Day 18 Ephesians 1:3

Day 18

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed with with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, ..." Ephesians 1:3

No less than 12 times Paul states that we are blessed IN CHRIST. We have been learning just how blessed we are in Christ. Think about this truth today: What does it mean to be "in Christ?" It is clear that is where all of these incredible blessing are located. If you are in Christ, then you have these blessings. If you are not in Christ, then you do not have these spiritual blessings.

First, being "in Christ" means to be saved. It means that you have trusted in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Verse 13 says, "In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation." This is the foundational meaning of being "in Christ." These blessings are your only when you have trusted in Jesus as your Savior. When you are saved, then all of the blessings happen to you in that moment.

Second, there is also a clear sense that God is at work in your life. Remember that part of your identity in Christ is purpose. God is at work accomplishing His purpose in your life. When you cooperating with Him in this purpose, you are attuned to your identity in Jesus. If you are not cooperating, then you are not attuned to what He is teaching you about who you are in Jesus.

There are a great many Christians who are struggling in their life because they are not attuned to who they really are in Jesus. They are blessed, but not learning what that blessing means. They are not making decisions of faith based upon who they are. While those faith decisions would radically alter their life circumstances and equip to handle anything with victory, they are either ignorant or ignoring (notice how similar those words are) the blessings of their identity.

It is critical for you to spend time with Jesus learning what happened to you when you were adopted. It is also critical to stay close to Jesus so you do not lose sight of who your are in Jesus. Focus on who you are in Christ. The blessings are there, but you most focus on appropriating the blessings. First, make certain you are in Christ as a Christian. Second, make sure you are focused on who you are in Christ so you can live in the blessings of your identity.