ICS Daily Devotions
Our Spiritual Blessings in Christ
Ephesians 1:3 (NKJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.
All born-again Christians have a new identity in Christ. God has chosen to see us in this “new man” by blessing us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new
The first spiritual blessing is the new creation. We are made up of spirit, soul and body. The spirit being is born again when we accept Christ into our lives, though our mind, which is in the realm of the soul, will need to be renewed with the Word of God. We need to identify ourselves with the spirit being, and live our lives based it by feeding it with the Word of God.
Ephesians: 4:23-24 (NKJV) And be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
The Apostle Paul encourages us to live out the new life in Christ. Our spirit man is seen to be righteous and holy in God’s sight. To be renewed in the spirit of our mind means we need to see ourselves as how God sees us though we may be imperfect.
Secondly, our past is under the blood. The devil will use our past sins to condemn and accuse us, making us feel unworthy to come into God’s presence, but we must remember that these were committed under the “old man” with its old identity.
Colossians 1:14 (NKJV) in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
God has chosen to wipe away our past sinful records with the blood of Jesus. Because Jesus’ blood has satisfied God’s wrath towards sinners, He does not need to punish us for our sins, but has chosen to forgive us through Jesus’ redemptive work on the cross. Therefore, there is no condemnation for those in Christ.
John 3:5 (NKJV) Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Thirdly, we belong to the Kingdom of God as His children, and His kingdom is within us because the Holy Spirit lives in us and God reigns in our hearts. We are to submit to the Lordship of Christ and yield to the prompting of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Romans 8:2 (NKJV) For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
The fourth blessing is we are slaves of righteousness. Once we walked in foolishness, with darkened understanding and lived in deceitful lusts, but once we have believed and obeyed in our hearts, we can walk in victory through the new creation and empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
Sermon Series: Living out the New Identity in 2022
