EPHESIANS 2
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, 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 coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not 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, that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:1-10
EPHESIANS 2 BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
Before you were chosen, you followed your cravings
You carried out your desires and your longings
But by the grace of God, you have been saved
You no longer have to give in to your lusts
It is now the Spirit of the Lord that stirs your heart
By grace you are now free to obey and please the Lord.
In this account, Paul teaches the church in Ephesus how the grace of God has allowed them to abandon their old life and walk in the new way of the Spirit. He explains the condition of the man’s heart before Christ made the ultimate sacrifice on the cross to save them. They couldn’t free themselves from the bondage of sin. They were spiritually dead, unable to overcome their oppression and walk in the way of righteousness. So, while they were still in that state, God poured out his grace on them and gave his only begotten Son so Jesus could do what they cannot do themselves.
In verse 6, Paul gave them a visual picture of the amazing grace that was given to them. This grace raised them up beside Christ and seated them in the heavenly places with him. What a great picture of being lifted up beside the Lord! Paul explains to the believers that they still have to do something while they are on earth and waiting for the second coming of Christ. Because of their faith, they merited undeserved favor from God. So, they cannot boast or add anything to the finished work of Christ.
Paul reminds them to remember that they are all image-bearers of God and that they are his workmanship. They needed to see their new creation in Christ. They can no longer continue to live in habitual sins because they were given the Spirit of the Lord when he died on the cross for them.
REFLECTION
- How must a Christian show gratitude to God’s amazing grace?
