what does god think of me now - our daily bread...

WHAT DOESGOD THINK OF ME NOW?

NNow that I’m a Christian,where do I stand withthe Lord? How strong

is this new relationship? Is it as shaky as my ever-changingemotions? What reallyhappened the day I acceptedChrist as my Lord and Savior?

The answers to thesequestions can be found througha study of what is often referredto as positional truth. Our staffhas combined their efforts in the following pages to show thatour position in Christ is closelyrelated to what God thinks of us now.

Martin R. De Haan II

Managing Editor: David Sper Cover Photo: Pelosi & ChambersScripture quotations are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by ThomasNelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.© 1987,1995,2002 RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan Printed in USA

CONTENTS

Who Am I, Really? . . . . . 2

What God Used To Think Of Me. . . . . . . 3

What God Thinks Of Me Now . . . . . . . . . . 4

The Ephesians Factor—God Sees Me As:

1. Chosen In Christ . . . . 6

2. Rescued In Christ . . . . 9

3. Adopted In Christ . . . 13

4. Honored In Christ . . 16

Living Up To OurReputation . . . . . . . . . . 22

Pictures Of Our Position In Christ . . . . . 24

Christ In Us . . . . . . . . . 27

What Do You Think Of God?. . . . . . . 28

Changed Lives . . . . . . . 29

© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.

WHO AM I,REALLY?

IIt’s been said that each of us is at leastfour different people:

(1) The person we think weare. (2) The person othersthink we are. (3) Theperson we think othersthink we are. And (4) theperson we really are.

But who are we, really?Is there any better way ofanswering that questionthan to say that we are who God says we are? Our successes are what He says are our successes.Our failures are what Hesays are our failures. Ourlimitations are what Hesays are our limitations.Our potential is what Hesays is our potential.

Fine, you say. But what in the world does that mean? How can Iknow what God thinks ofme? For example, I keephearing that God loves me.

But I have mixed feelingsabout that. Deep downinside, I feel that He musthate me for the things Ithink and feel and do.Sometimes, when things are going right, I’m sure He must be smiling at me.But then, when I get badnews or when things start to go wrong, I get theimpression that He’s reallydisappointed or upset with

me. When I’m good, I know He accepts me. Butwhen I do something really bad, I’m not so sureanymore. I wonder, whenGod looks at me, what does He see?

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Who are we,really? We are who God says

we are.


WHAT GODUSED TO THINKOF ME

BBefore we wereChristians, God saw us in a

completely different way than He sees us now.He used to see us as:

• condemned (Jn. 3:18).• lost (Mt. 18:11;

2 Cor. 4:3).• guilty (Rom. 3:19).• spiritually dead

(Eph. 2:1-5).• alienated from

Himself (Eph. 4:18).• His enemies

(Rom. 5:10; Col. 1:21).• children of wrath

(Eph. 2:3).God saw us condemned

because we did not live upto the light He had givenus. He saw us as lostbecause we wanderedaimlessly down our ownsinful paths. He saw us asguilty because we keptbreaking His laws. He saw

us as spiritually deadbecause we had separatedourselves from Him, the

source of all life. He saw us as alienated, Hisenemies, and children ofwrath because we keptchoosing wickednessinstead of goodness.

God, therefore, saw us as needing forgiveness.He saw us as needing to be found. He saw us asneeding a Substitute to takeaway our guilt. He saw usas needing a new birth tomake possible a restoredrelationship with Himself.He saw us as needingreconciliation—a removal of the hostility betweenourselves and Him.

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God saw us as guilty because

we kept breakingHis laws.


WHAT GODTHINKS OF ME NOW

EEvery Christian is seen by God as being “in Christ.”

In the first three chapters of Ephesians, Paul told us that in Christ we are:

1. Blessed with everyspiritual blessing (1:3).

2. Chosen before thebeginning of time(1:4).

3. Loved (1:4).4. Predestined (1:5,11).5. Adopted (1:5).6. Accepted (1:6).7. Redeemed (1:7).8. Forgiven (1:7).9. Given wisdom and

understanding (1:8).10. Shown the mystery

of His will (1:9-10).11. Given a guaranteed

inheritance (1:11,14).12. Made “the praise of

His glory” (1:12).13. Secured by the Spirit

(1:13).

