 Good morning everyone. Good morning. Welcome to BC 110 on the course identity in Christ. So we are continuing to study on our identity on being heirs of Christ or being the children of God. So even before we could begin with our session, can I request one of us to please start the session with a word of prayer? Anyone from our online or on campus? Anyone can pray? Rin, why don't you pray? You have the mic with you. Jesus, we come here before you and Lord we dedicate this class in your hands and thank you Jesus. I pray Lord that we will learn something today to strengthen the identity that you have placed inside of us and thank you Jesus for opening our minds to understand your word and to believe in the truth. Lord Jesus, thank you Lord Father God for being with us and that you speak to us through Pastor Diana and your name I pray Amen. Amen. Amen. Okay, we are continuing on the same chapter. It's in the same section. We are going to study on the adopted as sons and daughters of Christ. So let's turn to Ephesians chapter one verse five. Ephesians chapter one verse five. Can I request one of us to please read according to the good pleasure of his name. So in this verse, we see that we have been predestined with the adoption as the sons by Jesus Christ to himself. So what we see here in this verse and we understand this that it is the father's destiny for he has chosen us that we would enjoy the sonship in Jesus Christ. So the father has adopted each of us as his children. So we see that God's unfolding plan about us from the very beginning from the very foundation of the earth. So it does not only include the salvation or individual, a personal transformation, but it also includes the warmth, the confidence, the relationship that we can have with the father, the restoration of our relationship that we could have with our father. So in the Roman law, when we speak about the adoption, it says when the adoption was complete, according to the Roman law, it was complete indeed. It was fully completed. The person who has been adopted as all the rights of a legitimate son in his new family and he has lost completely all the rights that he had towards the old nature, the old family. So in the eyes of the law, he was a new person. So this new person, now all the debts, the obligations that is connected with the previous family has been abolished by this new adoption, by this new identity of this child getting into a family. This is also as per the law. So as per the same law, God is saying, you have been adopted into the family of God, no matter what nature you had before. Now that nature, no matter how many years you were into, how rooted and grounded you may be in, but God is saying, when I have adopted you into the family of God, your old nature has lost its grip. The old nature has no power over each of us. It's not that we are, we don't remember, we may remember, but it has no power over us. So we need to believe this. The minute we believe on our nature being in this new identity, the old nature has no power. Even if the enemy reminds us, you can tell him, it has no power. It has lost its grip from me. I've been delivered and completely delivered. I'm into this new family with a new identity. So the believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are not just adopted into the family of God, but we have been born into the family of God. We're just not adopted. We have been born. We have the inheritance. We have become the heirs of God. So in the Greek world, in the Greek word, a sun place means it is an actual position of a sun. That's why when we receive Jesus as a Lord and Savior, we are in Christ. So when Jesus has been seated at the right hand of the Father, now Jesus has been given the highest position. The right hand of Father, he's been sitting at the right hand of the Father is the highest position given to his beloved son. And you and I, when we receive Jesus as a Lord and Savior, we have the same position of being seated at the right hand of Father in Christ Jesus. And also the scripture says that there is no partiality. The way Father loved Jesus, the same manner he loves each of us. Same manner. The way Father loves Jesus, the way Father called Jesus at the time of his baptism, there is my beloved son. Imagine, when God chose each of us, he has called us in the same manner. You are my beloved son. You're my beloved daughter. The same manner he's been addressing each of us. There is no partiality with God because God is love. He is God. There is no partiality and he loves us in the same manner. Isn't it that wonderful that we have been loved by the most high God, the God who created the heaven and earth, the God who found, he knew us from, you know, even before the foundation of the, you know, us. And he's saying that I loved you. Father loves us just as he loves Jesus Christ. This is an amazing truth we need to believe in and embrace to. Because he loves us, we are is chosen one. We are is chosen one. Let's turn to Ephesians chapter one. Ephesians chapter one verse three to five. One minute. We will read into the mic, please. 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. Just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the word that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will. Thank you. Thank you very much. So, here we see in this verse, blessed be the God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. To Christ we have been blessed. So, this scripture describes both. Both the blessings. What is that? The kind of blessings and the location of these blessings are the spiritual blessing. And the physical blessing that is the material blessing. It talks about the spiritual blessing and the material blessing. So, these blessings are in the heavenly places. This is what the scripture says. These blessings are in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. So, because they are in the, these blessings are coming from God. So, what are these blessings? They are much higher, much better, much secure than the earthly blessings that we could ever receive. The earthly blessings