"All who welcome Jesus Christ as Lord of their lives are reborn spiritually, receiving new life from God. Through faith in Christ, this new birth changes us from the inside out - rearranging our attitudes, desires, and motives. Being born makes you physically alive and places you in your parents' family (1:13). Being reborn makes you spiritually alive and puts you in God's family (1:12). Have you asked Christ to make you a new person? This fresh start in life is available to all who believe in Christ." - Life Application Bible, p. 1795.

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons [daughters] of God, even to them that believe on his name." John 1:12.

"Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." Ephesians 1:5.

" 'Predestinated' means marked out beforehand. This is another way of saying salvation is God's work and not our own doing. God has adopted us as his own children. Through Jesus' sacrifice, he has brought us into his family and made us heirs along with Jesus (Romans 8:17). In Roman law, adopted children had the same rights and privileges as natural children. Paul uses this term to show how strong our relationship to God is. For more on the meaning of adoption, see Galatians 4:5-7." - Life Application Bible, p. 2068.

"Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God." Ephesians 2:19.

A Saint

"...Called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours. Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 1:2, 3.

"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus." Ephesians 1:1.

" 'The faithful in Christ Jesus' - what an excellent reputation! Such a label would be an honor for any believer. What would it take for others to characterize you as faithful to Christ Jesus? Hold fast to your faith one day at a time; faithfully obey God even in the details of life; and like the Ephesians you will be known as faithful to the Lord." - Life Application Bible, p. 2068.

"...And of the love which ye have to all the saints." Colossians 1:4.

An Heir

"Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." Galatians 4:7.

A Friend

"...I have called you friends: for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you." John 15:15.

"Because Jesus Christ is Lord and Master, he should call us slaves, but instead he calls us friends. How comforting and reassuring to be chosen as his friends." - Life Application Bible, p. 2060.

"...Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God." James 2:23.

A New Person

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17.

"Christians are brand new people on the inside. The Holy Spirit gives them new life, and they are not the same anymore. We are not reformed, rehabilitated, or reeducated - we are new creations, living in vital union with Christ (Colossians 2:6, 7). We are not merely turning over a new leaf; we are beginning a new life under a new Master." - Life Application Bible, p. 2036.

A Temple Of God

"What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" 1 Corinthians 6:19.

"What did Paul mean when he said that our bodies belong to God? Many people say they have the right to do whatever they want with their own bodies. Although they think this is freedom, they are really enslaved to their own desires. When we become Christians, the Holy Spirit fills and lives in us. Therefore, we no longer own our bodies. We have been 'bought with a price' refers to slaves purchased at auction. Christ's death freed us from sin, but also obligates us to his service. If you live in a building owned by someone else, you don't violate the building rules. Because your body belongs to God, you must not violate his standards for living." - Life Application Bible, p. 2005.

"...The kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:21.

A Conqueror

"...In all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." Romans 8:37.

Loved

"For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God." John 16:27.

Forgiven

"In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." Ephesians 1:7.

"To speak of Jesus' blood was an important first-century way of speaking of Christ's death. His death points to two wonderful truths - redemption and forgiveness. Redemption was the price paid to gain freedom for a slave (Lev 25:47-54). Through his death, Jesus paid the price to release us from slavery to sin. Forgiveness was granted in Old Testament times on the basis of the shedding of animals' blood (Lev 17:11). Now we are forgiven on the basis of the shedding of Jesus' blood, because he died and was the perfect and final sacrifice. (See also Rom 5:9; Ep[h 2:13; Col 1:20; Heb 9:22; 1 Peter 1:19.)" - Life Application Bible, p. 2068.

Redeemed

"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree." Galatians 3:13.

"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold,...but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." 1 Peter 1:18, 19.

"A slave was 'redeemed' when someone paid money to buy him or her freedom. God redeemed us from the tyranny of sin, not with money, but with the precious blood of his own Son.... We could not escape from sin on our own; only the life of God's Son could free us." - Life Application Bible, p. 2197.

Saved

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." Ephesians 2:8.

"When someone gives you a gift, do you say, 'That's very nice.' No, the appropriate response to a gift is 'Thank you.' Yet how often Christians, even after they have been given the gift of salvation, feel obligated to try to work their way to God. Because our salvation and even our faith are gifts, we should respond with gratitude, praise, and joy." - Life Application Bible, p. 2070.

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour." Titus 3:5, 6.

Justified

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1.

"We now have peace with God, which may differ from peaceful feelings such as calmness and tranquility. Peace with God means that we have been reconciled [justified] with him. There is no more hostility between us, no sin blocking our relationship with him. Peace with God is possible only because Jesus paid the price for our sins with his death on the cross." - Life Application Bible, p. 1970.

"That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." Titus 3:7.

"Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." Romans 3:24.

Reconciled

"And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation." 2 Corinthians 5:18.

"God brings us back to himself (reconciles us) by blotting out our sins (see also Ephesians 2:13-18) and making us righteous. We are no longer strangers, foreigners, or enemies to God when we trust in Christ. Because we have been reconciled to God; he now gives us the privilege to encourage others to do the same." - Life Application Bible, p. 2071-2072.

"Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." 2 Corinthians 5:20.

"An ambassador is an official representative from one country to another. As believers, we are Christ's ambassadors, sent with his message of reconciliation to the world. An ambassador of reconciliation has an important responsibility. We dare not take this responsibility lightly. How well are you fulfilling your commission as Christ's ambassador?" - Life Application Bible, p. 2036.

Sanctified

"...To them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus..." 1 Corinthians 1:2.

"... To them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called." Jude 1:1.

" ... We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Hebrews 10:10.

Chosen

"But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth." 2 Thessalonians 2:13.

"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love." Ephesians 1:4.

"Paul said, God 'hath chosen us,' to emphasize that salvation depends totally on God. We are not saved because we deserve it, but because God is gracious and freely gives it. We did not influence God's decision to save us; he did it according to his plan. Thus there is no way to take credit for our salvation, or to find room for pride. The mystery of salvation originated in the timeless mind of God long before we existed. It is hard to understand how God could accept us, but because of Christ we are holy and blameless in his eyes. God chose us, and when we belong to him through Jesus Christ, he looks at us as if we had never sinned." - Life Application Bible, p. 2068.

Blessed

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." Ephesians 1:3.

"What is heaven? Heaven is where God is. 'All spiritual blessings in heavenly places' means all the good things God gives us - salvation, the gifts of the Spirit, power to do God's will, the hope of living forever with Christ. Because we have an intimate relationship with Christ, we can enjoy these blessings now." - Life Application Bible, p. 2068.

Righteous/Holy

"And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." Ephesians 4:24.

"People should be able to see a difference between Christians and non-Christians because of the way Christians live. Paul tells the Ephesians to leave behind the old life of sin now that they are followers of Christ. The Christian life is a process. Although we have a new nature, we don't automatically have all good thoughts and attitudes when we become new people in Christ. But if we keep listening to God, we will be changing all the time. As you look over the last year, do you see a process of change for the better in your thoughts, attitudes, and actions? Although change may be slow, it comes about if you trust God to change you." - Life Application Bible, p. 2076.

Guided

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." Romans 8:14.

"...He leadeth me beside the still waters." Psalm 23:2.

"When we allow God our shepherd to guide us, we have contentment. When we choose to sin, however, we go our own way and cannot blame God for the environment we create for ourselves. Our shepherd knows the 'green pastures' and 'still waters' that will restore us. We will reach these places only by following him obediently. Rebelling against the shepherd's leading is actually rebelling against our own best interests. We must remember this the next time we are tempted to go our own way rather than the shepherd's way." - Life Application Bible, p. 970.

Protected

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." Psalm 23:4.

"Death casts a frightening shadow over us because we are entirely helpless in its presence. We can struggle with other enemies - pain, suffering, disease, injury - but strength and courage cannot overcome death. It has the final word. Only one person can walk with us through death's dark valley and bring us safely to the other side - the God of life, our shepherd. Because life is uncertain, we should follow this shepherd who offers us eternal confidence." - Life Application Bible, p. 971.

"The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them."Psalm 34:7.

Rescued

"Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son." Colossians 1:13.

"The Colossians feared the unseen forces of darkness, but Paul says that true believers have been transferred from darkness to light, from slavery to freedom, from guilt to forgiveness, and from the power of Satan to the power of God. We have been rescued from a rebel kingdom to serve the rightful King. Our conduct should reflect our new allegiance." - Life Application Bible, p. 2097.

Successful

"I can do all things [that God's recreative purposeful plan entails] through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13.

Set Free

"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:2.

"This Spirit of life is the Holy Spirit. He was present at the creation of the world (Gen 1:2), and he is the power behind the rebirth of every Christian. He gives us the power we need to live the Christian life." - Life Application Bible, p. 1976.

Complete

"And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power." Colossians 2:10.

"When we know Jesus Christ, we don't need to seek God by means of other religions, cults, or unbiblical philosophies as the Colossians were doing. Christ alone holds the answers to the true meaning of life, because Christ is life. He is the unique source of knowledge and power for the Christian life. No Christian needs anything else than what he has provided to be saved. We are complete in him." - Life Application Bible, p. 2101.

Receiving This New Identity In Christ

"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." John 15:16.

"For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."1 Corinthians 6:20.

• We are declared "not guilty" of sin - Rom 3:24
• We are free from the vicious circle of sin and death - Rom 8:2
• We are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ - 1 Cor 1:2
• We are pure and holy - 1 Cor 1:30
• We are free from trying to be saved by being good enough - 2 Cor 3:17
• We are brand new people inside - 2 Cor 5:17
• We are full of God's goodness - 2 Cor 5:21
• We are one in Christ with all other believers - Gal 3:28
• We are blessed with every spiritual blessing in heaven - Eph 1:3
• We are holy, faultless, and covered with God's love - Eph 1:4
• We are marked as belonging to God by the Holy Spirit - Eph 1:13
• We are part of Christ's body, the church - Eph 5:29, 30
• We are set free from our evil desires - Col 2:11