Lent Passage: Ephesians 2:1-10 

What can you thank God for today? Take a pause, have a think, what comes to mind? Now, focus your thanks on what Paul describes in Ephesians 2:1-10. Once you were dead in your sins, serving first your desires, disobedient and out of relationship with God, under judgement. Now, through faith in Jesus you are forgiven, rescued, made alive, with a part to play in God’s grand purposes. That is a massive change in life. It is completely undeserved, and freely given by our God, ‘who is rich in mercy’. 

Not everyone acknowledges our situation with God could be so dire. Because they consider we are mostly good people, there is a struggle to see how we are ‘by nature deserving of wrath’. We would like to think we are better than Paul believes. But are we? Could we say today we are loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength? Would those who relate with us say we are loving them with as much regard as we love ourselves? Paul doesn’t feel the need to persuade people of their sin. He considers this is God’s assessment to make, not ours. God sees our life as it truly is. We can’t even assess our own lives with that degree of objectivity, let alone another person’s. When we are open to God and the good he seeks for us, we see and agree we are in trouble and need help. 

Wonderfully God responds to our disobedience with mercy. Wonderfully he is forming us into amazing works of grace. We can thank God every day for this kindness. Get used to the habit. This will be the focus of our thanks into eternity as we recall “the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” 

In Him, 

Jason 

Photo by Artem Sapegin on Unsplash