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Ben Taylor preaches to the Young Adults ministry from Ephesians 2:10, focusing on three realities of a believer's identity in Christ: belonging to God, being God's masterpiece, and being created in Christ Jesus. He emphasizes the transformative nature of this identity and its implications for purpose, freedom from past sins, and the believer’s value.
Bellevue Baptist Church | Young Adults | Memphis, TN
In Ephesians 2, verse 10, I think that we see three realities. Three realities that every believer can use to strengthen their identity in Christ. And the first reality is this. As believers, we belong to God. As a follower of Jesus Christ, you belong to God. Look at verse 10 again. It says, For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus. And I want you to highlight and circle that word, His. We are His. That word, His, is a possessive pronoun that shows something or someone belongs or relates to another. That small word, His, has such a critical impact on the way we view ourselves because now I know, as a follower of Jesus Christ, that we are God's. You have to recognize that you belong to God. You are not your own. Paul understood this well. In Romans 1, verse 1, he says it, he declares it. Paul, a bondservant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God. Bondservant. That word in the original language means slave. It carries with it the idea of one who gives himself up wholly to another's will. That your existence is not for yourself, but it is for another. Paul willingly gave himself up to the will of Christ. Now see, within our context, the word slave or servant carries a negative connotation for obvious reasons. But that was not always the case in the first century. To be a bondservant of Christ is not necessarily forced subjugation, but a willing release of your will for the Lord's. And this can happen in a right relationship with Christ. You need to remember that you belong to God. John 1, 12 says, but as many as received Him, to Him he gave the right, the power, to become children of God. When you say yes to Jesus, when you receive Him, you become a child of God. We belong to God. And as children, what happens? As children, you become an heir of God. And as an heir, you receive a purpose. You belong to God, young adults. Your life is not your own. You are a child of God. So how do we respond to this reality that we belong to God? How do we respond? If we belong to God, we give Him full access to every aspect of our lives. I just want to push pause right there. If we belong to God, we give Him full access to every aspect of our lives. Now, that means that with open hands, we set everything that we have before Him and ask Him, what do you want us, what do you want me to do with this thing? Romans 12, 1, I think describes this beautifully. It says, therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy what? Sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Your life is not your own, so much so that you lay your life down on the altar and you sacrifice it to God. Young adults, this is tough for us to do in our culture. It means that everything about me should be pointing towards God and that He has the right, the authority, the power in my life to say, yes, no, yes. Think about that. Does God right now have that authority in your life? If you belong to Him, He should. Young adults, I want to ask you this question. What are some aspects of our lives that may need to be set before the Lord? What are some aspects of your life that you may need to be willing to give to Him? Maybe put it on the altar. This is one of those times where I'm asking a question and I would love a response because I'm not in your shoes. I don't know what aspect of your life you struggle holding on to, but I guarantee if you struggle or a friend of yours struggles with one certain aspect, I guarantee you somebody else in this room is. And so this is how we as a community can come together and help one another. So let me ask that question again. What are some aspects of our lives that we may need to set before the Lord? Any thoughts? Yes, sir. Stress and worry and fear. Do any of those words sound like they're from God? So if we belong to God, what are we stressing over? What are we fearing? What are we worrying about? Have we given those things that cause us to stress, fear, and worry to Him? What else? Yes, sir. Relationships. Isn't that tough? Man, it's so tough to say, God, is this a relationship that you want in my life? You see, I have two daughters. I have one that's 18 and one that's third grade going into 12. She acts like it anyway. Y'all know her, Charlotte. I tell them all the time, be careful who you date because you can't help who you fall in love with. And see, some of you right now may be in the midst of a relationship that is not healthy. So what it looks like for you to give God access to that part of your life, your relationships, you say, God, do I need to continue in this relationship or step away in a loving way? Now, immediately when I say relationships, what goes to our mind is romantic relationships because we like romance. And I also want to challenge you that sometimes the friendships that you have in your life have more influence than your romantic relationships, and you might need to check your friendships as well. Because if your friendships are not moving you closer to Christ, then you need to set up healthy boundaries. Hear what I'm saying. I'm not saying let go of those friends, walk away from those friendships. But you do need to set up boundaries if they are leading you away from Christ and not towards Christ. Does that make sense? Because if they are not followers of Christ, I want you to be friends with them. I want you to interact with them in the appropriate ways so that maybe through your testimony, they might come to Christ. So we've talked about stress, worry, fear, relationships. What other aspects should we give up or give God access to? Yes, sir. Our decisions. Every decision that we make. Every decision. Isn't that tough? How many of you make just decisions one right after the other and never ask God to bless it? And never ask God, is this what you want from me? I'm telling you, if we're not careful, we just do what we think is the next best thing for ourselves. And we never ask God, is this what your best is for me? So our decisions. I think our careers. Are you doing what God wants you to do in your career? Have you ever considered doing something else so that you might have more access to lost people? Or that you might have more freedom to make disciples who make disciples? When you stepped into your career, did you even ask God if this is what you want from me? Or did you just take the next best step? See, young adults, when we belong to God, our life is no longer our own. He becomes our master, our boss.
