Ephesians 2: 1 – 7 NLT
Made Alive with Christ
Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.
What a contrast in those verses!
Without God we are dead (v. 1 – 3). Paul describes our life without Christ – “following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature”.
(I usually use the New Living Translation for our devotions because it is more modern language. When the word “translation” is used, it indicates the wording is as accurate as possible. There are other versions of the Bible such as The Message or Living Bible which use modern English language and they are very helpful especially if reading isn’t your favourite thing. But they are not considered accurate the way translations are. Various translations can be slightly different in their wording, and can sometimes give us more insight into what is written.That is why we are going to look at the description of our sinful nature in another translation – New American Standard Bible.)
“we too all previously lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest.” NASB
Charles Swindoll in Living Insights: Ephesians writes “Paul … uses the word epithymia, translated “lust” which is a neutral term that simply means “deep desire”. When governed by the flesh, these “deep desires” always lead us in a downward spiral … into ever deeper emotional instability”. … ‘Desires of the flesh’ indicate a concentration on physical priorities such as materialism, physical appearance, external beauty.” Desires of the mind focuses on our intellectual capacity; not only are the thought lives governed by self-centeredness, but they are also controlled by self-deception, rationalization, confusion, and irrational beliefs.Twisted thinking characterizes those who lack spiritual life from God.” (pages 185-86)
Without God, we are a mess. “You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil – the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.” (v. 2)
But God …
“But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much”. God changes everything when we accept Christ’s death and resurrection. Jesus made it possible to have all that sin forgiven. “You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. ” (Colossians 2: 13 – 14) We have also received the Holy Spirit who will help us live this new life. “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.” (Galatians 5: 16)
Isn’t this an amazing contrast? Our natural bodies may look alive and healthy, but we are actually a wreck. God’s love for us changes that completely. “For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.” (v; 6 – 7)
These verses in Ephesians that we have read today are an excellent summary of who we are and who God is. Sometimes we just have to look at the truth, and grasp how much God loves us – and how much he is willing to save us from. Following Jesus isn’t just going to church and doing our best. It’s hanging on to what God has done for us and being so thankful for God’s incredible mercy and love.
Our song for today is Your Love Defends Me by Matt Maher.