We were once dead ∙∙

We were once dead ∙∙

Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. – Ephesians 2:1

Ephesians 2:1-10

 1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins.

 4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much,

 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)

 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

The mention of cancer often elicits intense fear and anxiety. However, it’s important to note that our immune systems are inherently equipped to combat cancer effectively. A healthy immune system routinely identifies and eradicates cancer cells. Conversely, a weakened immune system allows cancer to proliferate and pose a significant threat to life.

Every normal cell in our body has a built-in termination date. When they are no longer needed, they commit suicide. This is also called Programmed Cell Death (PCD). However, some cells are abnormal and do not die off. They continue to divide and multiply indefinitely. The term “cancer” refers to the unchecked growth of deviant cells that refuse to die.

For those diagnosed with cancer, the realization of their condition and its potential lethality without treatment is daunting. Yet, in the modern era, early detection and appropriate medical intervention make survival possible.

Sadly, many people think of sin in much the same way they think of the early stages of cancer. They underestimate its severity. They may be ill, but they will probably survive.

However, the Bible offers a starkly different perspective on sin. It doesn’t equate sin with an illness that can be treated or a fatal disease that will eventually lead to death. This may surprise you. But what comes next is even more surprising.

All of the descendants of Adam and Eve are fallen creatures and inherit human sin in the same way they acquire DNA from their parents. When they inherit sin, they inherit death!

Ephesians 2:1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.

It’s conceivable that, in the future, medical science will find a cure for cancer. But there is absolutely nothing that sinful people can do to cure sin. It may sound extraordinary, but at the moment we are born and breathe our first breath of life, we are already dead.

What people could never accomplish; the Father God has accomplished!

Ephesians 2:4-5

 4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much,

 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)

That is one of the remarkable miracles the Father has done on behalf of each child of the King and explained in His word. Why would the Father do such a wonderful thing for us? It was part of His plan for all children of the King from the beginning.

REFLECT & PRAY

The Father has mapped out a spiritual path for every child of the King to follow. It is our responsibility to allow Him to show us His path for us. We need only accept His path as our path.

Father thank You that although I was completely dead in my sins and transgressions, You chose to make me alive. Help me to see myself as You see me, a masterpiece in the making.

INSIGHT

But there’s more. The Father has great dreams and plans for each child of the King. Now that we are alive, He is at work in us to fulfill those dreams and plans. He never makes mistakes! Often, it may seem that way to us, but that’s only the way it seems. “God doesn’t make junk” (Ethel Waters).

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

The word translated as masterpiece, handiwork, or, more commonly, workmanship comes from the Greek noun poiema. It is derived from the Greek verb poieo, a common word translated as do or make. The English word “poem” is derived from this Greek word. Each child of the King is one of His intelligently conceived poems.

When the Father looks at one of His children, He sees the finished product of His artistic creativity. On planet Earth, we are a work in progress. But from His perspective, His work is already finished, and we are a completed masterpiece, a work of art. The Father is the great master artist, and each of us, while on earth, is one of His unfinished canvases.

But to what end? The Father has a purpose for each of His spiritual poems, His works of art. He has created us anew in the Lord Jesus Christ so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago. – Ephesians 2:10

Our task is to do good all the days of our lives. Because of our new life in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are now the “living dead.” As such, we are to do good for the benefit of others and the Father’s kingdom. That is precisely what He is equipping us to do.

From the Father’s eternal perspective, His work in us is already finished, and our work for Him is already completed.

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© Dr. H 2024