He has rule and reign over every aspect of your life. Are you giving Him that? And if you're not, I would say that you might be struggling with an identity problem because you are still trying to rule your own life instead of allowing Him to do it. So we see, if we are going to have this proper identity in Christ, we must first live in the reality that we belong to God. Secondly, we must recognize that we are God's masterpiece. Going back to Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10, it says, for we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works. I love what the New Living Translation says. It says, for we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so we can do good things He planned for us long ago. The Greek word here that is translated workmanship and masterpiece refers to something that was made. It carries with it the connotation of a work of art. And get this, in the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Old Testament, and I'm not trying to go too deep, but think about this. The Greek translation, Koine Greek, the New Testament language, the Old Testament was translated into that language. It's called the Septuagint. This same word is used to describe, in the Greek Old Testament, God's creation work. So, we are created, we are His workmanship, we are His masterpiece, we are created by God. Some of you need to be reminded that you are fearfully and wonderfully made by God. By God. I want you to hear that. Psalm 139, 13 through 14, listen to these words. You formed my inward parts. You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works, and my soul knows it, and it is very well. Listen to what the psalmist is saying. Hey, you formed me, you wove me together, you made me, and guess what? Wonderful are your works. So, if you are a work of God, the psalmist is saying, hey, I'm a work of you. That means that I'm wonderful. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. And see, so many of us don't believe that simple truth. You are set above and beyond all the rest of creation. How many of you ever gone to the shore of the ocean and seen the sea, the ocean? Isn't that an awesome sight? We got beach people in here, raise your hands. Hot take, I hate sand. I hate the beach. I'd much rather be in the mountains. Any mountain people? Where are my mountain people? Praise God. All right, give me some mountains, some streams, water that I could drink if I needed to, right? All right, so, you look at that beautiful, are you not, when you just see the ocean going on for miles and miles and miles, does that not take your breath away? It's like the beautiful intricacies of creation and guess what? You are over and above that in the eyes of God. Why? Genesis 1, 26 and 27 tells us, it says, then God said, let us make man in our image according to our likeness and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. God created man in his own image. In the image of God, He created him. Male and female, He created them. He created you in the image of God. He created you and that image has been put and placed in every human being that has ever been born and before you even breathed your first breath, you were being made and are made in the image of God. Young adult, you need to hear this and believe it with all your heart. You have value, you have worth, and you are loved. You are not less than anyone in this room. You are not less than anyone in this world. No matter how much money you have, no matter how much money you don't have, no matter what struggles that you've walked through, the world will tell you you're not good enough and I'm here to tell you tonight that you are created in the image of God. You are fearfully and wonderfully made and you need to recognize that you are a masterpiece because the world is not judging you by the way God judges you. When God sees one of His children, He sees a masterpiece. The last time I checked, God does not make any trash. When He made you, He said it was good. Do me a favor to say, I was created good. You were created in the image of God. Think about that. Think about that. You are a masterpiece of God. Do we have any artists in the room? All right. Legit artists like y'all create things? I'm not an artist. Thank you. All right. So artists, raise your hand. It's okay. I'm not artistic. I wish I could understand artistic people, but I can't. Y'all's brains are different. God bless you. We need you. So give me some thoughts on this. When you create something... Caitlin, I saw your hand. Naomi, I saw your hand. Michael saw your hand, I think. It was kind of a half hand, but I saw it. So when you create something, how connected are you to it? Usually very connected. Naomi says usually very connected. Do the other artists... All your energy goes into it and it's precious to you, right? You put time, effort, and energy into it. And when you are creating something, it becomes a part of you. You value it. See, for those of us that are the non-artist people in the room, we don't get it, right? I draw doodles and I don't have an emotional connection to them. But when God made us, He is like one of these artists that put their time, effort, and energy and formed you and made you, and He sees you as a work of art. I want you to remember this. You need to reject the lies of the enemy and live in the reality that you are God's masterpiece. Lies that may be telling you that