Ephesians 2:1-10
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with a believer who was once an atheist. He is a homicide detective who helps solve cold case homicides. His investigation of Jesus through the claims of the Gospels is what led him to accept Christianity as truth. Even as an atheist, he says he believed in the supernatural occurrence of major events such as creation––he just didn’t believe it to be caused by the supernatural being of God.
Even those who claim to have no belief in God, have an innate knowledge of Him through general revelation (the truth that God has revealed Himself to all people through His creation). Ephesians 2 touches on God’s desire that each of us know Him. Before the dawn of time, He prepared a way––the Way––for us to live. We are created for Him and His glory; because He has also blessed us with free will, it’s on us to choose that way He created for us. Like the passage above reminds us, even when we were dead in our own sin––meaning, stuck in our own depravity––He provided the way to eternal life through Jesus.
Additionally, we are the product of His skill, His workmanship. He desires for us to choose Him and use the talents He designed within us to glorify Him. What an honor to serve a God who loves us beyond our imagination!
Follow the SHINE Time devotional tool to dive deeper into today’s scripture!
Seek the Lord in prayer.
Highlight a characteristic of God.
Identify a truth about yourself or people.
Notice what the Holy Spirit is communicating to you.
Engage in the next action step. Think of a way to respond in obedience to what God has revealed to you today.


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