14. Recipients of God’spower (1:19).

15. Made alive togetherwith Christ (2:5).

16. Raised up and seatedin the heavenlies(2:6).

17. Recipients of God’sgrace and kindness(2:7).

18. God’s masterfulworkmanship (2:10).

19. Created for goodworks (2:10).

20. Brought near to God(2:13).

21. United into one body(2:15-16; 3:6).

22. Fellow citizens withother Christians(2:19).

23. Members of God’shousehold (2:19).

24. Built into the Spirit’shabitation (2:21-22).

25. Partakers of God’spromise (3:6).

26. Given bold andconfident access to God (3:12).

Other parts of the New 4


Testament fill out thispicture of who we are inChrist:

27. Children of God (Jn. 1:12; 1 Jn. 3:1-2).

28. Justified (Rom. 3:24;5:1; 8:30).

29. Dead to sin and aliveto God (Rom. 6:11).

30. Recipients of eternallife (Rom. 6:23).

31. No longer condemned(Rom. 8:1).

32. Foreknown (Rom. 8:29).

33. Called (Rom. 8:30).34. Glorified (Rom. 8:30).35. Sanctified

(1 Cor. 1:30).36. New creations

(2 Cor. 5:17).37. Reconciled to God

(2 Cor. 5:19).38. Righteous

(2 Cor. 5:21).39. Citizens of heaven

(Phil. 3:20).40. Rescued from Satan’s

power (Col. 1:13).41. Placed into God’s

kingdom (Col. 1:13).

42. Complete (Col. 2:10).43. Perfect (Heb. 10:14).44. Holy and royal priests

(1 Pet. 2:5,9).45. A chosen generation

(1 Pet. 2:9).46. A holy nation

(1 Pet. 2:9).47. God’s own special

people (1 Pet. 2:9).What a tremendous list!

Compare this to the wayGod saw us before wetrusted Christ as our Savior and Lord. We are a privileged people, aren’t we? Not because of anything we deserve, but because of who we are in Christ.

Although it would bewonderful to discuss eachitem in the preceding list ofwho we are in Christ, thesize of this booklet prohibitsus from doing so. Instead,we will take a close look at how Paul answers thequestion “What does Godthink of me now?” from thefirst chapter of Ephesians.

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THE EPHESIANSFACTOR

SSince the book ofEphesians uses the expression in

Christ, or its equivalent,more than any other book(35 times), we will turn to it as the basis for our study.From the first chapter wewill discover that when God looks at us, He doesn’tjust see us. He sees us asinseparably united withChrist. More specifically, He sees us as:

1. Chosen In Christ (v.4).

2. Rescued In Christ(v.7).

3. Adopted In Christ(v.5).

4. Honored In Christ(vv.7-14).

As we study these truths, we should be bothencouraged and challenged.It’s encouraging to realizethe richness of our position in Christ. But

this knowledge shouldchallenge us to respondwith proper attitudes andconduct. The overallprinciple is this: Privilegealways brings responsibility.

1. GOD SEES ME AS:

Chosen In Christ (1:4)The first answer to ourquestion “What does Godthink of me now?” is thatHe sees me as one who ischosen. This answer takesus back to the eternal past,even before God created theworld. Before time as weknow it began, God choseus to salvation. In fact,every Christian is a chosenindividual. But we are not

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chosen on our own merits.We are chosen in Christ:

Blessed be the God andFather of our Lord JesusChrist, who has blessedus with every spiritualblessing in the heavenlyplaces in Christ, just asHe chose us in Himbefore the foundation ofthe world (Eph.1:3-4).These words bring us

to the wonderful and yetmysterious truth of election.The Bible teaches thatsalvation begins with God,not with us (Rom. 8:33; 1 Th. 1:4; 1 Pet. 1:2). Itbegan with Him in eternitypast when He chose us, as stated here in Ephesians1:4. Jesus said, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you” (Jn. 15:16).

The teaching that Godchose some to salvation has troubled many people.They have said things like: “That’s unfair!” “It takes away from human freedom!”

Paul demolished theobjection that election isn’tfair. In Romans 9:14-16 hewrote:

What shall we say then?Is there unrighteousnesswith God? Certainly not!For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy onwhomever I will havemercy, and I will havecompassion on whomeverI will have compassion.”So then it is not of himwho wills, nor of him who runs, but of Godwho shows mercy.But isn’t it possible that

God merely chooses thosepeople He knows willchoose Him? No, notaccording to Paul. Look atwhat He says in Romans9:11-13. Speaking of God’schoice of Jacob over hisolder twin Esau, he wrote:

(for the children not yetbeing born, nor havingdone any good or evil,that the purpose of Godaccording to election

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might stand, not of works but of Him whocalls), it was said to her,“The older shall serve theyounger.” As it is written,“Jacob I have loved, butEsau I have hated.”Paul said that God freely

and sovereignly chose Jacobover Esau. His choice hadnothing to do with anydecisions He saw themmaking ahead of time.

The Bible also teaches,however, that even thoughGod has chosen us, we areresponsible to choose God.The words of Jesus in John 6show both sides of this truth.In verse 44 He said, “No onecan come to Me unless theFather who sent Me draws

him.” But He also said, “And this is the will of Himwho sent Me, that everyonewho sees the Son andbelieves in Him may haveeverlasting life” (v.40). Godhas the sovereign right tochoose whomever He will, but everyone has theresponsibility to choose God.