are perishable blessings, isn't it? But the heavenly blessings are spiritual and eternal that no one can steal it from you. So, shouldn't we strive hard or set our mind on those blessings that cannot be lost? These are the blessings that has been given to us by God. So, we also see that the spiritual blessings means that every blessing that we receive in Christ Jesus. That means that God wants us to be blessed. God wants us to be blessed. That's why he calls us and he makes us a blessing. He makes us a channel of his blessing. Why? Because he is with us. That's why time and again in the scripture, we see that I have blessed you for you to be a blessing. Again, the scripture says I have blessed you for you to be fruitful. The scripture says multiply and be fruitful. Again, in Ephesians 3 20, we see that God blesses us so that we may be exceedingly abundantly that we may be a blessing to others. So, this heavenly blessing is something that we cannot contain it for ourselves or keep it for ourselves. Always, the heavenly blessings will be an overflow. It will flow through you to others where God will raise you. God will raise each of us to be a channel of his blessing. That's what we understand from this verse that the Father testings each of us. He has called us. He has set us apart. He has prepared us and he has made us a channel of his blessing. You see that? It's not with our own effort. It is the Lord who called us. It is either one who have chosen us and here he has raised us to be his own blessing. Why? Because we have been adopted. Because we have been adopted as the sons and daughters of the kingdom of God. Because we are his children, God is a God of blessing. So, he pours out his nature into his children. What did Jesus do? Jesus was a blessing when he was on this earth, isn't it? So, if Jesus, the Son of God is a blessing, now God is adopting each of us to be his legitimate, his own child, his own children, the son and daughter of God. So, what will be our reflection? Definitely the nature of God, isn't it? We will be the channel of his blessing. We are not the same. Even when you look back, we may not be the perfect child. But when you look back from that time, you have received Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. You see the change that has happened in your life. It is not the same. It may be a work in progress now. But when you look back, the progress has not stopped. You are not the same person that you were before. The God who is in you is transforming us, is changing us to be more like Christ-likeness. So, that's what he says. Just as he chose us in him. So, our position of every spiritual blessing is certain as being what is there in God's kingdom. When you read the scripture, just give me a minute, let me read that word. So, verse 4, he says, Just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. So, what is this? Is it the nature of God? So, just because... Now, we have become the child of God. When we are the child of God, when we are the children of God, the nature of God, holiness, will be our nature. That's what this verse says. Holy and blameless in his love. So, we cannot forget the word love here. Because holiness and blameless cannot do without love. So, love must fill our hearts towards God and each other. Because God is love. The outcome of love, the fruit of love will be the holiness and being led without any blame. So now, as we have become the chosen one, we need to make a decision that we are in Christ and this new identity is permanent in us. And we are the child of God, we are the daughter of God, we are the son of God. We need to believe in this. When we believe, we see the new identity that is working in us. All things are possible to the one who believes. So, we need to believe. Believe is very important. That is nothing but renewing our mind to the new identity that we have in Christ. With that, let's turn to James chapter 2 verse 5. James chapter 2 verse 5. Listen, my beloved brethren. Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs to the kingdom which he promised to those who love him? So, James says in chapter 2 verse 5. Listen, my beloved brethren. Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to those who love him? So, what do we understand from the scripture? It clearly says though it may be easy for a man to be partial to the rich people. But God is a God who is not partial. God does not look at outward appearance of a man. How rich he is, how well he is dressed up. Does he look at the outward appearance? How did God look at people? He looks at the heart. So, we also see that even in the Old Testament, in 1 Samuel 16, the Lord told Samuel, don't look at the outward appearance or the height and the build of Jesse's son when he was trying to anoint a king. Samuel was thinking, okay, maybe he, maybe he, maybe this is the one. Even David's father never expected David could be the king. Because he was one small boy, not that very well built, not very well educated in the military system which was happening those days. And he's always interested with the sheep and he's always in the desert taking care of the sheep. And the father never thought. So, Samuel came to anoint the king. He thought, he came to Jesse's house because he was instructed by the Lord to go to Jesse's house and anoint one of the son as. King, God never told Samuel anoint David. He just said, go, anoint one of the son of Jesse. So, Samuel came with the word that he received. And here Jesse does not have only one son, he has many sons. So, he passed one after the other. What happened? God said, not he. So, what happened? The man looked at the outward appearance. But here God is looking at the heart. Why did God chose David to be the king? Sorry, because of the heart attitude, because he had developed a relationship close with God. So, this is what God is looking at each of us. The call of God on us does not depend on how well qualified you are. How well built or the appearance that you are. What is your background? The riches of this world, the fame of this world that you carry. God does