We have spent the past two weeks looking at Ephesians 1 and how it details our identity. This will be the last week in the series and we are ending it with the most important part. We are looking at verses 20-23 today.
20-23 All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence,” (Ephesians 1:20-23 MSG).
6. It’s all for God’s glory.
Verses 20-23 beautifully articulate the glory and wonder of God. Whatever the specific details are of our individual callings, our existence on this planet is all about sharing His glory with the world. In the first couple of posts, I wanted you to get the ball rolling about who you are and what you can accomplish, to dream and grow! Then realize that it is ALL for the glory of God. He is our source. Our identities come from Him and He gets all the glory when we are living out our purpose. He is the supreme authority in all the earth and He is passionate about His Bride (the Church). It is our responsibility to spread His story of love with the world around us.
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God,” (1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV).
“Remember, our Message is not about ourselves; we’re proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Master. All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus for you. It started when God said, “Light up the darkness!” and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful,” (2 Corinthians 4:6 MSG).
““You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being,” (Revelation 4:11 NIV).
“Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them,'” (Isaiah 43:7 NLT).
“Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all,” (1 Chronicles 29:11 NIV).
Because it is all about God, I want us to know who He is and what He is about. I spent a good amount of time researching and trying to make the huge concept of God make sense in one post and I’m just going to stop right here. That is not necessarily my wheel house. There are all kinds of resources out there if you need to have theology questions answered about God. In fact, this article is a great place to start!
My heart and passion is that you learn to trust God, that you know His character and He teaches you who you are in Him. That’s why this blog is named Choosing Trust. All of us have doubts. We can get bombarded with other people’s world views and ideologies. We need to be confident in who God is, that His Word is true, and that He is at work in our lives so that we are not shaken.
I have really had to check my own heart while writing Identity 101. Am I really living what I am writing? If I am saying that God is our source, is God really who I run to when hard stuff is going on? Or do I run to my hubby or friends first? If my identity comes from God, do I really think His validation is enough or do I crave approval from others?
Let’s take another look at the house we have been building. We have laid the foundation, the walls, and roof so far…
“It’s all for God’s glory” is our door. Nothing is coming into or going out of our lives that hasn’t been filtered by that truth. Is it going to please God? Is it going to build others up? Is it going to show the world His glory?
Walking in our God-given identity is not thinking we are God’s gift to the world. It’s about knowing that we are one piece of the puzzle. God designed us to fit and help the whole picture come together. I imagine it like a mosaic portrait. They are made up of lots of little tiny pictures but when zoomed out they collectively create one unified picture.
(Image from http://www.mascotproduction.com.hk/mosaics.html.)
You may feel like a tiny, insignificant piece but without you the whole thing wouldn’t come together. When you and I are fully ourselves, walking as God intended, the world sees Him. It is all for His glory!
Love,
Tif
Choosing Trust 