Ephesians 2:1-7 (TPT) Made Alive with Christ
2 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 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!) 6 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. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.
How deeply does God love you? Listen up! He loves you so much he found a way to raise you from dead living! All believers share in the likeness of his resurrection. In fact, you are an example to the world of the incredible wealth of God’s love, grace, and kindness. Therefore, out of a spirit of gratitude for all he has done for us, we respond by living in obedience to God. We stand against the devil, because obeying God has become the greatest desire of our hearts. Because of our connection to Christ, we are not subjected to God’s anger. Instead, he permeates our lives with the Spirit, so we may reveal to the world the depth of our love and worship.
Prayer: Father, thank you for your extravagant love, grace, and kindness toward me. I am so grateful for the blood of Jesus covering me and helping me live in a way that honors you.