New Humanity
Last week Pastor Michael (Mike) Obadja, the senior pastor of Abbalove Church in Chino Hills, California shared with us the outward appearance of living as a born-again Christian. The scripture in focus was Ephesians 1:3-10, a letter to the church in Ephesus, the capital Roman city in Asia which functioned as a multicultural cosmopolitan. The young Ephesian church was starting to grow and Paul, as a missionary, had born witness to its conception. Paul wrote the Book of Ephesians to instruct and warn the church of wolves that would attack the church from within and around (Acts 20: 17-38). Even today the growing Christian can read Ephesians 1:3-10 and learn important principles for living in the new humanity.
The Trinity is the DNA of the New Humanity
“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. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. (Ephesians 1: 3-4)
This verse clearly affirms that we are united with Christ. We are not only close to him, but in fact we are closer than we realise - we are one with Him. He lives in us according to Galatians 2:20 which says, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me”. Pastor Mike raised a thought-provoking question which we all should ask ourselves; “How much closer to Jesus do I want to get?”
Because of this simple yet profoundly meaningful fact of being adopted as God’s own son/daughter, we are “in Christ, [and therefore he/she are] a new creation; the Old has passed away and behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The community of the trinity - God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit - share in creating a new DNA; a new identity for humans who believe.
The Trinity is the DNA for the New Family
In love he predestined us for adoption into sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will - to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. (Ephesians 1:5-6)
We are adopted into a family with a purpose and mission at hand. As sons and daughters of God, we are to be imitators of Christ and bring all glory and praise to Him who gives us grace to do his will. The main take away from this verse is regarding the sonship that can only be obtained through believing and confessing Jesus Christ as Lord (Romans 10:9). There is no other by-pass, detour, or loophole that can allow for sonship in Christ and fatherhood in God.
God’s Kindness Leads to Salvation
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment - to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ” (Ephesians 1: 7-10)
We are free, liberated and exampled by Christ to be gracious and kind to others. We are redeemed, forgiven and lavished or spoiled, with an unmerited grace. Our new DNA in Christ releases us to do His good pleasure in order to unify born-again Christians and reconcile those lost to Christ with their God-given identities. In a world plagued by division based on race, ethnicity, privilege to healthcare and social standing, a unification in Christ regardless of those factors harnesses the power to set a Godly example in the world.
Dear Lord Jesus Christ in Heaven,
Thank you for making me new and for washing away my sins with your sacrifice. I pray that you would continually teach me to favour the Spirit over the desires of the flesh. I want to keep fighting the good fight, and pursue a born-again life. Thank you for your grace that helps me to do your will. I pray all of these things in your mighty name,
Amen.