From Death to LIfe!
Paul describes the process of going from being dead in our old ways, to now being alive in Christ. All of us in different ways lived our lives on our own terms. Basically saying, "I am going to do want I want, when I want to do it, and you can't stop me." Some of us even ran from God saying, "One day I will return to you, but for now I am having my fun!" While we think we are just living the good life and living according to the cravings of our desires, Paul says we are really being influenced by something else. He calls it the "ruler of the kingdom of the air". He is also called "Satan", the "Anti-Christ", or the "evil one". We are responsible for our individual sin actions for sure. But once we turned our nose up at God, we became subject to the spirit who is at work in all those who are disobedient. And part of this work is to distort the truth. The evil one, tells us we deserve whatever we want, and are entitled to live by our desires. After all, that is how God made us.
And in this state we were deserving of God's wrath? Why? Most people don't want to think of God's wrathful. But when you realize God's nature is holy and just, he can't just "wink" at sin. He can't just push our disobedience under the carpet. God wouldn't be a very good judge, if he just said, "don't worry about it, all is good!" So when we sin against God and completely disregard His law for our lives, we deserve God's wrath. But here comes the Good News. Though we deserve wrath by our actions, God by his very nature is merciful. Mercy is getting what you don't deserve. So God because of His great love for us gives us mercy through the grace that is in Christ, who died for our sins on the cross. The wrath we deserved Jesus took on because of His great love for us.
So then what? It says we are seated with Christ in the heavenly realms. Meaning as we by faith, which is God's gift to us as well, trust in faith in the riches in Christ, we are positionally in Christ. Just like one can move up on the corporate ladder when they perform well. Or, someone moves up on the org chart if they get promoted, we go to the very top. We are seated with Christ at the right hand of God. We are saved which is a completed action, meaning it is finished. But it is also a present action tense, meaning we experience both now and will in the future.
Finally, it says we were created in advance to good works. You are God's handiwork. God doesn't make junk. As you are saved, you are saved to serve and do good things by the way God made you. This is not to be saved, but because you are saved. Our salvation produces works because we are now "In Christ" and he lives through us, as if we were him.
How do these truths affect your life? What if every day you got up and said, I am God's handiwork created in advance for good works? How might it affect you to know you are already saved and already seated with Christ. You are just living out your life in anticipation of that day when you will be in heaven forever.
Jesus thank you for loving us, dying for us, and showing us God's grace. Thank you for the gift of faith which allows us to be seated with you in the heavenly realms while we live our lives doing the good works you have always had for us to do. Amen.
Ephesians 2:1-10
Made Alive in Christ
2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
And in this state we were deserving of God's wrath? Why? Most people don't want to think of God's wrathful. But when you realize God's nature is holy and just, he can't just "wink" at sin. He can't just push our disobedience under the carpet. God wouldn't be a very good judge, if he just said, "don't worry about it, all is good!" So when we sin against God and completely disregard His law for our lives, we deserve God's wrath. But here comes the Good News. Though we deserve wrath by our actions, God by his very nature is merciful. Mercy is getting what you don't deserve. So God because of His great love for us gives us mercy through the grace that is in Christ, who died for our sins on the cross. The wrath we deserved Jesus took on because of His great love for us.
So then what? It says we are seated with Christ in the heavenly realms. Meaning as we by faith, which is God's gift to us as well, trust in faith in the riches in Christ, we are positionally in Christ. Just like one can move up on the corporate ladder when they perform well. Or, someone moves up on the org chart if they get promoted, we go to the very top. We are seated with Christ at the right hand of God. We are saved which is a completed action, meaning it is finished. But it is also a present action tense, meaning we experience both now and will in the future.
Finally, it says we were created in advance to good works. You are God's handiwork. God doesn't make junk. As you are saved, you are saved to serve and do good things by the way God made you. This is not to be saved, but because you are saved. Our salvation produces works because we are now "In Christ" and he lives through us, as if we were him.
How do these truths affect your life? What if every day you got up and said, I am God's handiwork created in advance for good works? How might it affect you to know you are already saved and already seated with Christ. You are just living out your life in anticipation of that day when you will be in heaven forever.
Jesus thank you for loving us, dying for us, and showing us God's grace. Thank you for the gift of faith which allows us to be seated with you in the heavenly realms while we live our lives doing the good works you have always had for us to do. Amen.
Ephesians 2:1-10
Made Alive in Christ
2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
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