The Jesus Bible Reading Plan / DEATH TO LIFE

The Jesus Bible Reading Plan

Day 205 of 365 DEATH TO LIFE There is a stark contrast between death and life. Ephesians 2:1 - 3 explores the terrible reality for unbelievers. Using such words as "transgressions," "disobedient," "cravings of our flesh" and "wrath," these verses communicate that there is something dreadfully wrong with the identity and life experience of people who are not followers of Christ. What an appalling description! There is no worse condition than spiritual death. But hope emerges from the ashes of death (vv. 4 - 5). Those who are in Christ are "God's handiwork" (v. 10), meaning he has crafted something beautiful. But how could beauty come from desperation, ugliness and complete destruction? It seems unfathomable that life could come from death and despair. The apostle Paul communicated this stark contrast to teach believers where ultimate praise and glory belong. Christians have nothing to offer for their salvation - it comes about only by God's rich mercy (v. 4), kindness (v. 7), grace (v. 8) and gift (v. 8). A Christian has no grounds for boasting about their status as a child of God (v. 9): not their wisdom, effort to obey, morality . . . nothing! Every ounce of the believer's being must therefore give absolute adoration to the Lord God, thus fulfilling the first great commandment (Mt 22:37). Closely flowing from this praise is the second great commandment (Mt 22:39). God's handiwork of recreating Christians from death to life, according to Ephesians 2:10, is meant to result in good works toward one's neighbors out of sheer gratitude to God. Jesus, thank you for the mercy you have shown me. I want to be your handiwork, your poetry, your masterpiece. Amen. Ephesians 2:1-10 NASB 1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.