The apostle Paul did not introduce the doctrine of election to stir upcontroversy or speculation.He did so to assure us thatour salvation doesn’t rest onthe unsteady foundation ofour weak and sometimesfaltering faith. It has its basis in God. It is all rootedin His plan that reachesback before the creation ofthe world. It reaches forwardinto future eternity when inChrist we will be perfectlyholy and without blemish, infact as well as in standing.

God chose us in Christboth for present salvationand for future perfection. We need not go through life

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Even though Godhas chosen us, weare responsible to

choose God.


afraid that sometime orsomehow we will in amoment of weakness loseour salvation. It doesn’t reston our own fickle faith. Itstands firmly on God, Hisplan, and His work.Our Response• Knowing that God

chose us in Christ shouldreassure us when wedoubt God’s love for us.

• Knowing that God choseus in Christ should causeus to be overwhelmedwith gratitude and a desire to be morecommitted to serve Him.

• Knowing that God choseus in Christ to be “holyand without blemish”should cause us to makeit our goal to live that way.

God’s ResponseSurely God is pleased whenour attitudes and actionsshow that we see ourselvesas chosen in Christ. On theother hand, He must begrieved when we refuse toaccept His view of us, when

we are ungrateful, and whenwe have little concern aboutliving up to our high andprivileged position as Hischosen ones. Our position in Christ is secure. Althoughthe joy that comes from anawareness of this positioncan be withheld, our failureswill not change our status asa chosen one.

2. GOD SEES ME AS:

Rescued In Christ (1:7)As we continue with ouranswer to the question“What does God think of me now?” using Ephesiansas our basic text, wediscover that we were notonly chosen by God but also

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rescued by Him. This rescueis represented by Paul’sstatement in Ephesians 1:7,“In Him [Christ] we haveredemption through Hisblood, the forgiveness ofsins, according to the richesof His grace.”

Our rescue in Christ isdescribed by two importantwords: redemption andforgiveness. In Christ we are redeemed. In Christ we are forgiven.

We Are Redeemed.Redemption is not acommonly used word, butthe meaning of the term isnot difficult to understand.To redeem a slave in ancienttimes meant to set him freeby paying a price. Since theslave was the property of hisowner, he could not leavehis position as a slave untilsomeone paid the purchaseprice to his owner.

The redeeming of a slave illustrates our spiritualredemption through Christ’sblood. We are free from the

guilt and power of sinbecause Jesus paid theransom price. Paul wrote, “In Him we haveredemption through Hisblood” (Eph. 1:7). The LordJesus said that He came “togive His life a ransom formany” (Mt. 20:28).

The ransom price for our redemption was Christ’sdeath. Another way ofsaying it is that He paid this ransom price “throughHis blood.” The expression“through His blood” denotesthe totality of Christ’s workas our Savior—His missionas God in the flesh, Hissinless life, His undeservedsuffering, His substitutionarydeath, and His gloriousresurrection.

To whom did Christ make this payment for ourredemption? Some earlychurch fathers said that Hepaid it to the devil. But thedevil doesn’t own us, Goddoes! It’s true that Satan hasgreat power over mankind

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(1 Jn. 5:19), but God ownseverything and everyone.The ransom price, therefore,had to be paid to Him. Asthe holy Judge, God sees allpeople outside of Christ asguilty of breaking His morallaws and as deserving the punishment of death—eternal separation from Him.

God cannot remain right if He lets wrong gounpunished. The ransomprice must be paid to satisfyHis very nature. That’s whatJesus did. The second personof the eternal Trinity becameone of us and took thepunishment we deserve. Thismade it possible for God torelease us from the guilt andslavery of our sin without

compromising His characterin the process. Paul declaredthat God brought aboutredemption through Christ’sdeath in order that He might retain His honor while letting sinners go free(Rom. 3:21-26).

In Christ, we who believehave been set free:• We are free from the

law (Gal. 3:10,13; 4:1-5).We do not need to placeourselves under the rulesand regulations of theOld Testament law-system or even think of any kind of law-keeping as necessary for salvation.

• We are free from sin’sguilt. Because JesusChrist paid our ransomprice, we have beendelivered from the placeof condemnation andbrought into the place of forgiveness andacceptance. This is themeaning of justification(Rom. 5:1).

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God cannot remain right if He lets wrong go unpunished.


• We are free from sin’spower. We have beendelivered from slavery tosin and Satan so that wecan live victoriously. InTitus 2:14 we are toldthat Jesus Christ “gaveHimself for us, that Hemight redeem us fromevery lawless deed andpurify for Himself Hisown special people,zealous for good works.”We Are Forgiven.

In paying the price for ourrescue, God fully forgave us. Ephesians 1:7 says, “In Him we have . . . the forgiveness of sins,according to the riches of His grace.” Now that’stotal forgiveness! What atremendous concept!

The Greek wordtranslated “forgiveness” heremeans “release,” “pardon,”“cancellation.” The totalityof this release from guilt, thispardon of transgression, andthis cancellation of our debtis expressed in the words

“according to the riches ofHis grace.” This grace hasinfinite worth.

