Because of His great love...

Good Morning,

Ephesians 2:4-7 (NIV)
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. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 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.

I think that we need this reminder we read today in Ephesians every once in a while. Sometimes we tend to forget, or at least don't bring to mind, some very important things that are given to us in the Bible. This especially happens when our lives have become difficult and we face challenges or problems what seems like every day. So, it's very good that we are reminded of God's love and all that He's done for us.

You know, our Lord didn't come to do all He did AFTER humanity had confessed its sins and repented of them. No, Jesus came so that we could be saved in spite of our sin and our sinning ways. "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." This is so very important for us to remember...every day.

Am I a sinner? Are you? The answer, of course, is yes, we are sinners. So, does this mean that God doesn't love us and care about us? Of course NOT! Nothing could be further from the truth. But, even though we sin and are sinners, God still loves us and shows us mercy. Today's verses tell us that very clearly. God shows His love and mercy by "making us alive with Christ." Something else we sometime forget is the fact that there's more to being alive than just having a heart beat and breathing in and out. We've been made alive in our spirits and our very being. That, my friends, is even more important than the heart beat and breathing! Being alive with Christ in our spirits is what being alive really is.

I say that because of what we read, "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms." This is the ultimate goal for you and for me. This is what awaits us at the end of this journey on the earth.

We will be shown "the incomparable riches of His grace," when we finally reach heaven. Then, not only will we see all of this but we will experience it and be in the presence of the Lord God of all.

So, I'm thankful today for this reminder that has come our way. "Because of His great love for us..." That's what we all need to have firmly in our minds and our hearts and our spirits...all the time.

Love, peace, and blessings,

David