Ephesians 1:1-2, 7-8 – “To the saints (lit. Holy ones) who are at Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father…7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He lavished on us.”
If you have ever been a part of a recovery program, you know the first step of recovery is to come out of denial. You must own your addiction and declare yourself an addict. For example, if your recovery program is AA, you introduce yourself to the group by saying your name, followed by ‘I am an alcoholic.’ By authentically facing your addiction, and confessing it to others, your addiction loses some of its grip on you. What you proclaim about yourself is powerful.
How would you finish this statement going into 2021: ‘I am __________________?’ How do you perceive yourself? How do you think others perceive you?
The world apart from Jesus Christ says what you do determines who you are. People turn to conferences and self-help books that declare: ‘Get up earlier, work harder, stay longer, stay positive…etc.’ While this can lead to worldly success, it does not make us godly. It often leads to either pride and self-righteousness or to feelings of failure, hopelessness, and depression.
God reveals a better way in Christ. God declares it is not what you do that determines who you are, it is who you are that determines what you do (Matt. 15:11). “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Cor. 5:17)”
I’ll start: “I am Benjamin Bruce Walls, and I am a child of God. I am forgiven of all my sins because of Jesus. I was an addict, but now I am a new person because I have the nature of Christ living in me. I have been given spiritual gifts for God’s purpose of encouraging others through me. I am faithful when I am abiding in Christ.”
Who are you?
Heavenly Father, I thank you that I am who you say I am. I thank you that in Christ Jesus, I am forgiven, I am adopted, I am gifted and equipped, I am faithful, I am becoming love. Help me to keep my eyes on Jesus, ignoring the voices of this world and the adversary. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.