In summary, then,because we are in Christ we are free—free from theguilt of our sin, free from

the domination of our sinnature, free from bondage to Satan, free fromenslavement to the world.And we are forgiven. Oureternal safety is assuredbecause God has canceledall our debt. Jesus Christpaid the full price for all oursin. What freedom! Whatriches are ours in Christ!

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Our eternal safety is assuredbecause God hascanceled all ourdebt. Jesus Christpaid the full price

for all our sin.


Our Response• Knowing that in Christ we

have been redeemed fromsin’s guilt, we can haveconfidence that we willnever be condemned.

• Knowing that in Christ wehave been released fromsin’s power, we canovercome the sinful world-system in which we live,the self-centeredness ofour fallen nature, and thetemptations of the devil.

• Knowing that God hasbought us for Himselfgives us reason to bethankful, submissive, andready to serve.

God’s ResponseGod rejoices when ourbehavior reflects His view ofus as having been rescuedfrom sin’s penalty andpower. But He is grievedwhen we live as slaves ofthe world, the flesh, and thedevil. He is unhappy whenwe don’t show appreciationfor the price He paid for ourrescue. God may even allow

us to live powerless, guilt-ridden lives. But He willalways treasure us as thosewhom He rescued at greatcost. He is ready to forgiveand ready to restore ourpower over sin and ourpeace of mind.

3. GOD SEES ME AS:

Adopted In Christ (1:5)God views those who havereceived His Son as fullheirs of all His riches. Paul declared that in ChristGod both chose us and“predestined us to adoptionas sons by Jesus Christ toHimself” (Eph. 1:5). Thisadoption goes beyond beingmade a member of God’s

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family. The term adoptionrefers to giving someoneadult status with full rightsof inheritance. The Romansand Greeks were almostfanatical about a male heir.If they were childless theywould adopt a boy who was

nearly grown up, giving himall the rights of an heir. Evenin instances where therewere several sons, parents

might “place as son” thesecond or third boy if theybelieved the oldest wouldnot be a good manager ofthe family property. In eithercase, the adoption ceremonygave the favored young manadult status.

In salvation we enterGod’s family by both birthand adoption. God impartsnew life to us, making us“partakers of the divinenature” (2 Pet. 1:4), “littlechildren” in His family (1 Jn.2:1,12). At the same time,we are given adult status asheirs. In our birth we arenewborn babies (1 Pet. 2:2),but as adopted sons anddaughters we are already full heirs. We can claim our inheritance! We canenjoy our wealth! We canexperience the relationshipof Romans 8:14-16.

As many as are led by theSpirit of God, these aresons of God. For you didnot receive the spirit ofbondage again to fear,

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“Christ’s futureinheritance is

wrapped up in His church. We

are ‘joint heirs withChrist’ (Rom. 8:17),which means thatHe cannot claimHis inheritanceapart from us.”Warren Wiersbe


but you received the Spiritof adoption by whom wecry out, “Abba, Father.”The Spirit Himself bearswitness with our spirit thatwe are children of God.This in-Christ adoption

to which all of God’schildren were predestinedalso has a future aspect. We read about this inRomans 8:22-23.

We know that the wholecreation groans andlabors with birth pangstogether until now. Notonly that, but we alsowho have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even weourselves groan withinourselves, eagerly waitingfor the adoption, theredemption of our body.We now have adult

standing and full heirship.But we haven’t cashed in on the full riches it affords.Furthermore, our adoptioninto God’s family is a rather private affair rightnow. The world can’t see

how rich we are. John wrote:Behold what manner oflove the Father hasbestowed on us, that weshould be called childrenof God! Therefore theworld does not know us,because it did not knowHim. Beloved, now we arechildren of God; and ithas not yet been revealedwhat we shall be, but weknow that when He isrevealed, we shall be likeHim, for we shall see Himas He is. And everyonewho has this hope in Himpurifies himself, just as Heis pure (1 Jn. 3:1-3).In Christ, we have been

given adult status in God’sfamily. We are heirs ofheaven with Jesus Christ,who is not ashamed to callus His brothers and sisters(Heb. 2:10-12). Although theworld cannot see how richwe are now, that will changewhen Jesus Christ comes for us and gives us ourresurrection bodies!

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Our Response• Knowing that in Christ

we are members of God’sfamily should cause us tolive up to the family nameby being kind, honest,true, loyal, and pure.

• Knowing that we are fullheirs with Christ shouldgive us a confident,assured, triumphantattitude.

• Knowing that all who are in Christ are membersof God’s family shouldmotivate us to treat oneanother like brothers andsisters.

God’s ResponseBecause God has adoptedus as full-grown sons andheirs with Christ, He ispleased when we live up toHis view of us as spiritualadults and future kings.However, He is distressedwhen we act like spiritualinfants or hapless paupers.If we fail to see ourselves asmembers of God’s family, we will not experience His

close, loving, fatherlypresence. But He is alwayseager to restore the intimacywhen we confess our failuresto Him.

