Ephesians 2:1-10 (ESV)
1 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 body 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.
Anyone else get chills when they read this? God really saw us when He could’ve turned away. When we were a whole freaking mess, He loved us through it all. Not only did He love us but He made a way for us to find freedom. Not the world’s version of freedom, but REAL, authentic, true freedom.
Let’s break this down.
Verses 1-3 talk of our death. Because of the Fall back with Adam and Eve, we are born with sin-nature. We’re born spiritually dead. Satan is the “prince of the power of the air” and we are the sons of disobedience. When we give into what the world wants, we’re living in disobedience. We actually become enemies of God. By choosing the world, we are choosing to go against everything that God is.
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But God
Then verse 4 starts with “But God.” Does that hit anyone else?! These two words are enough to change a whole generation if we let it. When we allow God to come in and change the situation, miracles happen.
God didn’t have to give us mercy, but He did. He didn’t have to love us, but He does.
“Even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.” (verse 5) Y’all He made us alive together WITH Christ. WITH CHRIST. We have been saved BY GRACE.
I don’t know about you, but I really don’t deserve much of anything. I slandered His name. I was directly disobedient. I questioned His sovereignty. I told Him ‘no.’ I blamed Him for the sins of man. I blamed Him for MY sins. I played victim and painted God out to be the bad guy.
I sought answers everywhere BUT God.
Avoiding Him became all that I did.
I don’t deserve it, but God. God saved me by GRACE. He made an active decision to save ME when Jesus hung on the cross. He knew that I would need a savior and forgiveness.
When I was a whole dang mess, God loved me through it.
Verses 6 and 7 say He “raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
I used to read passages like this like it was a boring reading assignment I was given. If I could go back and shake myself awake I absolutely would. Reading this now to write this, it makes me emotional. It makes me question everything I ever doubted.
The best part is that there’s nothing we can do to repay His love. There’s nothing we can do to make up for it. This grace is God’s gift to us. That’s it. It’s not transactional because it CAN’T be transactional. We’re not saved through works but by GRACE. We can’t measure up and God doesn’t want us to waste our time trying.
Now don’t hear me wrong. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t do what God has asked us to do – we absolutely should. We are called to be disciples and share the Word with the world. We each have our own gifts that we are to use to expand His kingdom. We absolutely should do those things in gratitude for all that He’s done for us. The works won’t save us, but they will show our gratitude.
Verse 10 says that we are His workmanship.
He crafted us, bit by bit, with His own hands to put us on this earth WITH purpose ON purpose.
God did all this for me, my son, you, your family, my family, the whole dang WORLD.
So when you start to question God’s goodness in those seasons where life is just hard, come back to this and remember just how much He’s saved you from. If He gave you grace to save you then He’s going to have the plan to pull you through what you’re going through. He’s going to be right by your side the whole way.
We just have to have faith enough to accept such an incredible gift.
Dear God,
Thank You. Thank You for giving us Your Word.
Thank You for making it abundantly clear just how loved we are.
Please forgive me for the times I doubted You. Change my heart to trust in Your plan more than what I see.
Help me to see myself and others the way You do.
Guide my steps to live the way You want me to.
Thank You Lord for it all.
Amen
If you’re struggling to believe God still loves you in the middle of your mess, He does.
My Biblical Affirmation Cards are filled with Scripture-based truths to remind you of your identity, your worth, and His unwavering love, especially when you need it most.
Grab your set here and let truth speak louder than guilt.
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