Ephesians 2:1-10

August 13, 2024

1Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2  You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3  All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

4  But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5  that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6  For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7  So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

8  God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10  For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Ephesians 2:1-10 (NLT)

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians clarifies what life looked like before Christ and what it can look like after we’ve made the best decision to accept God’s gift of salvation and follow Jesus. In this section of Ephesians, which we are focusing on today, we are reminded of God’s amazing grace. We were dead in our sins, but because He is so rich in mercy and loves us so much, He made a way to give us life.

“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” Eph 2: 8,9 NLT

But it doesn’t stop there! He doesn’t just make us alive in Christ; He gives us a divine destiny.

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Eph 9:10 NLT

As you process this section of Ephesians today, thank God for His salvation and His divine destiny in your life.

Tip for Today: If this concept of divine destiny is new to you or you are unclear about what that looks like in your life, pray for clarity on the “good things” He has for you to do today and start with that. Divine destiny does not need to feel complicated. It’s in one step of obedience after another.