you're not good enough, or that you're broken, or that you're unlovable. Whatever that lie is, reject it knowing that you belong to God and are His masterpiece. Young adults, if you can begin to walk in this reality, you will begin to fuel an identity that leads to a purpose that is beyond yourself. The final reality that we must rest in to have a proper identity in Christ is the fact that we are created in Christ Jesus. So we see that we belong to God, reality number one. Reality number two, we are God's masterpiece. And reality number three, we are created in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2.10, again, for we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus. And this reality is critical for the believer to understand. Yes, we are created in Christ Jesus, but we are not His workmanship. We are created in the image of God. And when God looks at His creation, He says it is good. And we go back all the way to Genesis, and it was good. But unfortunately, it did not stay good. When sin entered into the world, it created enmity between God and humanity. Ephesians 2.1-3 makes this clear. Go up to the beginning of the chapter. It says, "...and you were dead in your trespasses and sin, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lust of the flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind,
and were by nature, what? Children of wrath, even as the rest. We were dead in our trespasses and sin. We were sons of disobedience. We were children of wrath. And apart from Christ, we will remain sons and daughters of disobedience and children of wrath. But in Christ, everything changes. Our identity changes and we are no longer children of wrath, but we are children of God. We are created in Christ Jesus. That's the difference. That's the linchpin. Yes, you're created in the image of God, but when you were born, you were born a sinner. Broken, separated from God. But in Christ, everything changes. Second Corinthians 5.17, I say it all the time. If you've heard me preach, you've probably heard me say this. It says, therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things have passed away. Behold, new things have come. The ESV, the English Standard Version, says, therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. He's a new creation. And if you don't grasp this reality, you will never accept your new identity in Christ and fulfill the purpose that God has for you. You are a new creation. Old things have passed away. Young adult, have you grasped this part of your identity, this reality of your identity, that you are a new creation? The old things have done what? And the new things have what? Do you believe it? Do you believe it? I don't think y'all believe it. See, some of you are holding on to the past. Some of you are in bondage to past sin or experiences that keep you from living the life that Christ has for you. But old things have what? And new things have what? So are you stuck living in the past, living in the old things? You are a new creation. And what does a new creation in Christ have? A new creation in Christ has freedom from guilt, freedom from shame, freedom from the past, and you can embrace all the work that God has done in you. So young adults, would you describe your life as freedom from those things? Psalm 103 says, He does not deal with us according to our sins nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward us, towards those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far He removed our transgressions from us. So if you are stuck in the past, holding on to sins, holding on to guilt, holding on to shame that you have had, why are you doing something that God is not? He says that your sins have been removed as far as the east is from the west. He remembers them no more. When He looks at you as a follower of Jesus Christ, He sees the righteousness of Christ, not your unrighteousness because your righteousness is like filthy rags. But He sees you, He sees Jesus in you. So if you are holding on to things in your past, you're carrying a burden that God doesn't even carry. Because in Christ, He's forgiven you. The Bible has so much to say about who we are in Christ as believers. And tonight, we have looked at these three realities that shape our identity. Next week, we're gonna step into how that identity, how these realities determine our purpose. Because any type of purpose outside of these realities, you're just living like buzz. You are disillusioned. You're pursuing something that you will never reach. And you're like, Ben, I'm not buzz. You might be if you're not recognizing that you belong to God. If you're not living in the reality that you are God's masterpiece, His work of art, and that you are created in Christ Jesus. These realities of your identity begin to form and shape who you are. And as you allow them to take root in your life and you begin to express them out and live them out, because that is who you are in Christ, then you will begin to see how these realities and how your identity will determine your purpose. Anything apart from this, you're buzz light year. And if you go on and you see, buzz comes to the place where he recognizes like part two and three, four, five, I'm sure they're gonna make a six if we can get some more out of Tim and Tom. Think about this. God wants you to live out your purpose. But you have to begin to recognize who you are in Him.