Ephesians 2:4-7 says...
Today's verses are Ephesians 2:4-7, which read,
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved,) and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Paul again gives us another long sentence to dissect. Yesterday we covered what we were but today Paul gives us what we have become not because of us but because of God. We were dead to God and then comes those very important words.
Our first phrase is, "But God,.." The transformation in our lives is not of us but of God. It is because of God's actions before we reacted to His actions. God took the initiative to our salvation.
God's action comes in mercy and love. We will receive something that we don't deserve but we will be given what we don't deserve out of the unconditional love of God. He did not wait for us to "clean up our act" to love us. He loved us even when we were dead to Him. Simply put God loved you before you ever thought about loving Him.
Our second phrase is, "...made us alive together with Christ..." God is doing the work here. God is doing the making. Jesus told His disciples, "I will make you fishers of men." Jesus was the One supplying whatever was needed for that to happen. God has done the same for us for our salvation. He is the One who supplied the sacrifice for our sins and a heavenly home in our future. Jesus told Nicodemus in the night, "You must be born again." God does the "born again" part and we receive the grace that has been given to us by Him.
Our third phrase is, "...so that in the ages to comes He might show the surpassing riches of His grace..." The work that God is doing with us will be brought to completion. It is not an isolated event characterized by saying a little prayer and then God goes on the shelf of your life. God is going to use you to show you and others of His love and mercy, and His grace and kindness. We will have discovered God's will for our lives by reflecting what He has done for us through lives that give Him glory.
A transition and transformation has happened in your life but the focus is not to be on you but on the One who made that happen and is continuing to work. We are responding to something that has already been done and we are to respond with a whole life following after the One who gave His whole life for us, Jesus Christ. We follow but He gave.
"Lord, as we follow You and what You have already done and are doing in our lives may we point very clearly to You who gave. May we have opportunities to share with others about this great God who loves before we love Him. May we speak of Your actions that made our reactions possible for salvation not of just now but for eternity. Amen."
Pastor Adam
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved,) and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Paul again gives us another long sentence to dissect. Yesterday we covered what we were but today Paul gives us what we have become not because of us but because of God. We were dead to God and then comes those very important words.
Our first phrase is, "But God,.." The transformation in our lives is not of us but of God. It is because of God's actions before we reacted to His actions. God took the initiative to our salvation.
God's action comes in mercy and love. We will receive something that we don't deserve but we will be given what we don't deserve out of the unconditional love of God. He did not wait for us to "clean up our act" to love us. He loved us even when we were dead to Him. Simply put God loved you before you ever thought about loving Him.
Our second phrase is, "...made us alive together with Christ..." God is doing the work here. God is doing the making. Jesus told His disciples, "I will make you fishers of men." Jesus was the One supplying whatever was needed for that to happen. God has done the same for us for our salvation. He is the One who supplied the sacrifice for our sins and a heavenly home in our future. Jesus told Nicodemus in the night, "You must be born again." God does the "born again" part and we receive the grace that has been given to us by Him.
Our third phrase is, "...so that in the ages to comes He might show the surpassing riches of His grace..." The work that God is doing with us will be brought to completion. It is not an isolated event characterized by saying a little prayer and then God goes on the shelf of your life. God is going to use you to show you and others of His love and mercy, and His grace and kindness. We will have discovered God's will for our lives by reflecting what He has done for us through lives that give Him glory.
A transition and transformation has happened in your life but the focus is not to be on you but on the One who made that happen and is continuing to work. We are responding to something that has already been done and we are to respond with a whole life following after the One who gave His whole life for us, Jesus Christ. We follow but He gave.
"Lord, as we follow You and what You have already done and are doing in our lives may we point very clearly to You who gave. May we have opportunities to share with others about this great God who loves before we love Him. May we speak of Your actions that made our reactions possible for salvation not of just now but for eternity. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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