“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.” Ephesians 2:4-6
So Paul explains that although we were once dead in our sin, God’s mercy and love for us is so great that even while we were dead, Jesus died for our sin. Better yet, He rose from the dead, raising us to new life in Him as He did! God, through Jesus, did this, JUST BECAUSE HE LOVED US AND WANTED TO! We call this concept, “GRACE”!
So by raising us out of death and into life by grace, God gave us new life, through Jesus of course! II Corinthians 5:17 tells us that “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” Jesus didn’t merely upgrade our present life, He gave us a brand new life! All of this is oure because Jesus rose from the dead and rose us with Him!
Now Paul makes it clear: “It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!”
We don’t deserve salvation! We can’t earn it. We can’t buy it. We can only receive it! Isaiah 64:6 says, “We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.” That’s very descriptive of how bad sins destruction is in our lives! My very best work on my very best day is as dirty as a rag so filthy that it can only be thrown away, compared to God’s righteousness, SO apart from Jesus, my situation is HOPELESS!
So here’s my choices, I can continue in the hopelessness of sin or by grace, receive Jesus’ gift of eternal life that He bought for me with His blood, on the cross and gave to me by rising from the dead!
My new life comes in Him by surrendering my life to Him!
This choice has the added bonus of being “seated … with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus”.
WARNING: Rejecting Jesus comes with the eternal consequence of staying dead in sin forever. This is called hell!
Receive Jesus’ live Gift of new & eternal life today!
Lots to think about!
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