In Him: Transformed Identity & Purpose • 07.05.26
Nick Lees   -   July 5, 2026

In Him: Transformed Identity + Purpose

Ephesians 2:1-22

 Living in light of God’s transforming grace

  1. Remember who you used to be, before Christ
  2. Recognize who you are now, in Christ
  3. Grow in holiness by cooperating with God’s work in you

Manuscript:

 

Good morning, church family! Introduce self + welcome guests

Ushers + Bibles (Ephesians 2; page 1159)

Today is the start of our Family Worship Sundays for the summer. That means we are joined by our Kindergarten-5th graders for the services rather than having our Kids ministry. Kids, we’re glad you’re with us!

We have been in this pattern for several years now during the summer months in part to give adults more opportunities to model faithful worship to the next generation. We’ve also intentionally planned our sermon series In Him to coincide with Family Worship Sundays so that our households can work through these incredible truths together! What a sweet way to spend our summer, digging into God’s Word to hear of what He has done and how that radically changes our identity and lives.

Last week we began the series in Ephesians 1:1-14. What a wonderful passage of Scripture! Paul was overflowing with praise as he recounted the wonderful works of God in rescuing and redeeming sinners to himself! I don’t know how your week went, but I found myself needing to return to these truths often to reorient my focus.

  • In Christ, God has blessed me with every spiritual blessing
  • In Christ, I have been chosen before the foundation of the world
    • To be holy and blameless before him
  • In love and through Jesus, I have been predestined for adoption as a son
  • In the Beloved, I have been blessed with his glorious grace
  • In him, I have redemption through his blood
    • The forgiveness of my sins
  • All of this is according to the purpose of his will and riches of his grace, which he lavished upon me
  • In Christ, God has made known the mystery of his will to unite all things in him
  • In him, I have obtained an inheritance, and I am sealed with the Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of my eternal inheritance

Life in this broken, hurting world in my own broken, hurting body and mind is incredibly complex and, at times, overwhelming. But when I come back to the truth of God’s Word and remember who God is and what He has done that provides incredible comfort and direction for my life! Rehearsing these truths reminds me of the great grace of God that I have been blessed to receive and it encourages me to keep my eyes on him as I run the race of faith set before me.

What about you? Did you return to these truths over the last week? When things were hard or even if all was smooth-sailing, did you take time to remember and rejoice in who God is and what He has done? (Title Slide)

Whatever your answer might be, today is a new day and there is a new week full of opportunities before us. We have more incredible truths to study and apply from Ephesians 2. I want to encourage you to listen closely and to renew your commitment to carefully hear and obey the word of God as you go through this week. If you are the recipient of the glorious grace of God, then allow it to change your life! And if you are not sure that is true of you, then listen closely to learn how it can be true of you.

Before I read this chapter, I want to catch up on what has happened immediately before it. We stopped at verse 14 of chapter 1 last week, but there is a prayer of Paul that follows it in verses 15-23. In that prayer, Paul gives thanks for the Ephesians’ faith and love for fellow believers, but he also prays that they may further understand the hope that they’ve been called to in Christ and the immeasurable greatness of God’s power towards believers. It is God’s power that raised Christ from the dead and exalted him to the right hand of God, above all other spiritual and human authorities or powers. And it is this same power that is now at work in rescuing and redeeming sinners like us and transforming us into saints. Knowing that Paul has just reminded them of God’s power, let’s read what comes next in this letter.

Ephesians 2:1–22 (ESV)

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

This chapter is broken down into two main sections, v1-10 and v11-22. In each you likely noticed that there is a similar structure. Paul begins each section by reminding them of things that were true of them in the past – “who they WERE” – before Christ. Yet, in each section, there is also a marvelous interjection – “but God” (v4) or “but now in Christ Jesus” (v13) – that marks a glorious change. And from each of these, Paul reminds them of what is true of them NOW – “who they ARE” – in Christ.

If you are weary of the brokenness of sin and the ways of this world…

If you desire to know the love of God and have the hope of eternal life…

If you want to live out your God-given purpose on earth…

Then you need to understand and apply the powerful truths this chapter of God’s Word teaches us. Today we continue to learn of what God has done, while also being equipped with wonderful truths about our own identity in Christ, including instruction on how we are to live!

Our focus for today’s sermon is…

Living in light of God’s transforming grace

It’s important for us to begin by considering what Paul lays out here at the beginning of each section, as it is true for all of us before faith in Christ. Follow along as I walk back through verses 1-3 and 11-12.