not look at that. He looks at your heart. He looks at the attitude of your heart. And he sees the relationship that one could have with God the Father. And God looks at that and calls people into him. The earnest heart that could love God with all his mind, all his heart, with all his strength. God looks at the heart. This is what we see that the rich man, you know, even in the Gospel of Matthew, you see that the rich man may, it says, you know, it may be difficult for him to enter into the God's kingdom. Whereas the poor, it's very easy. Why do you think it is very easy for the poor man to enter into God's kingdom or to believe on God? Because the rich man, sorry, the poor man has nothing with him to put his trust on. He has no possession. He has no money. He has no people around him. He has nothing to put his trust on. So with his helplessness, he puts his complete 100% trust on God. So this is what God is looking at. The heart that seeks God earnestly. The heart that trusts God earnestly. The very talented man for skilled man is assigned with any task. Now because he is highly talented and skilled, he may not be dependable upon God. You know, the dependency may reduce because he knows what he's doing. You don't see supernatural things happen there because its natural strength is involved. Natural ability is involved. But if you see the weak is called to do something greater and stronger about his ability and strength, you see now this man had to trust and seek God for his ability, for his skill, for his talent. Because the task that is head of him cannot be attained by himself. That's why the scripture says God calls the weak so that God can reveal his glory, his strength in and through the person. So that the credit, the glory, the outcome of that work will be praised God. Even when people look at him, they know the ability of that person. If this person is able to do the task which is assigned by God, definitely this is God's hand upon his life. So the person, the people who look at him will glorify God the Father because it can only be possible by God. So if God is called each of us and he is assigned a greater and bigger task, that's because that is how God assigns the task to us. He does not give a simple task that we can do with our own ability. When God gives us a purpose, a goal, a vision, it is above and beyond our strength and our ability. And when we reach there, when we accomplish it, we give complete glory to God because it is key who has done it. That's why God says, you know, he's asking us and he says that it is easy for the man who's poor. When we say poor, it's not only about the wealth and the nature but he's saying poor in every area like our skill, talent, even faith so that we can depend on God for more of his faith. That's what the scripture says, the faith was credited to Abraham. The righteousness was credited into Abraham when we believe all these things happen even spiritually. Yes, Sean? I wanted to say that there is this worshiper called Don Murn. He has this song called Give Thanks. So in that he says that in one of the verses he says, let the weak say I am strong and let the poor say I am rich. So that's what the man in me and you talked about, you know, the weak becoming strong, God making the weak strong and the poor rich. Yes, yes. Thank you, Sean, for reminding that scripture. That's a song from a worshiper. Can we turn to Joel chapter 3? Sorry, we will look into a different scripture. Second Corinthians chapter 12 verse 10. Can we read? Yeah, it's a scripture that says, when I am weak, then I am strong. Whenever you are weak, we depend on the strength of God so that we can be made strong in Christ. And also just like how, you know, it was narrated in the song of Don Murn. Let the weak say I am strong, let the poor say that I am rich because of what the Lord has done. It is the scripture that he sang. We are rich in his inheritance. We are the child of God. So we are rich in his inheritance. So with that, we will move on to second Corinthians chapter 5 verse 18 to 20 where we are called to be the ambassadors of Christ. So 18 says, now all things are of God who has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. That is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not putting their trespasses to them and has committed to us the world of reconciliation. Verse 20 says, now then, we are ambassadors for Christ as though God were pleading through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf be reconciled to God. So we are just not only the, you know, adopted as the son and daughter of God but then we have been represented as the ambassadors of this kingdom. And in second Corinthians chapter 4 verse 16 to 18 can I request somebody to read? Read into the mic so that it's heard. Therefore we do not lose heart even though our outward man is perishing yet the inward man is being renewed day by day for our light affliction which is but for a moment is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory while we do not look at the things which are seen but all the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporary but the things which are not seen are eternal. Thank you. Thank you very much. So what we understand from the scripture, Paul at the very beginning of this chapter 4, he says that since we have been given with this ministry we have received mercy. We have received mercy so we should not lose our heart and then in the chapter he describes all the death like sufferings he had to endure in the ministry. So here if Paul is questioning how can you not lose heart? He says even though outward man is perishing yeah verse 16 it says even though the outward man is perishing yet the inward man has been renewed day by day. So this was another reason why Paul did not lose his heart on the sufferings that he had to endure because the outward man has nothing to do with the inward man. He was very strong spiritually. He was so connected with God. He received that strength from God. That's why no matter how the outward man that is the flesh the body was weak but inwardly he was