ALIVE TOGETHER WITH CHRIST
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
What does it mean for us to be alive in Christ? It does not mean that we must have our lives together. Being alive in Christ does not mean that we are happy all the time. It does not mean that our lives are as put-together as our posts on social media. Being alive in Christ means the opposite.
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,” (Ephesians 2:4-6)
Today’s Bible verses say that even though we were dead in our sins, God made us alive together with Christ. It is in imperfection that grace appears. God is at work in the everyday messiness of our daily existence.
We must not forget that Jesus came into this world to live an ordinary life extraordinarily connected to God. We become alive in Jesus when we are baptized into His life.
“For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” (Galatians 3:27)
Being alive in Christ does not mean we will be in a constant state of smiles and joy. It means our foundation is so strong that we can live through them even when the storms come. Even when we were dead in our sins, God gave us life through Jesus.
Take a moment right now and remember that Jesus invites us to live a life in Him. Know that, in Christ, our feet are firmly planted on an unshakable foundation: Christ’s unconditional love for us. Jesus is inviting us to live free from sin in both ordinary and extraordinary ways, free from guilt.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
Once we ask Jesus into our hearts, we are saved. He never leaves us. Nothing can take us out of His hand, but sometimes we might still feel uncertain. Maybe we can not remember the specific time and place of our decision to follow Jesus. Or perhaps we have messed up and sinned so severely that we wonder how God can forgive us.
There is nothing we can do to make ourselves spiritually alive; our salvation results from God’s love and mercy. Once He makes us alive, we can never become spiritually dead again.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
We are saved by God’s grace, not by our goodness or performance. We did not do anything to deserve or earn God’s grace, yet God still chose to save us.
Our salvation is not because of our goodness or works, nor is it maintained by us. We are saved through faith and should recognize that as God’s gift. As a result, we enjoy the blessings of belonging to His family, and one day we will know the full reality of being seated with Jesus in heaven.
Where have you placed your hope today?
Heavenly Father, I am so thankful You chose to save me. I know I did not do anything to deserve it. Yet, in Your great love and mercy, You redeemed me. My hope is in You for today and in the days to come till I am in heaven with You. My life depends on You for each day and for eternity. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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We Are Saved By God’s Grace, Not By Our Goodness Or Performance. We Did Not Do Anything To Deserve Or Earn God’s Grace, Yet God Still Chose To Save Us.
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