Alive in Him: Breaking Free from Shame and Embracing Our True Identity in Christ
Hello, beautiful sisters in Christ!
Have you ever heard that quiet, nagging voice inside—the one that whispers you're unworthy, that your mistakes define you, that you've gone too far for God to want you close? If shame had a voice, what would it say to you?
For so many of us, it says things like: "You're not good enough," "Hide—don't let anyone see the real you," "God couldn't possibly love someone who messed up like you did." It creates distance, just like Adam and Eve covering themselves and hiding from God after the fall. Shame tries to steal our identity, labeling us by regrets, failures, or what the world says about us. It keeps us stuck, wallowing in negativity that our flesh sometimes oddly clings to.
But praise God—shame is not His voice. His voice declares something entirely different.
In Ephesians 2:1–10, Paul paints a stunning contrast: We were once dead in our trespasses and sins, following the course of this world, gratifying the cravings of our flesh, children of wrath by nature. We lived under the influence of the "prince of the power of the air," breathing in unbelief and exhaling disobedience.
v 1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
v 2 in which you 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,
v 3 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.
v 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
v 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
v 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
v 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
v 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
v 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
v 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Yet but God—being rich in mercy and great in love—made us alive together with Christ.
He didn't just forgive us; He raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms. Right now, spiritually, you are seated in heavenly places in Him. Your life is a living display of God's incredible grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. It's all by grace through faith—a gift from God, not from works, so no one can boast.
We are His workmanship—His masterpiece—created in Christ Jesus for good works that He prepared in advance for us to walk in. No more defining ourselves by past brokenness, emotions, or others' opinions. Perfection isn't the goal (it's subjective anyway!), but His ways are perfect: full of mercy, love, and grace.
What if we truly believed this?
What if we saw ourselves as God sees us—beloved daughters, secure in our position in Christ, with access to the all-knowing Creator who offers everything we need? No more victim mentality. No more letting shame create barriers. Instead, trust in His gift, receive it fully, and step into the good works He has ready.
This truth changes everything. Parenting challenges? Respond with grace instead of raw emotion. Lies feel one frequency; truth another. Others try to box us in? Remember, Jesus in His hometown—offense-limited miracles there. We don't have to stay limited. We're not outsiders anymore; we're delightfully close to God, with supernatural access through the Spirit.
Every problem has a godly solution. "But God..." turns any situation around. Temptation comes? He provides a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13). Our position is secure—Jesus paid for it. We just trust and let Him do the work.
Sisters, this is the abundant life: living fully in Him, where we move and have our being (Acts 17:28). No more hiding. No more shame defining us. Just freedom, grace, kindness, and purpose.
If your heart is stirring—if you're longing to dive deeper into Scripture, shake off lies, embrace your identity in Christ, and connect with women who cheer you on in real, authentic ways—there's a place for you.
You're warmly invited to join our free weekly live women's Zoom online Bible study!
We meet every Friday at 9:45 AM EST (worship starts then, teaching and discussion follow around 10:00 AM). It's a sanctuary of no-makeup-required fellowship, laughter, prayer, and growth—from women across the globe. Come in PJs, from anywhere, as you are.
Sign up here to reserve your free spot and get the Zoom details: Join the Free Bible Study (or visit ihwl.org for more).
Let's keep discovering and living these truths together. In Him, we truly live—and it's beautiful.
With love and expectancy,
Heidi
In Him We Live Bible Study 💕
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The New Birth is the most wonderful Miracle to begin with! Romans 10:9-10 shows us how to receive the new birth.
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
This begins the first Miracle for you. NOW, you have unlimited resources available to you.
You now have the holy spirit inside of you, coursing through your veins and behind every fiber of your being.
You have access to all nine of the manifestations of holy spirit. 1 Corinthians 12
You are seated in the heavenlies. Ephesians 2:6
You have Christ in You, the hope of glory! Colossians 1:27
You have direct access with God! Ephesians 2:18
Let’s walk this journey together! God has called you for Such A Time As This!
1. We believe in one God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – Creator of all things. (Ephesians 4:4-6)
2.We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of Mary, crucified, died, was buried, resurrected, ascended into heaven, and is now seated at the right hand of the true God and Father. (John 3:16)
3. We believe the Bible in its entirety to be the absolute inspired Word of God and the infallible rule of faith and conduct. It’s a spiritual book, written by The Spirit for the spirit. (II Timothy 2:15)
4. We believe in the future return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. ( I Thessalonians 4:13-18)
5. We believe in the personal salvation of Believers by believing in the heart and confessing with the mouth that Jesus is Lord. (“Romans 10:9 and 10.”)
6. We believe in sanctification, redemption, justification, and ministry of reconciliation and righteousness as sonship rights given at the time of the new birth through the Word of God and by the Holy Spirit.
7. We believe in divine healing, through faith in the Name of Jesus Christ, via the shed blood and broken body, and that healing is included in the redemption and available at any time during life.
8.We believe in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit as outlined in Romans 10:9-10. We believe that every born-again person has the ability to operate all nine of the manifestations of the holy spirit. Also, we believe in the evidence of the fruit of the Spirit. (Ephesians 4:7)
9. We believe in the Christian commission (Matthew 28:19) by speaking boldly, tenderly, and lovingly to all of humanity.
10. We believe in the forgiveness of sins as outlined in scripture by confessing our sins to our Heavenly Father, God and that forgiveness is given at that moment. (1 John 1:9)
11. We believe the thief, the devil, comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy and credit any of these actions as belonging to him. In complete contrast, we believe that Jesus came so that we might have life {Zoe – life in all of its fullness} and have it more abundantly. He gets credit for this abundance in life. (John 10:10)
12. We believe that God desires greatly to work in us to will and to do of His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13)
N.O.W – No Ordinary Woman
No Ordinary Woman.
N.O.W.—Woman, God created you to be more than ordinary.
He created you to be Extra-Ordinary.
When you received His gift of Holy Spirit you were no longer just a body and a soul, you became a three-part being of Body-Soul-Spirit; complete, a perfect work through the miracle of the New Birth!
This is our movement, daughter of God, to stand out from the crowd: to boldly proclaim I am His and He is mine. To see signs follow you, to see miracles performed through you, to be His Wonder! To rely only upon your God. To expect only from Him. To be independently dependent on Him alone. He is enough for you.
We are His masterpieces and we radiate with His divine love everywhere we go. You were created to live in this day-time-hour. Created for such a time as this and together we will move mountains!
In Him We Live exists so that women who love God can know and believe that they were born for such a time as NOW.
Our Code
1. Jesus is the center and the Head of The Body. It’s All About Following His Directive (Colossians 1:18)
2. We believe big and take action. It’s all about activated faith All About Activated Faith (James 2:14-26)
3. We honor one another to glorify God. It’s allAll About the Romans 12 Experience
4. We are Lovers, not Haters. It’s All About loving on others (Mark 12:31)
5. We think in Color. It’s All About how God inspires us by working in us to will and to do of His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13)
6. We don’t back down. It’s All About submitting to God and watching the Devil flee in terror (James 4:7)
7. We stand approved before God. It’s All About knowing scripture and how to apply (2 Timothy 2:15)
8. We choose our thoughts. It’s All About knowing which thought to lead captive to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5)
9. We will express gratitude. It’s All About keeping a thankful heart (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
10. We move from a place of power. It’s All About using the right tools afforded us through Jesus Christ, His Father, The Holy Spirit, and The Bible. (Ephesians 6:10-18)
11. We speak to our mountains (ALL OF THEM). It’s All About the power of our words (Mark 11:23)