Thursday, Mar 14 | Ephesians 2:1-10 | Hayden Walker
It is difficult to overestimate the depth of human depravity portrayed in Ephesians 2:1-3. Not only were we enthralled by the world, not only were we following Satan, we were dead. This death was not physical of course, but it is no less real. Spiritually, those apart from Christ are dead. You and I were dead. Our hearts had not yet been brought to life by the power of Christ.
Paul interrupts this terrible news with two great words: But God.
While we were sinners, while we were dead, Christ in His great mercy died for us. He did this out of His love for us, not because we had anything to offer Him. It was completely a one-way gift. Jesus did not save any of us because of what we can do for Him. He didn’t save us because we needed a little help to become better people. He redeemed us because of His vast love for us, even while we were dead.
The gospel isn’t really good news until it has been bad news. It does not astound us that Jesus can make us alive until we grasp that we are truly dead apart from Him. As one pastor put it, Jesus didn’t come to make bad people good, he came to make dead people alive!
The proper response to this good news then is to actually live as people who are alive. As Paul explains, we do this by living into the good works which Christ has prepared for us (Ephesians 2:10). Works do not earn salvation - they are a joyous response to salvation! How can you serve Jesus today, making much of Him who made you alive?
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