We begin a new three-week worship series this coming Sunday called A NEW YOU (in just 400,000 hours). Our reading for Sunday is from Ephesians 2.1-10. Here is a link to the text.
The author of Ephesians focuses on the immeasurable nature of Grace by examining the “before and after” of Christian life in this brief section. In his commentary on this passage Fred Craddock writes,
What does it mean…to become a Christian?” The Ephesians text answers the question experientially. The language is vivid: You were dead. This is to say, you were caught in a futile way of life obedient to desires of the flesh, seeking the approval of your culture, heeding every inclination that led away from God, aimless and helpless to extricate yourself. But God, rich in love and mercy, by free unmerited favor quickened your life and set you in a safe place in the constant presence of Christ. You are now alive, but not simply in order to enjoy God’s grace. You have been created again as God’s masterpiece for two purposes: to show what God can do through Jesus Christ, and to serve human need, engaging in good works which reflect the nature of God as gracious love.
Take a few moments to reflect upon your own experience with “becoming a Christian.” Have you had a “before” and an “after” in relationship to faith? What was it like for you to be “dead?” What has it been like for you to be “alive?” How did the change (dare we say conversion) unfold?
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