Day 1: You Were... But God!
Ephesians chapter 2 is a powerful passage in the New Testament that highlights the transformative work of God's grace in the lives of believers. This chapter offers deep insights into the concepts of redemption and reconciliation, shedding light on the amazing love and mercy of God towards humanity.
Read Ephesians 2:1-10
"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
Consider
The first 3 verses of Chapter 2 paint a grim picture of humanity. We were dead in sin, children of wrath, without hope. But then we read the glorious start of verse 4: "But God!"
We don't like to think about our former selves very often because it makes us feel bad or ashamed, but I think sometimes it's necessary. Not because we deserve to be punished, but because we need to remember where we came from so we can revel in the "But God!" That's our testimony! We were once awful, horrible, sinful lost souls- But God didn't leave us there!
There is such power in that truth, but it's difficult to feel the weight of that amazing power unless we first feel the weight of our sin. And again, we are not to wallow in self-pity and stay in that shameful mindset. But we have to remember where we came from in order to share our "But God" moments through our testimony.
I encourage you to take a few minutes to remember how bleak it was before knowing Christ. And then take several minutes to focus on the "But God" moments and praise Him for His goodness! How can you use this testimony this week to encourage someone?
Pray
Father God,
I was lost. I was a mess. I thought I was beyond saving. But YOU. You came for ME. For everyone! You are rich in mercy, abounding in love! Thank You for Your saving grace! Lord, please help me to remember my testimony and to be bold enough to share it this week. Amen.