WEEKLY DEVOTION

Raised to Life by God’s Grace in Christ Jesus

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:4-7 (Read v. 1-10)

We were dead in trespasses and sins. We were born into this world, not alive but dead - spiritually dead. We did not and could not love God our Maker with all our heart, soul and mind. We didn’t and couldn’t trust Him or seek His honor and glory. Rather, we were lovers of self and sought to use God and others for our own selfish and sinful desires. We were disobedient to God’s commandments, did not walk in His ways and were headed for eternal death and damnation.

Yet, as Christ was raised from the dead and exalted to the right hand of God the Father after He was sacrificed for us upon the cross, for our sins, so God has graciously called us to life through the Gospel and raised us up from spiritual darkness and death to life in Christ Jesus. Through the Gospel, He has assured us that we are acceptable in His sight for the sake of Christ’s holy life and innocent sufferings and death in our place. He has assured us that all our sins are washed away for the sake of Christ’s blood, shed for us upon the cross.

And as believers, God the Father has raised us up with Christ to sit with Him in the heavenly realms, and we will reign with Him in His eternal kingdom.

And why did He do it? “That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

Now we don’t begin to grasp the riches of God’s grace toward us in Christ Jesus, but when we are in heaven with Jesus, we will see and know how great God’s kindness toward us in Christ truly is.

Dear gracious and merciful Father, thank You for the redemption You provided for us in Christ Jesus and for graciously calling us to life through the Gospel and bringing us to know and trust in Your Son as our Savior. Open our eyes that we might see and appreciate the richness of your grace toward us in Christ.

[Devotion by Randy Moll. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]