Alive In Christ

"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." - Ephesians 2:4-5 Before we dive into the good news from Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus, it's important to point out the bad news. The bad news is that by nature, you are dead in your trespasses. In other words, you are spiritually dead. You may say, "I don't feel spiritually dead" but according to God's Word, you are. But here's the good news: God is rich in mercy. Mercy means God shows his goodness to people desperately in need of it. God shows not just mercy but his love to you by making you alive with Christ. This is called the doctrine of regeneration: God giving new spiritual life to all who trust in Christ. Finally, Paul summarizes: by grace you have been saved. Grace means God shows his goodness to people who don't deserve it. So God saves all who trust in Christ from spiritual death. What does this have to do with you? Well, have you acknowledged that you are spiritually dead? Are you honest about the current state of your relationship with God? If you have confessed your spiritual death, have you turned to Christ for God's mercy and love? Even now, are you trusting that Jesus is enough to make you spiritually alive? Or are you reliant upon something else: your church attendance, Bible reading, prayers, financial gifts to the church, etc.? It's only when you come to the end of yourself that you can discover a thriving relationship with Jesus Christ. God offers you new life - here and now. Take him up on his offer and embrace his grace in Jesus today. For Jesus, Pastor Mark