2:1-3

  • You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked
    • Following the course of this world (those hostile to God)
    • Following the prince of the power of the air (Satan)
      • The spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience

Paul is speaking of who they were and how they lived before Christ. The ways they once walked. This terminology of “walking” is repeated throughout the letter and often in the Scriptures. The Bible speaks of our lives as walking on one of two paths, the way of faith that leads to life, or the way of unbelief/disobedience that leads to death.

Let me put it to you this way… It’s very important to understand how God sees the world and humanity. In verse 3 it is laid out in very plain terms, “among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” I’ve said this before in prior sermons, but the Bible reveals there are fundamentally two categories of people in the world.

  • Category 1: Those who are enemies of God, still living in sin and unbelief.
  • Category 2: Those who are children of God, who have been saved by grace through faith and are now seeking to walk in obedience to God.

Paul is very clear that all of us begin life in Category 1. We “all” have lived selfishly, doing what was right in our own eyes rather than living a life of faith and perfect obedience to God. As we have heard repeatedly in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus did not come to save those who are already righteous (or at least think they are), but those who recognize their need for a Savior. He even confronted the lawyer in Luke 10 to help him understand that no one could ever perfectly “love God with all you have and love your neighbor as yourself” 100% of the time. That’s why Jesus had to come!

The Bible is wonderfully consistent in warning us about our sin problem! And, as Paul warns in verse 2, there are those who are still walking in the way of sin, who are under the influence of Satan. If your faith is not in Christ and you are not living for him, then you are categorized as the “sons of disobedience” because your way of life is in opposition to your Creator. This is a sobering warning! Which category are you in? *pause*

After rehearsing some beautiful truths about the wonderful redemptive work of God in verses 4-10, which we’ll come back to in a bit, Paul then gives a call to remember who they used to be in verses 11-12.

2:11-12

  • As unbelieving Gentiles (non-Jews), they were alienated from the commonwealth of Israel.
    • They were not a part of the believing people God had set apart for himself.
  • They were strangers to the covenants of promise.
    • This language is speaking of them as outsiders.
  • They had no hope and were without God in the world.

This was their situation before Christ, and it was dire indeed!

Why would Paul spend time in his letter to this church reminding them of who they used to be and calling them to remember the same?! Because there is tremendous value in contrasting who you used to be with the beautiful truths of what God has done in transforming you into who you are now, in Christ! When we take time to do this, we get to reflect on the beauty of the Gospel – that our sovereign God has brought spiritually dead men/women to life through Christ. And this was all an act of his grace and mercy! So, in line with Paul’s teachings to the Ephesians…

  1. Remember who you used to be, before Christ

Before Christ, I was a young man living for myself. I so badly wanted the approval of my peers. If I could just make everyone laugh, then things would be ok. If everyone was having a good time, then I was comfortable in my chosen identity. But oh, how enslaving that way of life would become. Those who live for the approval of others die by the approval of others. Everyone else makes a very poor god. Their whims are ever changing. You will run yourself ragged trying to keep everyone else happy. Many of you can relate to what I’m talking about.

Before Christ, I was a young man addicted to the pursuit of pleasure. Most often that took the form of video games, seeking to escape into false realities and easy dopamine hits, although I had no idea what dopamine was at that time. Of course, when we’re walking in the ways of the world and living by the desires of our selfish nature, nothing ever satisfies. You know this to be true… It didn’t matter how many hours of video games I played, I always wanted more. It didn’t matter how many new electronics I purchased, the desire for something new would always return. None of these things could satisfy my soul! And, sadly, the pursuit of selfish desires never stays nicely contained to one area of life, it soon spilled into many others. Life is chaotic when you’re living in sin. Again, many of you can likely relate to this.

Who were you before Christ? How did you walk and live? And what fruit did it bear in your life?  

The Christians in the room know – the longer you walk in darkness and sin, the more enslaving it becomes and the fruit of your life becomes even more rotten. And the more hopeless things seem. This is the way of the world. This is what it delivers, even while it promises to fulfill your wildest dreams and to provide you with a meaningful life. Every single one of us must come to a point where we realize this is a LIE. This is not how we were made to live, nor where we were to ever find our identity!

In the words of the Apostle Paul from Romans 7 – who will deliver me from this body of death?! Do you remember his answer?

