Life Before Grace Grace is the unmerited love that God shows to sinful people. Because of grace, we’re forgiven by God and adopted into His family. Read | Ephesians 2:1-3 Grace is the unmerited love that God shows to sinful people. He expressed this love through the sacrificial death of His Son. It becomes ours when we confess that we are sinners and receive Jesus Christ as our Savior. Because of grace, we’re forgiven by God and adopted into His family. Today’s passage describes our life before grace—we were dead in our trespasses and sins. This means that every person is born with a deadness to the things of God; we come into this world with no spiritual life. Our nature leans away from the Lord and toward ourselves. In addition, our thinking and behavior follow that of the world, which, according to Scripture, is under Satan’s control. His plan always opposes God’s and leads us to rebel against divine commands. Before encountering grace, Paul was very religious but blind to the Lord’s perspective and plan. He actively opposed those who followed Christ (Acts 26:9-11). With a goal of destroying the church, he sought to eradicate the Christian faith, which he deemed false. Paul continued persecuting believers until he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus (9:3-6). Only then did the future apostle surrender his will to God’s and become a true follower of Christ. If you have not trusted in the Savior, then you are spiritually dead, separated from God, and under His judgment. Like Paul, you may be very religious and yet lack a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. God offers you salvation today through faith in Him. How will you respond?
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 12:01:38 +0000