Identity — Adoption - Wednesday
TODAY’S VERSE
Ephesians 1:7-8
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight. (ESV)
Scott mentioned three questions in his sermon this past Sunday. We’ve looked at two of them so far: “Who am I?” and “Whose am I?” Today, we come to the third: “What do I have?”
When my wife Jessica and I welcomed our daughter, Ellie, into the world, she was sent directly to the NICU. We later found out that she had Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome (NRDS). In short, she couldn’t breathe on her own. As her dad, I wanted to give her what she needed, but I couldn’t take a breath for her. She was totally dependent on help she couldn’t provide for herself.
By God’s grace, Ellie was released from the NICU the Saturday morning before Easter. She spent almost two weeks with very few signs of improvement until that day. That Easter felt especially meaningful. As we celebrated Jesus’ resurrection, I was reminded of this: Life and hope are gifts we receive, not things we can provide or earn for ourselves.
To be clear, I don’t mean that Ellie’s illness was the same as our sin. It certainly isn’t. But her dependence gave me a small picture of what Paul means when he says in Romans 5:6, “While we were still weak, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly.” Don’t miss this: We can’t rescue ourselves or earn our way back to God, just like Ellie couldn’t save herself. She needed someone else to step in and do for her what she couldn’t do for herself. That’s exactly what God has done for us by sending His one and only Son, Jesus. And this is why we’re only saved by grace through faith in Him. Jesus stepped in to accomplish for us what we could never achieve on our own, and it’s solely through His work that we have the gift of eternal life.
So what do we have in reference to eternal life? In Ephesians 1, Paul tells us that in Christ we have redemption and forgiveness, because God has lavished his grace on us (verses 7-8). We have an inheritance, and the Holy Spirit seals us and guarantees what is still to come (verses 11-14).
As Scott emphasized in his sermon, we bring nothing that can earn or add to our salvation. We come empty-handed, but God does not leave us empty. In Christ, he gives us forgiveness, grace, belonging, and hope. After all, the Father’s love is lavish; He gives us more than we could ever earn. And what do we give in response? We give our trust, worship, and our entire lives, not to pay God back or earn His love, but out of gratitude for the grace we’ve received.
APPLICATION
Read Ephesians 1:7-14 again and underline what Paul says you have in Christ. Circle one gift you need to remember today, and thank God that you received it through Jesus rather than earning it yourself. Take a few minutes to journal how this one gift has radically changed your life.
PRAYER
Father, thank You for sending Your one and only Son to die for me. Thank You for doing what I could not do for myself. Thank You for the forgiveness of my sin. Lord, help me to remember that through You I have been redeemed and granted an inheritance beyond all imagination. So as I live my life, help me to never forget that I am free because of You and the price You paid for my sin on the cross. May my dependence rest fully upon You. In Jesus’ name, amen.