Welcome back!
Fun fact/ cool story: My MBTI is ESFJ-A. This means I’m extroverted, observant, a person that relies a lot on feelings, judging, and quite assertive. What are your MBTI’s?
Plan
Today, we’ll just finish off Ephesians 2:1-10, starting from verse 4.
The reason I decided to leave the majority of these verses until today is because Ephesians 2:1-3 make one point, while Ephesians 2:4-10 make one point. It would have been confusing if I had to discuss two points yesterday and repeat myself today.
Let’s pray.
Prayer
Heavenly father, thank you for today and thank you for forgiving our sins. We are such fallen creatures, but you still show us your grace and forgiveness. Please bless us today and help us grow closer to you. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
Scripture
Ephesians 2:4-10
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Make sure to read it again a few times!
Analysis and Interpretation
| Verse(s) | Analysis and Interpretation |
| 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. | These verses are highlighting that, even though we do not deserve God’s forgiveness and grace, he gives it to us, as he loves us; a love incomparable to any love that this world has seen before. What we need to understand is that we are saved by God’s grace, and that only. This is the only way it makes sense as if this were not the case and our salvation was determined by our actions, none of us would be worthy of being saved. |
| 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. | These verses explain that, through God’s love, we are raised from the dead (I explained what this means in my first post), with Jesus, and reserved a spot in heaven, where we can enjoy an eternal, loving relationship with God. Verse seven was quite confusing at first, but gets easier, the more you read it. It basically means that God will bless us and show us grace , through Jesus, throughout our journey of faith. The phrase “coming ages” is not referring to a specific date, but instead referring to all of time. |
| 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. | This may seem at first to contradict what I have said earlier, but read it closely. Right after it says “through faith” it explains that “this is not from yourselves”. What this means is that God was the one that planted the seed of faith in our souls, allowing us to grow it, with his assistance and guidance; although what we do with the seed, planted in us by God, is a mix of our efforts and God’s will, the initiation of our faith is all God. Without God, we would never have been given the opportunity to accept Christ. This puts us all on the same level as each other as we are all the works of God’s grace and forgiveness. |
| 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. | This verse is a beautiful one. It tells us that we are a masterpiece of God, created in his own image. Furthermore, God has a plan for all of us; “plans to prosper” us and not to “harm us”1. Amen. |
Summary
These verses tells us that we are all saved through God’s grace and that we should trust in God as he has plans for us.
Reflection
Personally, I sometimes forget that where I am today has all been God. When you account the fact that the reason you are living in the country you are in, living with the parents you have, going to the school you are going to, hanging out with the friends you have, have the hobbies you have, have the personality that you have, we realize how much God has helped us. If we feel like God is distant and he is intentionally hiding from us, let us not fear nor doubt for he is always in control; he has a plan for us and will eventually give us the “crown of life” for enduring the “trial”2. That is a promise from God.
Prayer
Father God, thank you for today and forgiving our sins. Although it may be hard right now, I will continue to trust in you as you are the “alpha and omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end”3. Please bless me and those around me. Please help me be more like you. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen
Thanks for reading and have a great day!!! 🙂