By Grace Through Faith

Ephesians 2

Those without Christ are not simply lost, sick people needing help; they are dead people needing life. They are sinners in need of forgiveness.

Jesus—the Christ, the Son of living God, the Messiah—died a cruel death on a Roman Cross, a symbol of ridicule for you and me, so that we might receive life eternal, redemption, salvation, forgiveness, redemption and a reconciliation with the God the Father by His grace through faith in Him alone.
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“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.” Ephesians 2:8–9 (ESV)

Grace is the unmerited favor of God. It is the inexhaustible supply of God’s goodness, based on the work of Christ, whereby he does for us what we do not deserve, could never earn, and would never be able to repay.

Jesus is the bridge that crosses the great divide between lost and found, abandonment and adoption, hopelessness and hope, hell and heaven.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. 25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.” John 5:24–26 (ESV)

Warren Wiersbe writes, “Lost sinners are in bondage to the world, the flesh, and the devil, and cannot free themselves.

“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. Ephesians 2:1–3 (ESV)

In Christ, you have true freedom (John 12:31–32; Gal. 1:4; 5:24). Now God is working in you and through you to accomplish His great purposes.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)

From the tomb to the throne. God did not give you life and leave you in the cemetery. He lifted you up to sit on the throne with His victorious Son! From separation to reconciliation. In Jesus Christ, believing Jews and Gentiles are now one; the barriers have been removed. Believers are members of one body, citizens of one holy nation, and living stones in one temple.

“So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” 7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” 1 Peter 2:1–10 (ESV)

All of this is of God, His marvelous love, and His grace and kindness.

“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.” Ephesians 2:4–7 (ESV)

No wonder Paul opened this letter with a doxology!

Are you trusting in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? Are you trusting in Him to help you stand in the midst of a great storm? Are you growing in your faith by leaning into His grave?
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Today, know that in Him and His sacrifice alone, you have eternal life!!! This should bring us much hope and joy.

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