Notes of Faith August 7, 2024
No Longer Dead
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked.
Ephesians 2:1-2
It is often said that Christianity is different from all the world’s religions in one critical regard. All the other religions are man’s attempt to reach God, whereas Christianity consists of God reaching out to man. In religion, man is reaching up to heaven to find God. In Christianity, God is reaching down to earth to find man.
What is the basis for this distinction? It is found in Ephesians 2:1: “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” First, mankind is spiritually dead apart from Christ. Spiritually dead people have no interest in seeking after the one, true God or the ability to understand spiritual truth (Romans 3:10-18). Second, God took the initiative in imparting life to spiritually dead people. Without God taking that initiative, we would have remained spiritually dead in our sins. We have been saved by grace, not by our own religious efforts to be approved by God (Ephesians 2:8-9).
If you belong to Christ, you are no longer what you once were thanks to the regenerating power of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:11). Thank Him for the new life you have received by grace.
Unless you live in Christ, you are dead to God.
Rowland Hill
Gal 2:20
20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me
Praise God for His plan of salvation and redemption. We were judged and condemned in sin, nothing to look forward to but separation from God, tormented forever… “But God”… sent His Son into the world, to die for the world, that the world might be saved and redeemed through believing in Him.
May we live a life that gives proof that we are living in Christ. Christ in us the hope of glory!
Pastor Dale