Romans 7:25a (ESV)

“Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Remembering who you used to be, before Christ, provides the opportunity to rejoice that this is not who you are any longer, if your faith is in Christ! And this is exactly where Paul directs the Ephesian’s attention in the following verses of each section.

Ephesians 2:4–9 (ESV)

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Ephesians 2:13–19 (ESV)

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

If you’re going to be…

Living in light of God’s transforming grace

Then not only must you…

  1. Remember who you used to be, before Christ

But you must also…

  1. Recognize who you are now, in Christ

These two sections of Scripture contain beautiful truths about God’s power to take those who were dead in sin and make them alive in Christ. Let’s lay out the truths presented in these passages in an easier to read format, that I hope will be impactful for you:

2:4-9

  • In Christ, I am made alive, no longer dead in sin
  • In Christ, I am saved by grace through faith
    • Because of Christ I am forgiven
    • Because of Christ I am redeemed
    • Because of Christ I am made clean
  • In Christ, I share in his resurrection and exaltation over spiritual opposition
  • In Christ, the immeasurable riches of God’s grace are on display through me

2:13-19

  • In Christ, I have been brought near to God
  • In Christ, I have peace with God
  • In Christ, I have peace with fellow believers (Jews and Gentiles)
  • In Christ, I am brought into the one people of God, the church
  • In Christ, I have access to the Father through the Spirit
  • In Christ, I am a fellow citizen with the saints (one of the holy ones)
  • In Christ, I am a member of God’s household (adopted as a son/daughter)

These truths were jaw-droppingly amazing when they were first written to the Ephesians, and they continue to be for Christians in our day and age too.

Who could ever conceive of such a transformation? Being brought from dead in sin to life in Christ? From an enemy of God, alienated from his people, to having peace with him and adoption into his family?! To be promised the hope of eternal life and exaltation with Christ?!

For these Ephesians who previously were devoted to dark arts and manipulating the spiritual realm through magic, these truths are life-changing! Not to mention that the Gentiles were treated quite poorly in those days by the Jews. It was well known that they were not allowed in the temple, outside of one specific court reserved for them, and that as far away as possible. They would have been quite used to being excluded or called unclean by their Jewish neighbors. But now, in Christ, Paul is telling them that this has all changed! They are forgiven, redeemed, welcomed into God’s family, and, as we heard earlier in verse 21-22, they are included in this new temple of God, which is the church!

How do you respond to these incredible truths? Do you have a practice of regularly evaluating who you are, in Christ? Do you ever filter the identity statements you believe about yourself through the truths presented here? (Main Points)

Many of us are likely great at believing lies about ourselves.

  • I am worthless.
  • I am unforgiveable.
  • I am dirty/too far gone.
  • I am without hope.
  • I am unloved/alone/forgotten.

When we believe these lies, then we are led astray and robbed of hope and purpose that are ours in Christ. The enemy wants you to believe these lies so that you are hindered in representing Christ well! You need to realize that it is necessary to go to war such lies by rehearsing the truth from God’s Word about who you are, in Christ! And this may be a daily or many times a day battle! Do not grow weary in rehearsing the truth about who you are, in Christ.

Or perhaps your struggle is not believing outright lies, but instead you allow other competing identities to become your primary identity:

  • I am a loving parent.
  • I am a good kid.
  • I am a smart student.
  • I am a hard worker.
  • I am successful.
  • I am popular.
  • I am good looking.

While these are not necessarily sinful, they cannot be our primary identity nor are they where our joy or fulfillment can ever be found. God may have made you any one of these things, but they are not ultimately WHY he made you. He made you to represent and reflect him – to be his image-bearer and to bring him glory.

Genesis 1:26–27 (ESV)

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

27      So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.

The truth is – We are made in God’s image to reflect God’s glory. And this is only possible by being made spiritually alive through faith in Jesus Christ. If this is true of you, then rejoice!

Knowing these wonderful truths can provide such hope and purpose in the face of the lies and lesser identities the world wants you to believe and live by. When you know who God has created and enabled you to be in Christ, you can reject the lies and put the lesser identities in their proper place. There is great joy in these truths! Freedom is found in knowing you are Christ’s. Freedom is lived out as you seek to please him, not doing whatever is right in your own eyes. This is true freedom, not the counterfeit the world offers.

