In Jesus You Are: Understanding Your Identity in ChristSample

Tuesday: In Jesus I am Saved

Read: Romans 5:8–10, Ephesians 2:1–5

SOAP: Ephesians 2:4–5

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even though we were dead in offenses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you are saved!”

There is something incredibly compelling about a “before and after” photo. Home renovations show us the potential we can find in our own rooms, while fitness transformations give us hope that our work will also pay off. It can be fun to look at photos that show others what we looked like in those awkward teenage years, or the difference between the start and end of a creative project.

In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he spent time reminding them—and us—of the transformation that happens when we accept Jesus as our Savior. We are not only saved, but our identity shifts from “dead” to “alive.” Paul wasn’t speaking of a literal raising from the dead, but of the condition of our souls. Layman’s New Testament Commentary describes it as “an existence devoid of the true purpose, character, and fulfillment of human life created in the image of God.”

God loves us so much that He could not allow us to only have “death” as an option for our identity. When He planned our redemption through the sacrifice of His Son on the cross, we were given a new choice and a new identity: alive in Christ. When we understand who we were before Jesus came into our lives, we can appreciate even more the love, grace, and mercy God extends to each of us.

In Jesus we are saved, not only from the deserved punishment for our sins, but from our “before” identity to an “after” transformation that brings us to true, abundant life.

Prayer: God, as I think about all the ways I don’t deserve Your love, grace, and mercy, I am even more in awe of the gift of salvation You offer through Jesus. Thank You for giving me a new identity, an “after” that is full of life and hope and purpose. Amen.