Made New: An Ephesians Book StudySample

Who are you?

Think of how many times you’ve heard this question. Maybe you first heard it in the classic children’s tale, Alice in Wonderland, when the creepy caterpillar asks the question of Alice. Or in the rock song, cleverly named “Who are you?” by…you guessed it, The Who.

Sometimes, we ask ourselves this question while looking in the mirror after we’ve made a major mistake.

“Who are you?”
There are so many ways to answer this question, but we learn in Christ that it’s not about who we are but WHOSE we are.

The first verse in the book of Ephesians, chapter 3 says, “For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—”

Paul, the author of Ephesians, identifies himself by stating who he belongs to. His identity is not bound to his past. He does not begin, “For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of my past, my guilt, and my shame.” He identifies himself by Whose he is now and invites us to do the same.

By focusing on Whose we are, we remove the pressure of our past mistakes so that we may step into a life of fullness and freedom. While Paul had many reasons to boast, he also had many reasons to grieve. Before Christ transformed him, his identity as a religious zealot led him to persecute and kill Jesus’ followers.

However, instead of allowing his guilt to bury him in his past, Paul embraced his transformation and lived the remainder of his life surrendered to Christ. From then on, his identity was rooted in God. He lived as a prisoner to God’s will because he belonged to Him. Paul knew his life was no longer his own, and his identity was fully surrendered as a servant of the Creator.

Like Paul, your commitment to Christ has given you a new identity. Leave behind the identities or roles you’ve held onto in the past, and let your Heavenly Father remind you of Whose you truly are.

Response
1. Read Ephesians 3:1-13. What words does Paul use to describe his identity?

2. What words would you use to describe your identity? How does knowing Whose you are change your perception of who you are?

3. You belong to God, and knowing that changes everything. Take time to ask God to reveal how He sees you. Write down what you hear.

Weekly Memory Verse
"I pray that out of His glorious riches, He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
Ephesians 3:16-19

Written by Michelle White