I found this old wrinkled and ripped paper this morning. When I read it, I found confessions of who I am in Christ. It was so good that I retyped it.
In 1984 just as we were completing Bible School, back when I typed on a typewriter rather than a computer, I read through Ephesians 1-3 and Romans 5-8 in every translation I could get my hand on and typed out things that ministered to me. I began to go over these things day after day. My life was completely and totally transformed as I began to see who God made me and how much He loves me.
I could use going over these things again, and I thought I’d share them. If anyone is interested in more details, I have the original notes that have the specific translations. Below is putting them all together into one confession.
Who I am from Various Versions
There is not even one bit of condemnation to those in Christ Jesus. I am without a single fault before Him, consecrated, above reproach in His love, holy, blameless, consecrated, above reproach in His love, holy, blameless and without blemish in His presence, set apart for Him.
It pleased Him to adopt me as His very own child. I am His through the happy choice of His will; it seemed good in His heart’s desire. He chose and actually picked me for His own.
I was made God’s heritage, blessed with every blessing in heaven, every spiritual benefit as a citizen of heaven. Because of what Christ has done, I am a gift to God He delights in. God has been made rich because I was given Him.
He has done what in His kindness He planned to do… He bought me with His blood and forgave me all my sins and set me free. Through Him at the cost of His blood I am redeemed; my release is secured. I have redemption, deliverance and salvation.
I am God’s work of art, created in Christ to live the good life He meant for us from the beginning. I bear His family likeness and am lifted to the splendor of life as His own child. I am a display of His kindness and an example of the good things God desires to do to demonstrate His kindness.
I don’t have a spirit of fear. I have been adopted into the very family circle of God. I was appointed to be thoroughly like His Son so He would be the first born among many brothers.
He gave His Son when we were enemies. Now He won’t fail to lavish upon me all He has to give. After such a gift, He will not refuse anything He can give.
He proved His love while we were sinners; much more now will He provide all I need. This is love, not that I loved God but that He loves me and gave His son. This is how God showed and demonstrated His love.
All nature waits for our unveiling; it is on tiptoe to see the wonderful sight of the sons of God coming into their own. Creation desires to share our glorious freedom as God’s own children and have its share in our magnificent liberty.
Descriptions of God’s Grace:
- The generosity of His unmerited favor which he lavished on us.
- The riches of His grace super-abounded towards us.
- Freely bestowed grace,
- The wealth of His grace super-abounded towards us.
- Freely bestowed grace.
- Riches and generosity of His gracious favor lavished upon us.
- Immeasurable, limitless, surpassing riches of free grace in kindness in Christ.
Condemnation no longer has a right to hang over my head. Who shall dare lay a charge against me, a choice one of God? God is He that is declaring me righteous. Who is he that is condemning? Christ is He that died, yeah, rather also was raised up; who is also on the right hand of God, who also does intercede for us.
And so I am not to be like a cringing, fearful slave, but I should behave like God’s very own child, adopted into the bosom of His family and calling Him, “Father, Father”.
He choose us in Christ to be holy and spotless and to live through love in His presence.
When our love and faith are strong and steady, we can hold our heads high no matter what happens and know that all is well, for we know how dearly God loves us.
In all these things we win an overwhelming victory through Him who has proved His love for us.
Yet, the proof of God’s amazing love is this: that it was while we were sinners that Christ died for us. Moreover if He did that for us while we were sinners, now that are men justified by the shedding of His blood, what reason have we to fear the wrath of God?
If while we were His enemies, Christ reconciled us to God by dying for us, surely now that we are reconciled we may be perfectly certain of our salvation (daily and temporal as well as eternal) through His living in us. Nor I am sure is this a matter of bare salvation – we may hold our heads high in the light of God’s love because of the reconciliation which Christ has made.
He proved His loved while we were yet sinners; much more now will He provide all that I need. He didn’t not grudge His own Son but gave Him up for us all. Can we not trust such a God to give us with Him everything else that we can need?
