A Walk Through: Ephesians 2

        Today I’ve started the first of a very new blog series I’ve decided to begin called “A Walk Through,” which will take us on walks through all different kinds of Bible passages. I haven’t decided if it will be a once a week post or if it will just be more of a whenever-I’m-inspired type of thing, so I’ll get back to you on that. As for today, I’ve decided to start with Ephesians since that is what I’ve been pouring over in some of my own personal study time. I’ve been diving into chapter two, verses one through ten, so that’s what I’ll focus on today.

        Without God, we are dead in our sins, with no hope and no purpose and no meaning in our lives (Eph. 2:1). We live as followers of the prince of the world (Satan) and are hopelessly lost to the ways of the earth, with no way out and no way to turn (2:2). We have all been this way since the beginning of time, trapped by the temptations of our sinful natures, doing whatever our hearts desire rather than what the Lord calls us to do. Just like everyone else, we are—by nature—completely and utterly deserving of every single ounce of God’s wrath (2:3).

        But (and there are so many wonderful promises in the Bible that begin with that word) because our Father has a great, unimaginable love for us, and is full of mercy, He made us alive—completely new creations—with Christ even while we were yet dead in our sins. For it is by God’s incomparable grace we were saved (2:4-5). With Christ Jesus, He raised us up out of our pit of sin and desperation and placed us with Him in Heaven, so that in the future he could show us the matchless riches of His limitless grace, which is expressed to us through His kindness displayed in Christ Jesus (2:6-7). And it is by this wonderful grace—and through faith—that we are rescued from our sins and the trappings of this world.

        But this has nothing to do with anything we have ever said or done; we are not saved by our own power or because of our own merit. We are saved purely because our God is a loving and merciful God—so loving that He gives us the gift of salvation. Even though he doesn’t have to and even though we don’t deserve it, He saves us, but in a way that makes it impossible for any man to boast (2:8-9).

        For we all are perfect examples of God’s amazing handiwork, and are created after His own image, purely so that we can glorify Him. We have been given the purpose of doing good works, all of which God has planned in advance for us to do (2:10). He has given us all specific “good works” that only we can do, and it is our privilege to bring glory to Him in such a way. As we—with His help of course—fulfill the purpose He set aside for us, we are also able to fulfill the great purpose of all mankind: to glorify God.

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