Who are you wearing?
Pastor Eli Nelson started a new sermon series titled, “Christ Our Example” where we dive deeper into the book of Ephesians.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” Ephesians 1:3-5 (NIV)
Put your hands where your heart is
“The message that you respond to determines the fruit that you produce.” – Pastor Eli Nelson
As a child of God, every spiritual blessing is available to you. God called you to be a light in the darkness and a mature believer in Christ. Open up the Book that transforms you.
“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 1:17-20 (NIV)
Do you know God?
You can know a lot of facts about God without truly knowing Him. The more you know God, the more you will know about yourself. Who you truly are. Knowing God means knowing what He loves and what He hates. What makes Him full of joy and full of grief. And it doesn’t stop there. We are called not just to know Him, but then to become like Him; to be like Christ.
What is your response?
Our lives are split into two parts: What God has done for us and how we respond to it. We start with first being awakened to what God has done for us, and then when we ultimately come alive in Christ, that produces lasting fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). But it’s in the in between where transformation needs to happen by the renewing of our minds. Find your new identity in Christ. You are not who you once were. You are a new creation in Christ.
“God is okay with the journey. He is not okay with stagnation.” – Pastor Eli Nelson
We must continue to be formed into the image of Christ. That’s why it’s important to be planted in the House of God and to read the Bible daily. You don’t just “try” Christianity. You give your life to Christ. You don’t just “do” church. You are the Church!
Immaturity causes Instability
We must learn how to feed ourselves spiritually. When we are not mature in the Word, we are unstable because we don’t really know who God is and who we are in Christ. Then we tend to worry, doubt, and be led astray. People tend to just be consumers of the Word instead of applying the Word. That’s what produces fruit!
“It is with our ears that enlighten us, our thinking that transforms us, and our actions that align us.” – Pastor Eli Nelson
If you want to know what God wants you to do in your life, do what He has already said. The One who knows you is the only One who can help you be who you are meant to be. Not any program, self-help book, or motivational speaker. Only God can transform you from the inside out. And it starts with how you respond to His Word through action.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:8-10 (NIV)
Your fruit shows your faith.
God’s best for you starts when you deny yourself. Faith without works is dead. We aren’t saved by good works, but good works should reflect the good work in you. What you do seals what you believe.
You have to make a choice.
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV)
Jesus didn’t come just for us to be saved, but to also be transformed to be like Him. Put on your new self. If you drop it, then just put it back on again. There is grace for the journey! Keep pursuing holiness and righteousness. This is truly living!
You have to lose yourself to find yourself.
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