Knowing Your Identity in Christ: I am Redeemed & Forgiven (Ephesians 1:7)

What if the way you handle forgiveness is a key to faith for you and your entire family?

In this episode of 7 Minute Devotions for Busy Parents, host Christen Clark invites you to explore the deep connection between redemption and forgiveness—and why these gifts are at the heart of Christian Parenting. Christen opens up about her own journey, shares relatable real-life stories, and provides practical ideas to model true forgiveness so your kids can see what authentic discipleship looks like in everyday moments of family time and faith at home.

• [00:01:33] The real meaning of redemption and forgiveness
• [00:04:45] How extending forgiveness is a powerful act of inspiration and spiritual growth for both parents and kids

Resources:

• Instagram: @7minutedevotions, @christenclark
• Family Podcast: @collidekidspodcast

Transcript

Christen Clark [00:00:01]:

Hello and welcome back to 7 Minute Devotions for Busy Parents. I am so glad you're here. My name is Christen Clark and I am the host of the show, and I am a very busy parent, and that's why I made this show. I'm also the host of another show called the Collide Kids Podcast, so if you haven't checked that out yet, be sure to tune that in. That's a great show for you to listen to with your kids, but this show, this is for parents, so I'm really glad you're here too. Last time we talked about grace, how we are accepted in Christ, not not because of what we've done, but because of what God has freely given us. We also touched briefly on the difference between grace and mercy. So today we're going to dive into that a little bit more.

Christen Clark [00:00:41]:

We're going to build on that foundation, if you will, and talk about something that is so beautiful and also incredibly hard to do. Today's identity statement is this: I am redeemed and forgiven. Ephesians 1:7 says, "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." Redemption and forgiveness are these two concepts that are deeply connected. Redemption means something was paid for. Forgiveness means a debt was erased. Last time we talked about grace as unmerited favor, right? These are good things we don't deserve. Mercy, on the other hand, is being spared from a punishment we do deserve. So forgiveness lives right in that space of mercy.

Christen Clark [00:01:33]:

Have you ever been in a drive-through line and discovered that the person in front of you paid for your order? This has happened to me a few times, and because it happened to me, I tried to pass it along. But it's so cool to get up to the cashier and they say, "Your bill has already been paid." I mean, that feeling is so special. And it was just a latte and a piece of pumpkin bread. So think of the weight of that, that debt being paid, when we think about what Jesus did for us, what Jesus paid for us that cost Him His life. I've been learning recently about the power of words in my Bible study time, and this verse in Proverbs that says that our words carry the power of life and death. And I know that's true, because I can still remember the harsh words spoken to me years ago, as if they happened yesterday. Like someone said something really critical or made a snarky comment or mean remarks that people said to hurt my feelings, or they, they just— they're words that lodge themselves deep in my heart, and those things are so hard to release. And then there are deeper wounds, like friends that betrayed me and people that hurt me and people who broke trust.

Christen Clark [00:02:43]:

If I'm really honest, my natural response in those situations is not forgiveness. I would prefer to just cut those people off and a put lot of distance between us instead of extending forgiveness. No way. But then I think about the times I have been forgiven, the harsh words that I've said in the heat of the moment, the mistakes that I've made, and the way that I've hurt people that I care about. Or when I'm obviously speeding on the road and I get pulled over and they don't give me a ticket. Oh, that feeling of forgiveness, it was amazing. It was this weight that was lifted off and I felt free. It seems to me that somewhere along the way, forgiveness has become a little too casual in our culture.

Christen Clark [00:03:25]:

It's, it's almost cheap. We say the word without sitting with the cost, but Scripture does not minimize forgiveness. It reminds us over and over that forgiveness was purchased. Redemption through Christ's blood on the cross is what provides our forgiveness. The slate isn't wiped clean because God ignored our sin. It's wiped clean because Jesus paid for it. The punishment we deserve was taken off the table because of Christ. What Jesus paid for us was not small.

Christen Clark [00:03:57]:

He paid with his life through a gruesome death that we can't even begin to imagine. And even in his final moments on the cross, the Bible tells us that while he was enduring unimaginable pain, Jesus extended forgiveness to the very people who were putting him to death. That kind of forgiveness changes the way I see my own grudges. Suddenly holding on to all this resentment over someone's critical words or relational wounds, it feels heavier, not because the pain wasn't real, but because I should know better. I've been forgiven of so much. I should be extending forgiveness too. And listen, I'm, I'm still working on this. Honestly, it's still something I have to, to practice, and I have to think about and process a little bit.

Christen Clark [00:04:45]:

But I know this: forgiveness is not pretending it didn't hurt. Forgiveness is choosing to release what's already been paid for. Now, let's talk about how forgiveness applies to our parenting. This matters for our kids. Our children are watching the way that we handle offense. They're watching how we talk about the people who hurt us, how we respond when relationships break down. When we extend forgiveness, not perfectly, but intentionally, We're teaching them what redemption looks like in real life. Forgiveness doesn't mean immediate trust in the person that hurt us.

Christen Clark [00:05:21]:

It definitely should not erase boundaries, but it does mean that we refuse to keep accounts of a debt that Jesus already settled. Forgiveness becomes an act of worship, a response of gratitude for the mercy that we have received. Well, before we wrap up and pray, I want us to go over our identity rhythm. This is something we're going to do in every episode to go over this identity statement so it really sticks, because repetition is what helps us remember things. It helps us to shape what we believe for us and for our kids too. So each week we're going to say these 3 short statements together. Who we are in Christ, why it's true, and how we live from it. This is something I want you to remember, and I want you to do this with your kids too if you get a chance.

Christen Clark [00:06:19]:

Go over these statements together. So our identity statement for today, who we are in Christ: I am redeemed and forgiven. I am forgiven because Jesus paid the price for my sin with his life. And how do we live this out? Because I am forgiven, I choose to extend forgiveness to others with gratitude and humility. Let's pray together. Jesus, thank you so much for what you did on the cross. Thank you for the forgiveness that we receive from our sins because of what you did for us, because of that redemption we have through the blood. And I thank you that we can extend that forgiveness because we've been greatly forgiven.

Christen Clark [00:07:00]:

We can extend that to others. Help us to release the grudges and the resentment that we've been holding on to and extend forgiveness to the people around us. Help us to exemplify this to our children and to show forgiveness in our everyday lives. We love you and we thank you for all that you've done. In Jesus' name, amen. Well, thanks so much for listening today. I hope this was encouraging to you, and next time we're going to continue discovering who we are in Christ as we move forward in the book of Ephesians. I hope you're enjoying this.

Christen Clark [00:07:33]:

Until next time, remember who you are and remember who you belong to.