Today in God's Word—March 2023
East Tallassee Church of Christ
March 26, Ephesians 2
With all due respect, I have noticed the dead are quite helpless. They are powerless, incapable of doing for themselves. It’s odd that so many people are afraid of the dead. Of all people you might encounter, the dead are the least likely to do anything that could hurt you. They’re dead. They can’t do anything at all.
It is significant that Paul said we were dead in our trespasses and sins. Sin did not wound us, or make us sick. It killed us. We were dead. The path of disobedience, rebellion and worldliness leads to a dead end, in the truest sense of that term. In this single word—dead, Paul exposes the fallacy of any self-help, do-it-yourself brand of religion and spirituality. If anyone has life, hope and power, it is because of what God did for us. When we were dead, his mercy was rich toward us. Because of his great love for us, he made us alive in Christ. With grace that cannot be measured, God has raised us to new life and usefulness in Christ. This is the good news of the gospel: You were dead in sin, but God made you alive in Christ.
Understanding we were dead deflates our pride. The debate about meritorious works is conceded at this word. It takes away all boasting about how we saved ourselves by anything we did. We were dead, and the dead don’t do.
Realizing we were dead focuses our praise. He deserves all the glory and praise for what he did for us. He created us to do good works, but all the praise for the good works belongs to God. If you’ve ever seen someone steal credit for a good idea or a
successful project at work, you know how unsavory such hypocritical boasting can be. That’s how every person who boasts about his standing with God looks to the one who actually did the work.
Also, by giving his life for us, Jesus established peace between us and God. His sacrifice removed our alienation from God and the hopelessness that resulted from it. His blood closed the gap our sin had opened. When he drew us to himself in Christ, we were reconciled to one another since we’re all added to the same group. Division and quarreling among God’s people is an insult to his grace and the cross by which we were reconciled.
How ironic that an instrument of violent death and cruel torture should be the means by which we are given life and peace! But that’s what the cross of Jesus did for us. How can we thank him? How can we show our appreciation for new life and a new relationship with God? We can be thankful for the mercy and grace we’ve received, give him all the glory, do the works he prepared for us to do and be peacemakers among his people. Isn’t it good to be alive?
From The Abiding Companion: A Friendly Guide for Your Journey Through the New Testament, Copyright © 2010 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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