4. GOD SEES ME AS:

Honored In Christ(1:7-14) When God views us inChrist, He sees us asinducted into the highesthonor society of all. Godmade us part of His “innercircle” by revealing to us Hisplan that in Christ we andall nature will eventually bebrought together in beautifuloneness. We still live onearth and share all theimperfections of life on this

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planet, but in Christ wehave already been given ourshare of the “inheritance” ofthe saints (v.11), we possessthe Holy Spirit as the“guarantee” of glory (vv.13-14), and we have beenmade to “sit together in the heavenly places” whereJesus is (2:6).

Our honor in Christ isboth present and future. Paulspoke of it as a reality rightnow, but he also referred to itas a wonderful anticipation.Because God sees us inChrist as very special, Hehas made us objects ofunique honor, given us aunique role, and made usHis unique possession.

God has made us objects of uniquehonor. Paul said that God honored us by giving us special revelation.

Having made known to us the mystery of Hiswill, according to Hisgood pleasure which Hepurposed in Himself, that

in the dispensation of thefullness of the times Hemight gather together inone all things in Christ,both which are in heavenand which are on earth—in Him. In Him also we have obtained aninheritance, beingpredestined according tothe purpose of Him whoworks all things accordingto the counsel of His will,that we who first trustedin Christ should be to the praise of His glory(Eph. 1:9-12).We are the ones to whom

God has chosen to reveal“the mystery of His will.” Hehas let us in on His plan—aplan that angels could only“desire to look into” (1 Pet.1:12). Warren Wiersbe writes:

The word mystery hasnothing to do with thingseerie. It means “a sacredsecret, once hidden butnow revealed to God’speople.” We believers are part of God’s “inner

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circle.” We are able toshare in the secret thatGod will one day uniteeverything in Christ. . . .Sin is tearing everythingapart, but in Christ, God will gathereverything together in the culmination of the ages (Be Rich, VictorBooks, p.21).

God honored us by letting us in on Hiswonderful plan. He evengave us priority over Hisangels. They had to learnindirectly as He revealedHimself and His plans to us. In so doing He made us members of His “innercircle.” And He has assured

us that we are an essentialelement in His divineprogram of history.

God has given us a unique role. Ephesians1:12 says that we are to “beto the praise of His glory.”We bring special glory toGod because we aretrophies of His grace. Bothnow and forever, we cansing a song of praise to Godthat even the sinless angelscannot sing.

In Revelation 5, the 24elders (who represent theredeemed) sing “a newsong” to Jesus Christ:

You are worthy to takethe scroll, and to open itsseals; for You were slain,and have redeemed us toGod by Your blood out ofevery tribe and tongue andpeople and nation, andhave made us kings andpriests to our God; and weshall reign on the earth(Rev. 5:9-10).The old song by

Johnson Oatman says: 18

“We believers are part of God’s

‘inner circle.’ ”Warren Wiersbe


But when we singredemption’s story,

They will fold their wings,For angels never

knew the joyThat our salvation brings.

No, angels do not knowthe joy of salvation. Andthey cannot praise God for His grace in the sameway that we can. We have aunique role as His redeemedones.

God has made usHis unique possession.God has honored us inChrist and refers to us as Hisspecial treasure. Paul spokeof us as God’s “purchasedpossession” (Eph. 1:14). Godthinks so highly of us who

are in Christ that He gave us the Holy Spirit as Hisguarantee of eternal glory.The Holy Spirit in us todayis God’s downpayment,assuring us that we willshare heaven with Him. Paul put it this way:

In Him also we haveobtained an inheritance,being predestinedaccording to the purposeof Him who works allthings according to thecounsel of His will, thatwe who first trusted inChrist should be to thepraise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, afteryou heard the word oftruth, the gospel of yoursalvation; in whom also,having believed, you were sealed with the HolySpirit of promise, who isthe guarantee of ourinheritance until theredemption of thepurchased possession,to the praise of His glory(Eph. 1:11-14).

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We bring specialglory to Godbecause we

are trophies ofHis grace.


We are unique becausewe are twice God’s—bycreation and by redemption.This truth is illustrated bythe following story. A littleboy carved out a small boatand put it into a pond, onlyto lose it as it was carriedout by the current. He criedin disappointment. But a fewweeks later he saw it in apawn shop window. Hewanted it so badly that heworked at extra projectsuntil he had enough moneyto buy it. Walking homewith it, he said, “Little boat,you are twice mine. First Imade you and lost you.Then I bought you back.”That’s what God has donefor us.

Paul referred to ourspecial place as God’sunique and eternal treasurein Ephesians 2:4-7. He said:

God, who is rich in mercy,because of His great lovewith which He loved us,even when we were deadin trespasses, made us

alive together with Christ(by grace you have beensaved), and raised us uptogether, and made us sittogether in the heavenlyplaces in Christ Jesus, thatin the ages to come Hemight show the exceedingriches of His grace in Hiskindness toward us inChrist Jesus.