strong. That's what we read in the book of Acts chapter 14. We see that when he was stoned to death and he was considered to be death and was dragged out of the city gate and left there the disciples surrounded around him and we know what will the disciples do though the scripture does not say what the disciples did but you and I know what the disciples would do Paul is stoned to death and he's been thrown outside the city wall. He's been dragged outside the city wall and he's thrown there. The disciples surrounded around him and next day morning he woke up and went to another place Derby with Barnabas. This is what the scripture says in Acts chapter 14 verse 20, 21 I guess. So what happened there? You and I know what will the disciples do? They would have prayed. When they pray the weakest moment now Paul is not a supernatural man. He's illness. Flesh is just a natural man like you and I. When he's stoned to death definitely there are bruises on his body, isn't it? Definitely there would be pain that he would have endured but what we need to see is the inward man was much stronger than the outward man because the inward man was strong he didn't want to waste any moment from sharing the gospel or carrying the word to another place nothing stopped Paul from sharing the gospel. He just got up next day morning the scripture says and he walked to another place. Can you and I do it? Can you and I do it? Now Paul who underwent all this he calls it light affliction. The trails that he faced was very light. He says we might wonder the trails that we go through in our life. It's huge. Sometimes we say God how can you allow this to happen? I am your child, I am your daughter but then what Paul went through? What are the trials that he went through? Can anyone say what are the trials that he went through? Shipwreck he was beaten, stoned he was in the prison bitten by a snake as well yes Malta in the island of Malta the minute they landed he was bitten by a viper then what are the other sufferings that he went through? Poverty Next he was beaten by the Romans the perils of water he was accused he often went without food fasted, prayed, cold, nakedness, sleeplessness now the man who went through all suffering and he calls it I was lightly afflicted I was lightly afflicted now can you see the trauma that you would have gone through physically? you would have suffered much more than anyone but he did not boast on that but yes he says that I bear the marks of Christ in my body and he calls it lightly afflicted so when Paul writes about this light affliction we can know that what God means through it if Paul could say affliction was light how about us can we compare anyway the trials that we go through in our life can we compare anything toward Paul because Paul compared his trials to what Jesus went through and he said what I go through is very light when I compared my trials with Jesus so what I am going through is very light so now when we go through can we compare our trials with Jesus or with Paul anyway and say what I am going through is the biggest suffering in my whole life what we go through is very little that's what the scripture says God does not allow even a temptation to tempt us beyond our ability to handle it so God is a God who understands each of us he does not treat the same way as he treats each of us he treats us special the way that you could understand he speaks to you he loves you he shows his affection towards you the way that we could understand we are so special when God says that you are special he means it he means it you are the special one you are the beautiful one he means it so let's turn to 1 John chapter 3 verse 1 to 3 1 John chapter 3 verse 1 to 3 our identity in Christ is this verse which says behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called the children of God therefore the world does not know us because it did not know him beloved, now we are children of God and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be but we know that when he is revealed we shall be like him like whom does the scripture say? like Jesus for we shall see him as he is verse 3 everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure this is what the scripture says everyone who has placed their hope or who has their hope on Jesus will purify themselves why? because we will be more like him so when the scripture started in verse 1 it says behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us the love, it talks about the Father's love when we have been born in Christ God pours out his love upon each one of us it's not only when we are born it's much before that itself if you see in John 3 verse 16 what does it say? God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son because God loved us he gave his only Son to save each of us to redeem us as his own children so this is the love that God has over us that he is ready to do anything for each of us to be redeemed into his sonship so that we can be called the children of God the greatness of love is shown in this verse that we are the child of God that he loves us we are in his mind the scripture says that we were fearfully and wonderfully made the scripture says so it is so we need to believe that every word that the scripture says about each of us when God says you are the apple of my eye because we are his children he will not allow any harm to come near us the way if an earthly father could take care of his children and provide the need of a child how much more our heavenly father who has redeemed us who has called us who has loved us and accepted us and he calls us that you are the apple of his eye how much more he will take care of us all that we need to do and learn from these classes that we need to believe in what the scripture says the scripture says that you are the child of God you have this identity that you are in Christ you have been seated at the right hand of God and you have been given the highest position in Christ Jesus we need to believe in it only when we believe we can walk in that authority only when we believe we can flow in that