Back To Basics, part 3

It's been quite a while since I blogged on this topic (sorry about that), so I wanted to try to catch up with Ephesians 2 and see if we can unpack this short-but-powerful portion of God's word to us. As usual, feedback/discussion is welcomed and encouraged.

Eph 2:1-10 (NIV)
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 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. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 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 it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Let's break this down from the beginning. Paul is saying that we who follow Christ were not really living before we came to know Christ. We were simply existing, being led by the adversary instead of by the King. He says the adversary is the one in charge of those who are disobedient to God. We all did it. We all made selfish choices that we thought would make us happy and satisfied for the moment, not caring about the consequences of our actions or thoughts. We just wanted what we wanted when we wanted it. We didn't care about what God wanted for us. Then he calls us something peculiar, "objects of wrath." That means that we started off separated from God. That doesn't mean he hated us; he has always loved us because he created us. But it does mean that he was frustrated and angry with us because we were not at all interested in getting to know him and what he has in store for those who love and follow him. That's the way we all were.

But, since he loves us so much, he pursued us and pulled us out of the dead lives we were living and gave us new life in the name of Jesus Christ. It's called "grace."

{Let's pause here for a moment. I think one of the best explainations of grace (and mercy) was made this way:

Grace is getting what we don't deserve, mercy is not getting what we do deserve.

Mind-blowing, isn't it?}

Now, this grace that we believers have been given is a result of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. God is so kind and loving to us that he purposefully sent Jesus to become the sacrifice for our sins in order to rescue us from this age in which we live and offer us joyful, peaceful, unmatched, unending, unimaginable life!

Ain't that good news?! Can I get an "amen?"

And all of this is done by us having faith (putting our complete trust and loyalty into something or someone) in Jesus, nothing else. There is nothing that we can do to earn God's grace. It is given as a free gift to all who will accept it. And this grace is such a wonderful gift that God tells us to share the grace we've been given with those who need it. Who needs it? We all do! If we didn't, then what would be the reason for grace in the first place? Although we don't do anything to earn it, grace becomes our reaction to this gift. Part of showing our gratitude to God is sharing grace with the people that God created and placed in our lives. As a matter of fact, God prepared in advance gracious works for us to do so that we could use his gift to its fullest potential.

Is any of this making sense?

Talk to me.

Peace, Love, and Dark Chocolate