We are to be the great eternal exhibit of thewisdom and love and graceof God in Christ. The verbtranslated “show” reallymeans “to display,” “toexhibit.” (See how it is usedin Romans 2:15 and Titus3:2.) All the other intelligent

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We are uniquebecause we aretwice God’s—bycreation and by

redemption.


beings God has created, the myriads of angels andany other sinless beings that may exist in God’s great and vast creation, will see us as His specialtrophies—trophies of grace.They will marvel as theywitness God’s kindness to usthrough the ages of eternity.

Our Response• Knowing that God favored

us with special revelationshould make us thankfulfor the Bible and help us tobe diligent in studying it.

• Knowing that we are saved“to the praise of the gloryof His grace” shouldstimulate us to worship,praise, and adoration.

• Knowing that we are God’sspecial possession becausewe are “twice His” shouldmove us to express ourgratitude by godly living.

God’s ResponseGod is glorified when wewho have been honored by

Him as His special peoplerespond to His grace bylistening to His Word, bypraising Him in heartfeltworship, and by seeking to please Him with godlyliving. But He is insultedwhen His favored ones show little regard for HisWord, little interest inpraise, and little desire forgodliness. Such behaviormakes it difficult for God to give us gentle guidance,joyful assurance, and livinghope.

When we fail to seeourselves as honored byGod, He doesn’t change ourposition in Christ. God willalways see us as set apartfor a unique honor, as calledto a unique role, and aschosen to be His uniquepossession. However, whenwe begin to see ourselves as He sees us, He will make the wonderful truth of our position in Christ aliving reality in our dailyexperience.

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LIVING UP TO OURREPUTATION

WWe have beenusing Ephesiansas a guide and

answering the question,“What does God think of me now?” We haveobserved that His opinion of us is determined by ourposition in Christ. Becausewe are chosen, rescued,adopted, and honored inChrist, God sees us as partof the heavenly realm.

But how are we torespond to this? It should fill us with gratitude, first ofall. It should also cause adeep joy to reign within ourhearts and spill over into oureveryday lives. We shouldbe overwhelmed with thegreat privilege of beingidentified with God’s Son.And we should be filled with expectation as we lookforward to the gloriousfulfillment of all that

began with us in Christ.But that is not all.

We should also accept theresponsibility for Godlikebehavior that comes withour position in Christ. Sincewe are in Him, we should beliving for Him and growingin our likeness to Him.

But how do we do that?Once again, Ephesians helpsus. The first three chaptersare doctrinal in nature,teaching us what it means to be in Christ. Theconcluding three chapters,however, are practical in

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Since we are in Christ,

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in our likeness to Him.


tone, telling us how to liveup to our reputation inChrist. Let’s briefly walkthrough Ephesians 4–6 andsee what Paul said aboutliving as members of theheavenly realm.• Live up to your

position (4:1-3). Walk worthy of youridentification with Christby being humble, gentle,patient, loving, andunited.

• Use your spiritual gifts(4:7-16). The abilitiesChrist has given youmust be put into practicewithin the church.

• Put off the old life(4:17-19). Reject thefutility of the devil’s way of life.

• Put on the new life(4:20-24). Decide to livein accordance with yourposition in Christ.

• Love others (5:2). We are to love peoplesacrificially, as Christloved the church.

• Stay away from wicked people (5:5-7).They will drag you backtoward the darkness.

• Walk in light (5:8-9).We do this bymanifesting the fruit of the Spirit.

• Walk wisely (5:15).Avoid the wasted days of the old way of life.

• Let the Holy Spirit fill you (5:18-21).Let Him take full control of your life.

• Put on the armor ofGod (6:10-17). This will protect you fromSatan’s attacks.

• Pray continually (6:18-20). Let all of your thoughts, deeds,and circumstancesbecome a cause forcommunication with God.When you are following

these directives and growingin holiness, you will beliving up to your reputationin Christ.

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PICTURES OFOUR POSITIONIN CHRIST

TThe New Testamentportrays what it meansto be in Christ by

using several metaphors or pictures. A brief look at them will help us toappreciate more fully thewonders of our position inChrist.

Head And Body. Theapostle Paul was speaking ofbelievers in Christ when hewrote:

He put all things underHis feet, and gave Him tobe head over all things tothe church, which is Hisbody, the fullness of Himwho fills all in all (Eph.1:22-23). Paul was speaking here

of the relationship betweenChrist and the church. Abody and its head are oneunit. In the same way,believers and Christ are one.The parts of the body relate

equally with the head andthey cannot functionseparately from the head. Asmembers of Christ’s body,we are inseparably linkedwith Him. What He dictates,we do. And when one partof the body hurts, all partshurt.

