I recently found out that when I respond to your comments there’s no “alert” sent to you. So I’ll email you responses in the future! 🙂

Rejoice:

Read:

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 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. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.

This verse points back to what we discussed in our last devotion. However, here we are  shown even clearer that it wasn’t just a position we ended up in because of some bad decisions. No, this was what happened after Adam and Even sinned… now every human is found in this death from birth. Due to Adam and Eve’s sin you were born into a position where you were directly opposed to what God wanted from you. That’s what God was warning them about in Genesis 2:17!! They disobeyed and now we are living with the results. You followed Satan, and fully lived to gratify your own desires and thoughts and it was due to our forefathers. This is completely the opposite of what God wants/wanted us to do and now by our very nature we deserve wrath. If you were born as a human then from day one you were completely guilty enough to be condemned to hell. You didn’t need to do anything else later in life to be qualified for such wrath, it is credited to you from birth.

I think we often miss how truly unworthy we are of God’s grace. Yet look at what the next verse says (insert giddy face)

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

God didn’t grant us salvation because of us, our worthiness. God’s mercy and grace (undeserved favor) is why He gave us redemption! He could have taken the same path as He did with the angels: once they sinned there was no further options for them. Instead, God determined that with this creation He would offer us a plan of freedom from our disobedience! At first glance chapter two starts in a negative sense but when you look at where it leads we are reminded of the greatness of chapter one and are shown an even clearer picture of our salvation. The very reason why your sins don’t strip your salvation from you is because your salvation wasn’t based upon you! If it were based upon you and your actions you would have never received it. Instead God looked down on man and said, I’ll give them my Son’s righteousness if they will simply acknowledge that I am God, they are completely sinful, and Christ paid for their sin. Having faith in Christ grants us exit from our wrath! As we build this understanding through Ephesians we are going to be left with a beautiful image of our salvation.

Two quick caveats: 1) Scripture and discussion about salvation is not for us to look at other people and determine if they are saved or not. It is for our evaluation of ourselves and direction for ourselves. 2) This doesn’t mean we can go on sinning… see the book of Romans if you think that’s the way to go. You should see a directional change in your life after you’re saved. That can be as minimal as a desire to stop sinning but still struggling with it because you still enjoy the sin. Hopefully that’s only in the beginning and you see that changing, but the struggle is there.

As you read more Scripture you will see those two caveats played out.

Respond:

Let’s give God some thanks today for what He has done! Spend a few minutes praising God- God You are wonderful! Thank You so much for what You have done for me. Thank You for looking past my undeserved nature and giving me Your Son’s righteousness. Thank You for filling me with Your goodness. Thank You for Your very nature leading You to pour out Your love on me. Things like that. 🙂

Relate:

This is one of those great evangelical passages. You can share this with anyone! No matter how sinful they are, no matter what mistakes – they can be saved. Think of the worst person in your life… would you mind sharing this with them please? Maybe pray before that so it doesn’t come out as: “Hey hubby you know God can save even someone as terrible as you?!” 🤣