I thank my God always concerning the grace of God which was given to me by Christ Jesus, that I am enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in me, so that I come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm me to the end, that I may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom I am called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. [1Corinthians 1:4-9]
I am a son of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for I was baptized into Christ, and I have clothed myself with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for all are one in Christ Jesus. Since I belong to Christ, I can claim to be of Abraham’s seed, and heir according to the promise. Paul wrote to explain this to me, when he wrote [inspired by the Holy Spirit]: But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore, you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. [Galatians 3:26-29; Galatians 4:4-7; Galatians 5:5]
So, I must daily die out to my selfishness, be a living sacrifice for Christ, allowing the Holy Spirit to work within me and instruct me so that I can grow in righteousness and wisdom. I must do all that I can to renew my mind and allow the Holy Spirit to teach me knowledge, understanding, and discernment so that I can be a living temple of Christ and a shining star reflecting the light of Christ to the world. I am in no way perfect or even humble enough to do this, but because I belong to Christ and He, through the Holy Spirit, is working on me, I can accomplish this.
So, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to me the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of my understanding being enlightened; that I may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward me because I believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. And He made me alive, who was dead in trespasses and sins, in which I once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved me, even when I was dead in trespasses, made me alive together with Christ (by grace I have been saved), and raised me, and made to sit in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness towards me in Christ Jesus. For by grace, I have been saved through faith, and that not of myself; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest I should boast. For I am His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that I should walk in them. Amen, [Ephesians 1:17-23; 2:1-10]