Branch And Vine. Abeliever is to Christ as abranch is to the vine fromwhich it grows:

I am the vine, you are thebranches. He who abidesin Me, and I in him, bearsmuch fruit; for without Meyou can do nothing (Jn.15:5). The branch originates in

the vine and draws itsnourishment from it.Without the vine, thebranch would quickly witherand die. Our relationshipwith Christ is as the branchto the vine. We were createdin Him, we are nourished inHim, and in Him weproduce fruit. Apart fromHim we have no life.

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Cornerstone AndBuilding.Believers are thebuilding andChrist is thecornerstone.

Havingbeen builton thefoundationof theapostlesandprophets,JesusChristHimself being the chiefcornerstone, in whom thewhole building, beingfitted together, grows intoa holy temple in the Lord(Eph. 2:20-21).A brick lying by itself has

no purpose or meaning. Butwhen it takes its place in abuilding, alongside all theother bricks that make upthe building, it has anidentity and purpose. And itis all held together and given

meaning in the cornerstone.When thebricks arefitted in linewith thecornerstone,the wallsbecome solidand straight.

We are allpart of onebuilding—the church.Christ is thecornerstone.He is theOne who

holds it all together andgives each brick, eachbeliever, individual identity and worth.

Shepherd AndSheep. We are related to Christ as a flock of sheepis related to the shepherd.Jesus describes Hisrelationship to the sheep this way:

I am the good shepherd;and I know My sheep . . .My sheep hear My voice,

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The seven “togethers”of the Christian. We are:

1. Crucified with Christ(Gal. 2:20).

2. Dead with Christ (Col. 2:20).

3. Buried with Christ (Rom. 6:4).

4. Made alive with Christ(Eph. 2:5).

5. Raised together withChrist (Col. 3:1).

6. Sufferers together withChrist (Rom. 8:17).

7. Glorified together withChrist (Rom. 8:17).

—A. H. Strong


and I know them, andthey follow Me (Jn.10:14,27). The

shepherd isthe guide andprotector ofthe sheep—the one wholeads them to water, to pastureand to thesafety of thesheepfold. As ourshepherd,Christwatches overus and caresfor us as Hisown. We arepart of Hisflock.

Bridegroom AndBride. The apostle Paulindicated that ourrelationship with Christ islike that of a bride andgroom. In Ephesians5:25,27, Paul stated:

Husbands, love yourwives, just as Christ also

loved thechurch andgave Himselffor her . . .that Hemight presenther toHimself agloriouschurch . . .that sheshould beholy andwithoutblemish.

We areHis selectones—Hischosenbride.Because of

that, the truth of the unity of a husband and wifebecoming one flesh isapplied to our relationshipwith the Lord Jesus (Eph.5:31-32).

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Our union with Christ is:

• Organic—We aremembers of Christ and part of His body (1 Cor. 12:27; Eph. 5:30).

• Vital—our life isdominated by Christ, who lives within us (Gal. 2:20; Col 3:3-4).

• Spiritual—The HolySpirit is the source andauthor of our union (Rom. 8:9-10).

• Permanent—Our unioncan never be diminishedor destroyed (Jn. 10:28;Rom. 8:35-39).

• Mysterious—Union with Christ was unknownuntil the New Testamentchurch age (Eph. 5:32; Col. 1:27).


CHRIST IN US

WWe have beentalking about the believer’s

position inChrist. We haveseen that we arein union withChrist andidentified withHim in Hisdeath, burial,resurrection, and exaltation.But that is only part of thestory, for the Bible alsoteaches that Christ is in us.The apostle Paul expressedthis aspect of our richrelationship with Christwhen he wrote, “I have beencrucified with Christ; it is nolonger I who live, but Christlives in me” (Gal.2:20). Thus our completerelationship withthe Lord Jesusmay be indicatedby a three-circleddiagram, as

shown below. This specialrelationship applies to allbelievers, for Paul prayed forthe church at Ephesus “thatChrist may dwell in your

hearts throughfaith” (3:17).And he spoke tothe Colossiansof the mysterynow revealed:“Christ in you,the hope of

glory” (1:27). And Jesusindicated this aspect of Hisrelationship with us in Hisprayer to the Father whenHe used the phrase “I inthem” (Jn. 17:23,26).

We are in Christ; He isin us. This formula expressesthe depth and wealth of ourrelationship with the Lord

Jesus. And itgives to usidentity,confidence,hope, and a stirringmotivation towalk in holiness.

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CHRIST

US

CHRIST

US

CHRIST


WHAT DO YOUTHINK OF GOD?

WWe have seen that the answer

to the question“What does God think ofme now?” depends on youranswer to another question:What do you think of God in the person of His Son,Jesus Christ?

In this booklet we havepointed out that if you havetrusted Christ as your Savior,you have become a memberof God’s kingdom. You are a citizen of heaven. You are part of God’s family.