Do not believe the lies of this present age that you simply need to be “true to you” or the “real you”. These are the lies of Satan repackaged for our modern era. They are seeking to get you to put yourself on the throne and to become a slave to your own selfish desires. This is the way of sin that leads to death. Beware of it. All ages are susceptible to believing these lies. It is far too common to see both young and old struggling with their identity.

  • Beware finding your identity in your friend group
  • Beware finding your identity in your appearance
  • Beware finding your identity in your relationship
  • Beware finding your identity in your sexuality
  • Beware finding your identity in your performance or your success

These are all identity traps that the world will enslave you in!

Which is why knowing the truth and continuing to come back to it repeatedly to live in light of God’s transforming grace is so crucial. Because God does not intend to leave you where you are, but take you to where he wants you to be. And as we heard in verses 10 and 20-22, God has prepared good works in advance for you to do, and he intends to build Christians into a holy temple in the Lord and for the Lord. Let’s read them again:

Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:19–22 (ESV)

19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

These words written so many years ago to the believers in Ephesus are also true for believers today à God has created you in Christ Jesus for good works and is at work through Christ to grow and build you into a holy temple for God! What powerful identity and purpose statements! Again, the only way to walk in them is through faith in him.

Living in light of God’s transforming grace requires you to…

  1. Grow in holiness by cooperating with God’s work in you

Our growth and maturing in the faith are a growth in holiness, becoming more like our holy God and like His holy Son, Jesus Christ. Kids, if you were in Adventure Club this past year, you learned about this process, called sanctification! And, if you hadn’t noticed, the entire Godhead is committed to this process– Father, Son, and Spirit are all mentioned in these verses. The plan of God from eternity past was your redemption and holiness! How incredible is that?!

And based on how it is spoken in verse 10, you play a part in this growth process. God has prepared good works for you to do in this lifetime. You are here for a reason! There are things that God has specifically designed for you to accomplish. That is mind-blowing when you think about it. Who am I that the Creator of all things would have a plan for me?!

We see a similar teaching in Paul’s letter to the Philippians.

Philippians 2:12–13 (ESV)

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

The tension of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility is held out in these teachings. God is the one who rescues and redeems, he is the one who has created the good works, and he is the one who will empower us to accomplish them, yet we are called to do our part in carrying them out! Obedience matters. We are to cooperate with God’s work in us.

And this is both an individual and corporate calling. In Ephesians 2:21-22, Paul is speaking to them as a group of believers. God is not only saving and sanctifying them individually, but together as the church they are being built up into a holy temple in whom God will dwell. This is a big deal. Our faith is not a lone-ranger Christianity. Yes, each Christian has God the Holy Spirit dwelling within them, sealing them for the day of redemption and empowering them to follow the Lord. However, God has also adopted us into his family, called us to be part of his bride, brought us into one body, the church! He made the two people, Jews and Gentiles, into one new man. And now, he is at work in and through the church to bring himself much glory.

So don’t do this Christian walk alone. You were never intended to… Let’s consider how our new identity changes how we live, both individually and corporately:

  • Because I am in Christ, I can be a godly kid who honors and respects my parents.
  • Because I am in Christ, I can sacrificially serve my spouse.
  • Because I am in Christ, I can disciple my children to know Jesus.
  • Because I am in Christ, I can encourage those who are struggling with God’s Word.
  • Because I am in Christ, I can share my testimony to spur others on in their faith.
  • Because I am in Christ, I can serve my unbelieving friends/peers by meeting their physical and spiritual needs.
  • Because I am in Christ, I can get the focus off myself and live for God’s glory and others’ good.

I’m sure you can come up with many other “Because I am in Christ, I can ______” statements that would glorify God and do good to others. And you should take time to think through them. These are faithful ways to live out your new identity in Christ!

And how sweet that the guaranteed outcome of living this way is that God will make us into a holy temple in the Lord, a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. This is ultimately his work and he will accomplish it! We are the beneficiaries of the glorious, lavish grace of God and may we never tire of rejoicing in it. I look forward to watching how God continues to work in and through this local church in the years ahead as we faithfully seek to live In Him! It is a fun and exciting journey to be a part of.

Just as I stated last week, for those of you who are wrestling with what you believe and have not yet believed in Christ, I hope that this study has been a challenging study for you. God has done incredible things for his people. Why would you want to continue as an enemy of God when you could be forgiven and redeemed through the precious blood of Christ? I would love to talk with you further after the service about that.

Let’s pray. – Pray