By Pastor Stuart Weist
First Baptist Church of Preston
In our world today, many Christians seem to have lost who they are. Everywhere I look there is hatred, vanity and angst. People on social media often post comments they would never say to someone’s face and our youth get caught up in a desire for greed, lust and approval. I have been privileged to work with youth more lately and I have never heard of more young people desiring to be “influencers.” They grade themselves not based upon their academics but upon the number of likes, subscribers or followers they have.
On the flip side, older Christians seem to be caught up with anger and disgust. Often those over 30 complain about politicians, young people, money, society, etcetera. The comments shared are sometimes mean spirited and show a lack of anything resembling a Christian love. It’s this anger and inability to see people the way God sees them that is driving division among churches and generations. Despair, depression and unsurety are on the rise among those who follow Christ, and we need to be reminded who we truly are.
When you trusted Christ as your personal Savior, I hope you have, your entire life changes. Your values and actions are transformed; your desire is to live for Christ. This is supposed to produce the fruit of the spirit demonstrating your humility before God and a desire to be drawn to Him. Yet many still struggle with these things, and when they come to my office, I often find myself reminding them of who they are in Christ.
In most cases, Ephesians is where I go as it helps us to see who we are in Christ. Certainly, there is no room in this devotional to exhaust a chapter of Scripture but let me just draw out a few truths to help point you back toward God’s word. God sees you not as the world see you, He sees you as redeemed and chosen (Eph 1:3-4). He has forgiven you, adopted you, given you grace, died for you, and accepted you (Eph 1:7-10). He has provided for you a heavenly inheritance (Eph 1:11) and cares for your well-being. God sees you as invaluable and perfect in Christ just as He created you. He does not care how many followers you have, or whether you like the current political scene. He sees you as a soul worthy of salvation whom he sent his Son to die for. He treasures you, so you should also treasure yourself.
I encourage you this week to sit down with your Bible and read Ephesians 1:3-14. Write down every promise of God and how He views you, put it somewhere you will see it each day. Read it, treasure it, meditate upon it that you might not forget who you truly are in Christ. If you have questions, need a Bible, or want more help, join us at First Baptist this Sunday. We exist to point hearts and minds back to Christ.
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