A Life Worth Living!

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.
Paul continues to teach the Gentiles how they have been included in God's plan of salvation for the world.  He reviews the basic problem we have as humans, our sinful nature.  Paul summarizes this nature as, "gratifying the cravings of the flesh and following its desires."  Paul also associates it with, "following the ways of the world and the ruler of the kingdom of the air".  He calls this the "spirit who is act work in those who are disobedient". We know this is Satan, also called the devil in other parts of scripture.  And the result of this kind of lifestyle was spiritual death and separation from God.  
But now comes the Good News.  God didn't want us to live that way.  God had a different purpose for our lives.  I love how it says, "God made us alive".  We were dead but God made us alive. How?  Through Christ!  This reminds us that our salvation is initiated by God, not us.  We were powerless and dead in our trespasses, but God made us alive by grace.  Paul summarizes by saying "it is by grace you have been saved."  
Whereas Paul seems to focus on the bondage of the Law with the Jews, he seems to focus on the bondage of the flesh with the Gentiles in Ephesus.  Ephesus was a major seaport filled with lots of immorality which led to death.  But Jesus made them alive by grace.  Grace brings life.  Grace makes us alive.  By grace we are saved.  
This is what makes the Christian message different than any other message.  God reached out of heaven because he loved us and saved us through Christ.  We did not do anything.  If anything we deserved God's wrath because of the sinful things we had done.  But God loved us in spite of our sins.  This is a message the world still needs to know.  Many people today live in bondange to sin and are spiritually dead.  They think they are living but they are really dying a slow, sad death. God loves them and offers new life in Christ. Who will share with them God's grace?  Will it be you and me?  God loved us and made us alive in Christ and we should pass it on! 

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