Skip to main content

Lent Day 3

Scripture Reading

Ephesians 2:1-10


This wonderful passage reminds us of the grace of God at work in our lives. It is God's grace that saves us. Saves us from what? "The ways of this world" (vs. 2). This passage not only reminds us of the grace of God that has brought us from death to life, from darkness to light, from sin to salvation, but it is an encouraging passage for evangelism. Our witness for the Lord can be strengthened by these verses because in them we see the hopelessness of a life without Christ, a life that we used to live. Even if you came to know Christ at an early age you can identify with what Paul is stating in this passage because we are included in Adam's sin and the despair that surrounds those without Christ. We can see the lives of people all around us and see how meaningless it is to live entrapped by sin because they don't have a relationship with God. We can also look back and remember what our lives use to be and how God in his infinite grace changed our hearts and lives.  God's work in our lives should motivate us to share with others the story of God's love for them through the cross of Christ. 


Notice also that we are God's workmanship. We are God's masterpiece...in progress. Many of the great paintings, sculptures, and architectural designs were not created overnight. They were crafted with much thought, preparation, and hard work. The same is true in our own lives. God is not finished with you once you get saved and join the church. His work with you will not be complete until we are perfected in heaven. Let that thought encourage you on this journey to the cross and the empty tomb. The world thought that the cross mean Jesus was finished, but God had other plans.


Prayer: Infinitely gracious Lord, I acknowledge that you alone are the source of my salvation because you are full of grace and mercy. Thank you for your gift of grace that has changed me from being dead to fully alive in you. Amen. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Lent Day 43

Scripture Reading Matthew 26:14-25 Have you ever betrayed someone? Betrayal...even the word evokes horrible images. Betrayal can take the form of unfaithfulness to a spouse or love one, lying or telling partial truth. It can take many different forms. Have you ever spoken cruelly about someone behind their back or have you chosen to not stand up for someone who is the punch line of an ugly joke? Have you ever broken a promise to a friend or family member? I am guilty of all these things. We are quick to cast stones at Judas. Obviously, with good reason, he betrayed Christ into the hands of those who would crucify him. Judas was a part of God's plan for the world's redemption. I have to ask myself, in what ways am I like Judas? What in my life, in words, in heart and in actions, is betraying my devotion and love for God? What am I willing to "sell" my relationship with God in exchange for something else? There is always something that competes for our loyalty to Christ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Lent Day 32

Scripture Reading Matthew 13:31-32 Jesus loved to use parables to teach people the truth of the kingdom of God. When Jesus taught using parables he was taking an example from the everyday life of his followers and using it to explain something about heaven or what it means to be a Christ follower.  In this very short parable, which is followed by an even shorter one, Jesus compares the Kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed. As Jesus says in the parable, the mustard seed was the smallest seed used by farmers during that time. The amazing thing about it was that it would grow and become quite large. The comparison that Jesus is making is that the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven starts out small but grows into something very large.  Think about it this way, the kingdom of heaven began with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, but through God's plan of redemption through Jesus' death on the cross it has grown to include millions of people throughout the cent...
Post a Comment
Read more

Lent Day 34

  Scripture Reading Matthew 7:21-27 The kingdom of heaven belongs to those who do the will of God the Father. It's interesting that Jesus says that there will be some who will have done miracles, cast out demons, and preached in his name who will not enter heaven because they didn't have a relationship with God. It seems that there are some who will appear to be followers of Jesus but really aren't. Perhaps it is also possible that there are some who by most standards one would not consider a Christian but who are actually busy doing the will of God and thus will be allowed entrance into the kingdom of heaven. It is not left up to us to make those decisions, our responsibility is to be doing God's will as we serve him on this earth.  Jesus illustrates his point by telling the story of the wise and foolish builders. Do you remember the children's song about this story? "The wise man built his house upon the rock/the foolish man built his house upon the sand/the ...
Post a Comment
Read more