Now that God sees you as His child, you are responsible to live up to your new name andposition. How are youdoing? Is your walk worthyof Christ? Are you living as a citizen of heaven? Are yougrowing steadily in yourChristian life? If not, youhave some work to do.Confessing your failure,

ask God to forgive you.Then, depend on the HolySpirit to help you grow inobedience.

But what if you havenever trusted Christ as yourSavior? Then God thinks ofyou as:

• still “in your sins” (Jn. 8:21,24).

• “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1).

• alienated from Himself(Col. 1:21).

• His enemy (Col. 1:21).If this describes you,

what should you do?Acknowledging your sin and your inability to saveyourself, call on Jesus Christ. Place your trust in Him, asking Him to save you. The Bible says:

As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to becomechildren of God, tothose who believe in His name (Jn. 1:12).

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CHANGED LIVES

SSome Christians don’tcare to hear doctrinalteaching about our

position in Christ. Theythink it has very littlepractical value. We don’tagree! In this study we have tried to show thatevery aspect of our positionin Christ has correspondingpractical truths.

Let’s look at how threepeople’s lives were changedafter they gained a betterunderstanding of what itmeans to be in Christ.

A Better Self-Image. A deeplydiscouraged man called aRBC Ministries counselor for help. He said that eventhough he had become aChristian and had joined a good church, he still found himself going on an occasional drinkingspree. He said that he feltworthless and that hecouldn’t blame his wife

and children for leaving him. He wanted to beaccepted by people but he felt unworthy to reachout to anybody. He sawhimself in a vicious circle.His drinking contributed to his feelings of rejectionand his feelings of rejectiondrove him back to the bottle.

The counselor, after beingsatisfied that this caller hada solid understanding ofsalvation truth, read to himfrom Ephesians 1 and gavehim the basic truths set forthin this book.

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Some Christiansthink that

teaching about our position in Christ has

very little practical value.


Today, this man enjoysgoing to church, has foundsome Christian friends, andhasn’t been on a binge formore than a year. He saysthat his path to victorystarted when he began tounderstand his riches inChrist.

Victory Over Sin. A prominent Christianspeaker said that a youngman came to him after aservice and asked him topray with him about anagging sin in his life. Thepreacher asked him if hehad already prayed about italone and the young man

answered, “Yes, of course.”“Did you pray with othersabout this sin?” the speakerinquired. Again the answerwas yes. Then he said, “Idon’t think I’m going to praywith you. Instead, I wantyou to understand whathappened when you weresaved.” He took the youngman to Ephesians 1 andRomans 6 and told him thatbeing in Christ meant hewas already a citizen ofheaven, that he had died tosin just as Christ did, andthat he had to accept thatthis was true.

Then he said, “Wheneveryou are tempted, remindyourself of who you are inGod’s sight. This will helpyou see how inappropriate it would be for you tocontinue in sin. Then,remember that becauseJesus overcame the power of sin, you can see yourselfas an overcomer with Him.”A few weeks later the youngman returned with a huge

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His path to victory started when he began

to understand hisriches in Christ.


smile, excited about thevictory he had beenexperiencing.

Abiding In Christ.A young woman withremarkable singing abilitywas greatly distressedbecause she knew that herlife didn’t correspond withthe Christian songs she wassinging. Pride, self-will, andself-centeredness ruled herlife. She had become aChristian as a child and hadbeen well-instructed in theScriptures. She knew exactlywhat was meant whensomebody talked about ourriches in Christ. And sheclearly understood thedifference between aChristian’s position andpractice. But she knew thatsomething was missing.

One day she heard asermon on the words ofJesus, “I am the vine, youare the branches. He whoabides in Me, and I in him,bears much fruit” (Jn. 15:5).Although she knew that she

was in Christ, she hadn’tfound this truth verysignificant. Now she realized why. She hadn’tbeen abiding in Christ. Shehad not experienced the

riches of her position inChrist because she had not explored His Word and enjoyed a closerelationship with Him.

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She had notexperienced the riches of her position

in Christ because she

had not exploredHis Word andenjoyed a close

relationship with Him.


When she combined herknowledge of her positionin Christ with the practiceof having close fellowshipwith Him, she began toexperience His power in her life. She automaticallybegan to bear fruit.

In Christ we are chosenas God’s special people,rescued from sin and itsconsequences, adopted asfull heirs in God’s family,and honored as His special treasure. That’s ourstanding or position. Butthat’s not the whole picture!

Our citizenship is inheaven, but we are still

living on this planet. Wehave been made perfect, yet we are sinners living in imperfect bodies. We worry about earthly thingswhen our inheritance is inheaven. We seek the honorof men even though wehave been speciallyhonored by God. In otherwords, our state or practicedoes not yet equal ourstanding or position. AsChristians, our goal is tobring these two together—to practice our position. To do this, we need toremind ourselves daily of our riches in Christ and then abide in Him by practicing His presence.

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As Christians, our goal is to practice

our position.


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