Have you ever stopped to truly contemplate the depth of God's love for you? It's a love so vast, so incomprehensible, that it takes an eternity to fully grasp. This isn't just flowery language or poetic exaggeration – it's a profound truth that can radically change how we view ourselves and our purpose in this world.
Let's start by painting a stark picture. The Bible doesn't mince words when describing our natural state apart from God. We were "dead in our transgressions and sins," following the ways of this world and the ruler of the kingdom of the air. We gratified the cravings of our flesh, deserving of wrath. It's a bleak portrait, isn't it? Dead, enslaved, and rebellious.
But then comes the most beautiful phrase: "But God."
These two simple words signal a dramatic shift, a divine intervention that changes everything. Because of His great love and rich mercy, God made us alive with Christ. Even when we were spiritually dead, God's grace stepped in and saved us.
This salvation isn't just about avoiding punishment or getting a ticket to heaven. It's so much more profound. God "raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms." Think about that for a moment. We who were once dead and deserving of wrath are now exalted, lifted to a position of honor alongside Christ himself.
Why would God do this? The answer is both humbling and awe-inspiring: "in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus." God's kindness towards us is so immense that it will take ages upon ages to fully express it. Let that sink in – the omnipotent, eternal God has an eternity's worth of kindness He wants to lavish upon you.
At the heart of this incredible transformation is grace. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." Grace is often defined as unmerited favor, but it's helpful to think of it in terms of a gift. When we receive a gift, it's not because we've earned it or deserve it. It's freely given out of the generosity and love of the giver.
This gift of grace is so radical, so complete, that it leaves no room for boasting. We can't point to anything we've done to deserve it. We can't compare ourselves to others and feel superior. The playing field is utterly leveled at the foot of the cross. Whether we see ourselves as mostly good people who've made a few mistakes or as the worst of sinners, the truth is we all missed the mark. Like archers shooting wildly off target, we all fell short of God's glory.
But here's where it gets even more incredible. Not only does God save us by His grace, but He also recreates us for a purpose. "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." The word translated as "handiwork" here is the Greek "poiema," from which we get our word "poem." You are God's masterpiece, His work of art, crafted with intention and purpose.
This purpose isn't something we have to frantically search for or agonize over. God has already prepared good works for us to do. Our job is simply to walk in them, to live out the reality of who God has made us to be in Christ.
This truth should radically alter how we view ourselves and our lives. We're no longer defined by our past failures or our present struggles. We're not limited by our own strength or abilities. We are new creations, alive in Christ, seated in heavenly realms, and empowered to do good works that God Himself has prepared for us.
But here's a sobering question we must ask ourselves: Have we lost sight of this incredible reality? Have we, like the church in Ephesus that Jesus addressed in Revelation, forsaken our first love? It's all too easy to settle into spiritual autopilot, to become so focused on the mundane details of life that we lose sight of the grand purpose for which we've been saved and recreated.
The 19th-century preacher Charles Spurgeon once used a vivid illustration to describe this danger. He spoke of a dog in a kennel, so focused on the fleas biting him that he's miserable and restless. But that same dog, when out on a hunt, is so engaged in his purpose that he doesn't even notice the fleas. Which dog are we? Are we bogged down by the irritations and distractions of life, or are we so engaged in the purpose God has for us that everything else fades into the background?
The invitation is clear: to reconnect with that first love, to feel anew the weight of God's grace. Not in a way that brings shame – for there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus – but in a way that fills us with wonder and propels us into purposeful living.
You are no longer a dead, rebellious traitor. You have been made alive in Christ, seated with Him in heavenly realms. You are God's masterpiece, created for good works that He has prepared in advance. This is your identity, your reality, your calling.
So let us push aside anything that holds us back from fully embracing this new life. Let us turn away from old patterns of thinking and living that no longer align with who we truly are in Christ. Instead, let's welcome the radical work God wants to do in and through us. Let's step into the purpose He has prepared, confident in His grace and empowered by His Spirit.
For in doing so, we not only find our truest selves, but we also become living testimonies to the incomparable riches of God's grace, expressing His kindness to a world desperately in need of hope.