verse 18
20. Able to experience the greatness of power that resulted in raising Christ from the dead and exalting Him to the foremost place of honor next to God – Verse 19-20
21. Able to understand Christ’s sovereignty over all ruling, controlling people, spirits, names, or things in this world or the world to come – Verse 21
22. Able to willingly submit to the headship of Christ over all who believe (ekklěsia) – Verse 22
23. Being filled with Christ, residing in Christ, being one with Christ as part of his Body, the community of those who are Christ’s disciples – Verse 23

This is not an “exclusive” group for Christ died for the whole of mankind, not for an exclusive few. However, not all choose to trust Christ as the Lord and Savior. Those who do, find themselves among the group who make up the Body of Christ, and share the wonderful blessings and opportunities of being able to experience all that is listed above as they find themselves in “union with Christ.”


Related reading:  Who am I in Christ- Part I