Made Alive with Christ Ephesians 2:5

Paul the apostle shared how God made he and the church members of Ephesus “alive” who were once “dead in” their “trespasses and sins”. They had “walked according to the course of this world” and “according to the prince of the power of the air” which is “the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience”. They lived their former lives “in the lusts of” their “flesh”, as they “fulfilled the desires of the flesh and the mind” because they were “by nature the children of wrath, even as others” were. Paul told the Ephesians God is “rich in mercy” because of “his great love” whereby “he loved us”, and in chapter two and verse five of his letter to them, Paul referred to how God has “quickened us together with Christ” as he mentioned, “by grace are you saved”. We read:

Even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

The verse begins, “Even when we were dead in sins,...” Paul began with the words, “Even when” or “also and indeed at what time” “we were dead” which literally means “one that has breathed his last, deceased, departed, destitute of life and inanimate” and metaphorically means “spiritually dead or destitute of a life that recognizes and is devoted to God” “in sins” or “misdeeds, a lapses or deviations from truth and uprightness”. God extended his “mercy and great love” toward us even while were were “spiritually dead” and “destitute of a life that recognizes God”.

The verse continues, “...has quickened us together with Christ, (by grace you are saved;)” Paul added, “has quickened us together” which means “made us alive together as Christians” “with Christ” which refers to “the anointed one, messiah and Son of God”, “(by grace)” or “that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness, goodwill, lovingkindness and unmerited favor” “you are saved” which means “kept safe, preserved and sound and rescued from the danger, destruction and penalties of the Messianic judgment”. God “made us alive” with Jesus “Christ” according to His “unmerited favor” whereby we are “saved” from His wrath which will certainly come.

When we meditate upon Paul's words, we marvel at the abounding “love” and “mercy” of God Almighty and His Son Jesus Christ. He did not wait for us to “straighten out” our lives before He made provision for our “salvation”, but He provided for us well in advance of us ever receiving His wonderful gift. We were “dead in our sins” which means “spiritually dead” to God, and yet, He extended His “grace” toward us that we might not only escape the wrath which will fall upon those who do not receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but also that we might have a relationship with Him. May all praise, glory and honor be given unto God, and to His Son Jesus Christ for their abundant “mercy, grace and love” which abound toward us.

Next time Paul shares how God has “raised us up” and set us “in heavenly places”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.