The Word teaches us about our identity in Christ. There are people in the world who have their identity based on how they look, their dressing, the university that they graduated from, their calling card, the company that they work for and the list goes on. Many people are very bothered by how others think and what they say about them. It is a miserable life! We might feel insecure when all these things are taken away from us or someone else is better than us! This insecurity can break up relationship and families.
Many people who have lost their jobs have missed many job opportunities or provisions that come from the Lord. They feel that it is embarrassing to take a job or company that is less known or prestigious than the previous company. Yet, they didn’t know that the job might just be God’s answered prayer! When we refuse to humble ourselves, we will pay for the consequences of it.
When a person is insecure, he or she will use what is external to portray his or her importance. The root of insecurity is the fear of being rejected. The person will use material goods, job status and educational background to shield the personality for being rejected. Since this insecurity is deeply rooted in the heart, therefore, he or she will react and seek attention at home, work place and even in the social circle. If this insecurity is not sorted out, it will manifest among husband and wife seeking after the attention of their children to give them love, attention and security. The person might even be manipulative in its ways. This will create friction between in-laws and children.
We have a new identity when we enter into the Kingdom of God. Once we are very clear with this identity, we will feel very settled, satisfied, and secure. Thereafter, there is absolutely nothing we would not be able to do even if we leave our city.
Without this identity in Christ, we will feel very insecure about God’s love for us because we will be concerned about what He thinks of us. We will also be concerned about what others think of us in the world. On the other hand, the biblical truth about our identity creates a rock-solid foundation for us which helps us to be a very secured and confident person.
Ephesians 1:3-8 (NKJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence.
These Scriptures reveal to us who we are in Christ. We are blessed with every spiritual blessing. We are to accept that He has chosen us. He sees us as righteous, blameless and holy in Christ. We are adopted as sons and given the right to be His children. He has accepted us, therefore there is no need to strive to be accepted by God because He already accepted us in Christ. The riches of God’s grace that is abundantly showered upon us have forgiven all our sins because He has redeemed us with His blood! We belong to His Kingdom, the Kingdom of God now!
Sermon series: There is power in the seed
我们属于祂的国
神的话语教导我们在基督里的身份。世界上有许多人是通过其外表、着装、毕业的大学、名片、工作的公司等等来打造他们的身份的。很多人非常在意他人对自己的看法和评价。这种生活很悲惨！当我们失去了一切，或当别人过的比我们好时，我们可能就会有强烈的不安全感！这种不安全感会破坏彼此的关系和家庭。
不少失业的人错过了许多来自上帝的工作机会。他们觉得接受一个比先前就职的公司名气和声望差点的工作或公司是很尴尬的事。然而，他们不知道这份工作可能就是上帝对其祷告的回应！当我们拒绝谦卑自己时，我们将为所带来的后果付出代价。
当一个人有不安全感时，他或她就会设法利用外在的东西显示自己的重要性。不安全感的根源是害怕被拒绝。他会利用物质生活、工作地位和教育背景来掩盖自己被拒绝的性格。由于这种不安全感深深扎根于内心，因此，他或她会在家庭、工作场所乃至社交圈中做出某些举动来引起他人的关注。如果这种不安全感得不到解决，夫妻双方就会寻求子女的注意，期望子女给予他们爱、关心和安全感。他们甚至会想方设法操纵别人。这会在姻亲和孩子间造成摩擦。
当我们进入神的国度时，我们有了一个新的身份。一旦我们清楚地认识到这个身份，我们就会感到非常安心、满意和安全。因此，即使我们背井离乡仍然在各样事上都游刃有余。
如果没有在基督里的身份，我们会对神给予我们的爱感到非常不安，因为我们会担心祂对我们的看法。我们也会担心别人对我们的看法。另一方面，圣经中关于我们身份的真理为我们建立了坚如盘石的基础，帮助我们成为一个非常有安全感和自信的人。
以弗所书 1:3-8 愿颂赞归与我们的主耶稣基督的父神，曾赐给我们在基督里天上各样属灵的福气，就如神从创立世界以前，在基督里拣选了我们，使我们在他面前成为圣洁，无有瑕疵。又因爱我们，就按着自己意旨所喜悦的，预定我们藉着耶稣基督得儿子的名分。使他荣耀的恩典得着称赞。这恩典是他在爱子里所赐给我们的。我们藉这爱子的血得蒙救赎，过犯得以赦免，乃是照他丰富的恩典。这恩典是神用诸般智慧聪明，充充足足赏给我们的。
这些经文向我们启示了我们在基督里的身份。我们蒙受了各样属灵的福气。我们接受祂拣选了我们。祂视我们在基督里是公义、无可指摘、圣洁的。我们被收养为儿子，有权成为祂的孩子。祂接受了我们，所以我们不需要再努力让上帝接受，因为祂已经在耶稣基督里接受了我们。神丰盛的恩典丰盛地临到我们身上，赦免了我们所有的罪，因为祂用祂的宝血救赎了我们！我们属于祂的国，也就是上帝的国！
讲章系列：种子大有能力（第十一部分）
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