Who I am in Christ: Beloved (sermon notes)

One of the central assumptions of the self-definition approach to life is that you are not created by an intelligent Creator.

Love transforms.

For those who are our neighbors, those are who seeking an authentic spirituality, those who are curious about Jesus: You have been told your whole life that you get to define yourself. You are free to do what you want and identify yourself however you want.

It sounds great and freeing, but I would respectfully disagree. Would a Caribbean or Alaskan cruise be great if the captain of the boat was insane?

Is it really a good thing to define ourselves when we can be so insecure, so full of fear, so changing like the moon?

I want to invite you this morning to consider Jesus’ way of living as it relates to how you define yourself. In other words, I invite you to consider how Jesus answers the question: Who am I?

You are BELOVED

V 30 God is ________________ of us.

V 31 God is _______ us

V 32 God spared no __________ because we are beloved

V 33-34 God __________ us

V 35-39 God has loved us with an __________________ love in Christ.

Illustration: Marriage

A man and a woman being united together in a covenant where each one receives/accepts the other as they are and upon no condition except death will they reject or leave the other.

The marriage bond is meant to reflect the fact that we are beloved by God in Christ:

Ephesians 5:25-32

We are united with Christ See 1 Corinthians 6:17

The Bride of Christ See Revelation 19:6-8

Beloved and fear

Where does fear fit in with the kind of love with which we have been loved with?

See 1 John 4:18

Application