relationship of being the child of God when we pray to our father so that our prayer will no more be like dear God I am just saying there is nothing wrong in saying dear God our Lord but then it will be more personal you will start addressing God as Father Father I come into your presence just as how Jesus addressed Father if it is possible move this cup from me he thought the disciples with the prayer our Father you see the relationship that is the relationship which will be changed in us when we pray oh God yes Sean you want to share something I want to share that even though Paul went through all the sufferings he even worked for himself and not take anything from the church he had all the rights to take money from the church to provide all his needs but he wanted to be an example for us to show that not only he is supposed to preach but also you have to earn first to care for his family you can see that in 2 Thessalonians 3rd chapter was 6 to 11 he says about how important it is to not only spread the word but also to work and how important it is to do your work here in this world yeah thanks thanks Sean yes Paul Sean was saying that Paul just didn't set an example with the trials that he endured but he also set an example as the children of God how we can earn himself yes he was in the ministry he had planted several churches now he has the right to actually take the offering from them to sustain himself in the ministry but then he did not do that he set an example by tent making he had a business of tent making business and he toiled for his own living he also writes in some of his episodes where he says that you know I work hard I earn for my living and I don't compromise on the gospel okay I share the word so this will be a different topic and whole aspect okay when you read on Apostle Paul and you know on the book of Acts we will cover this we will also cover this in the financial stewardship we will be covering more on the tent making process for the child of God so this being the identity we will come back to the identity like we have been in Christ we have been identified as child of God this is our identity that we need to embrace anyone else would like to share about your identity in Christ that helped you personally to overcome any challenges anyone online offline you all can unmute and share and people on campus can use the mic to share about the session your identity in Christ how it has helped you to identify yourself in the relationship with God in Christ anyone Nina you want to share something the mic is there can you pass on the mic please identity in Christ has really given confidence to go to the Father really loved by him and that relationship has gone to a different realm because of who we are in Christ's truth from the word so many accept like through Jesus I can run to him he has accepted me he loves me so much that truth has really set me free amen amen thank you anyone else would like to share anyone from our online class would like to share you all can unmute anyone thanks Nina for that was Joel 310 thanks yes for me in identity in Christ about I'm being a child of God and knowing that he has given us the authority that we can use so in learning about the authority that he has bestowed on us I have learned to like exercise that authority for my life over other people's lives thank you Prince would like to share knowing the identity how actually what the identity God has given us it's really helpful for me it really helped me and it's really helping me even now to just to go to him not based on my actions but just keeping faith in Jesus and believing like I'm already forgiven I don't have to relate from my past to God but relate to him for what he had done and especially this thing like more than I chose God he already chose me before that that's really amazing and one thing knowing about identity is like it's also helped me to how to relate to others and how to treat them others it's like giving me like if he chosen me he has also chosen others they are also identified in Christ Amen thank you thank you Prince for sharing that anyone else would like to share fast on to Sean you would like to share okay or women Anand Vijay very quiet actually before I used to think like I am a sinner after coming to this class I know the identity of me real identity of me I'm not a sinner anymore I used to think like I'm a sinner I'm a sinner and every everything strikes me when I go to the presence of God when I went to the presence of God everything strikes me if I am forgiven also the things strikes me every time but after knowing the identity of the real identity of me it's so helpful for me in drawing Amen thank you thank you so much Anand for sharing that inspires and inspires us yes fast on the mic please Sean actually my identity in Christ has started from a very young age because because of my mom and dad you know they have been teaching me about the Bible from a very young age so I'm very proud to say that I have good parents like that so it's always been a journey I've you know it's through school or through any time any walk any time in my life any step I take so it's my identity Christ what has been a good journey with him that's what I'd like to say thank you Sean thank you okay as time's up we'll end the session with the word of prayer can I request Karen or Surya to pray and close the session with the word of prayer Surya you can unmute and pray please Grace this family father for being still in opposition and thank you for leading your word in a great manner through our man and thank you for giving strength to listen and to to our faith in your word and to know more about you and to preach your word to so many people in this world and in this class you're giving so much of knowledge and everything through your lectures and thank you for being with us for everything thank you for saving us and thank you for being with us this time thank you Lord in this name we pray good men thank you Surya for praying so thank you so much for joining into the session God bless see you all next week have a great weekend bye