OUR PAST IS BEHIND US FOREVER (Ephesians 2:1--10)

Once you were dead, doomed forever because of your many sins.  You used to live just like the rest of the world, full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air.  He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.  All of us used to live that way, following the passions and desires of our evil nature.  We were born with an evil nature, and we were under God's anger just like everyone else.

But God is so rich in mercy, and loved us so very much, that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.(It is only by God's favor that you have been saved).  For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and we are seated with him in the heavenly realms---all because we are one with Christ Jesus.  And so God can always point to us as examples of the incredible wealth of his favor and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us through Christ Jesus.

That is actually an incredible picture and contrast between God and us.  We could esteem ourselves still a pretty good person and morally doing all that is right and still fall short of what God's description of what living righteously means.  We are only righteous through his Son Jesus Christ.  In this passage, Paul is addressing the Christians of Ephesus and telling them that it was what they used to be.  This is the reality of what any Christians used to be.

The life before we become Christians is utterly disgusting to God.  So disgusting that he does not want to even look at us.  In verse 3, (the underlined part) we were under God's anger, he had turned his face away from us.  He just does not like rebellion.  The Bible even says that our righteousness is as filthy rags, and that means filthy.

Look at Isaiah 64:5-6, But we are not godly.  We are constant sinners, so your anger is heavy on us.  How can people like us be saved?  We are all infected and impure with sin.  When we proudly display our righteous deeds, we find they are but filthy rags.  Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall.  And our sins, like the wind sweep us away.

We were, yes, in a sad state, utterly hopeless state but thank God because of Christ and what he did for us through his resurrection God turned his face, he did it!  Imagine that! We were destined to being doomed forever but because of what Christ did, he raised us with him.  God's Holy Spirit by his work in bringing us to our knees at the right time has saved us by his grace.  How amazing is that?  We deserve no honor, no pat in the back, it is all him.  He made the choice and now in his great mercy has turned his face toward us.  How gracious is he?  We thank him for that and making Christ our Savior.

Have a great day!