Life, Joy, Never-ending Pleasures
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:4)
Who wants life, joy, and never-ending pleasures? Like Abraham’s question below we do not need to wait for the answer. It is generally a given.
We spend much of our earthly life seeking good things, desiring them, longing for them, working for them. It is almost as if deep down we kind of know they are achievable. Our text here is telling us that they are achievable. True life and the good things we are saved to, once we are saved from death, are attainable.
However, we are wasting our time trying to attain them in our own strength and looking in the wrong places. It is only by God’s grace that we are saved, and that because of His great love and His perfect justice and mercy.
If you do not know God. If you have not put your trust in Jesus. If you have not looked to the Son and trusted in Him and received eternal life, I urge you to not delay, to not put off seeking the truth about Jesus. Act on it today, ask Jesus for it and receive this precious gift of true life from your Creator, from the One who made you, who owns you, who loves you and who wants to have a living relationship with you.
If you have already looked to Jesus in complete trust then you are made alive in Christ. Whereas before: “you were dead in your transgressions and sins,… gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Whereas before you “were by nature objects of wrath.” But now, “because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved…, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:1-9):
Jesus Christ and His atoning death on the cross is at the centre of God’s plan to redeem His creation and a people for Himself by justly dealing with sin and reconciling sinners to Himself. Let us therefore live out our earthly lives reflecting the love and mercy which our Redeemer God has shown to us.
As Abraham asked, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?" (Gen. 18:25) We know that God's holy nature requires justice, we must be judged for our sins for them to be removed, the judgment being eternal death (Rom. 6:23). We also know that God is love. We know that He loved the world so much that He sent His Son to die for His people's sins (John 3:16). Jesus died as "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29b).
We are justly saved because of God's perfect plan of salvation demonstrating His perfect justice and His perfect mercy.
Therefore, being saved from eternal death, saved for Jesus’ name sake, and saved to a new life in Christ Jesus, let us live out our earthly lives in light of this reality, seeking the fullness of joy in glorifying our loving, just and merciful God.
“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11)
Photo and reflection by Craig Manners
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:4)
Who wants life, joy, and never-ending pleasures? Like Abraham’s question below we do not need to wait for the answer. It is generally a given.
We spend much of our earthly life seeking good things, desiring them, longing for them, working for them. It is almost as if deep down we kind of know they are achievable. Our text here is telling us that they are achievable. True life and the good things we are saved to, once we are saved from death, are attainable.
However, we are wasting our time trying to attain them in our own strength and looking in the wrong places. It is only by God’s grace that we are saved, and that because of His great love and His perfect justice and mercy.
If you do not know God. If you have not put your trust in Jesus. If you have not looked to the Son and trusted in Him and received eternal life, I urge you to not delay, to not put off seeking the truth about Jesus. Act on it today, ask Jesus for it and receive this precious gift of true life from your Creator, from the One who made you, who owns you, who loves you and who wants to have a living relationship with you.
If you have already looked to Jesus in complete trust then you are made alive in Christ. Whereas before: “you were dead in your transgressions and sins,… gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Whereas before you “were by nature objects of wrath.” But now, “because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved…, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:1-9):
Jesus Christ and His atoning death on the cross is at the centre of God’s plan to redeem His creation and a people for Himself by justly dealing with sin and reconciling sinners to Himself. Let us therefore live out our earthly lives reflecting the love and mercy which our Redeemer God has shown to us.
As Abraham asked, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?" (Gen. 18:25) We know that God's holy nature requires justice, we must be judged for our sins for them to be removed, the judgment being eternal death (Rom. 6:23). We also know that God is love. We know that He loved the world so much that He sent His Son to die for His people's sins (John 3:16). Jesus died as "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29b).
We are justly saved because of God's perfect plan of salvation demonstrating His perfect justice and His perfect mercy.
Therefore, being saved from eternal death, saved for Jesus’ name sake, and saved to a new life in Christ Jesus, let us live out our earthly lives in light of this reality, seeking the fullness of joy in glorifying our loving, just and merciful God.
“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11)
Photo and reflection by Craig Manners
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