Ephesians 2:1-10 ~ Week 3

"And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 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, 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. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ" ~ Ephesians 2:1-5

I love these verses, not because I like to dwell on the past, but because i think it’s good for us to remember where we were before we accepted Christ. I was so lost, not in a good place, and my marriage was in trouble. My husband and I are literally living testimonies to His grace and mercy! He literally lifted us out of the mirey clay and put our feet on solid rock. Had He not been there for us, none of our 4 beautiful kids would be here today, and who knows what would have become of my husband and I.

Today, I can look back and be so grateful for His hand in our lives! And God’s hand in our lives didn’t stop back then, His faithfulness has continued to this day, and I know it will in the future as well. I can rest knowing that He who begun a good work in me will complete it! (Philippians 1:6)

BUT…the real beauty of these verses comes in what happened after we were dead in our trespasses…we were made alive, God in his mercy made us alive together in Christ! So even though we may have a rocky past, we are new creations in Him, and we need no longer be in bondage to our old ways, but instead we can be free in Him and our new lives!

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 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. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. ~ Ephesians 2:6-9 NIV

Wow! He wants to show us His grace! These verses remind me that my salvation was all for His glory. That we aren’t to boast in anything that we’ve done to earn it, but through is grace and mercy, we were given this gift, free of charge to us. But fully paid for by our savior, Jesus.

And I love, love, love verse 10 ~ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

I, Me, Erica, am a workmanship of God’s. He created me for His good works, and really if we’re being honest and all, spending time in the Word honoring His commands, and glorifying Him through my life, is the least I can do in return! It’s so impossible to ever repay Him for what He’s done, but we can live for Him and make sure others “see” Him through our actions and love towards one another! (John 13:35)

Didn’t get to the reading this week? Take just a minute to get caught up by reading our verses below. And don’t get discouraged, just start fresh this week! You will be blessed by any time you spend in the Word!

Ephesians 2:1-10

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 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, 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.

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

 

If you haven’t started the study yet, it’s not too late! You’ve just read the 3rd week of verses above, so start fresh this week and commit to spend time in the Word each day!

 

 

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