Ephesians 2:4-10 (NRSV)
Read Ephesians 2:4-10 on biblegateway.com
Verse 4But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us Verse 5even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved- Verse 6and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Verse 7so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Verse 8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God- Verse 9not the result of works, so that no one may boast. Verse 10For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.
Devotion
Saved by grace through faith! Not our doing! It is a gift! Nothing we do causes us to deserve it. It is God who gives and we who take and receive. It is the great Christian concept that God is love. Sin is therefore a crime not against the law, but against love. We were created sons and daughters in the image of the Father God. It is the children who can break the heart. The only thing that can restore the broken heart is free forgiveness. This God did give us free forgiveness at the cost of His Son.
So that we might be recreated for eternal life and for good works.
Hence the Pauline Paradox: All the good works in the world cannot put us right with God. But once we have been put right there is something radically wrong with the Christian life that does not result in a different life-walk in the newness of life.
Thus as someone said: “pay more attention to what they do than what they say.”
Prayer
Holy Father, thank You for loving us enough to grant us new life in the forgiveness granted us by Your Son, Jesus, the Christ. Help us live that new life during our time upon Your earth. Amen.