Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 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. 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. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 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!) 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. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:1-10 NLT
We are united with Christ, who is seated in heaven. We have His power to overcome the selfishness and sin that corrupt and bring death. We have His strength because Christ overcame death. We are saved by God's grace. This means there is nothing we can do to earn or deserve His forgiveness and salvation. Let that sink in. There is no one so bad that they can’t be saved; there is no one so good that they don’t need God’s forgiveness. We are saved by grace.
We can’t earn salvation, but we can respond to it. To put it in Paul’s words: we aren’t saved by good works, but we are made to do good works. As we receive salvation (Christ living in us), we live it out—and this includes action. As we grow closer and closer to Him, we are able to do more and more good—which is what God had planned for us. These verses paint a picture of us being united with Christ, and Christ is in heaven, so we are with Him in heaven. We are united with Christ who overcame sin and death, so we can overcome sin and will overcome death. We can leave our old lives and live new lives—doing good, blessing this world, and living out His mission with Him.
Reflect on the phrase “saved by grace through faith.” Why is this important to you? Where do you need His power to overcome sin, laziness, or wrong thinking?
