Day 1: Remembering Where We Came From
Reading: Ephesians 2:1-3
Made Alive in Christ
2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.
Footnotes
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Devotional:
It is easy, once we have walked with Jesus for a while, to forget what life looked like before him. Paul did not let the Ephesians forget. He opened with a sobering reminder: they were once dead in their disobedience, following the pull of a sinful nature they could not escape on their own. This was not meant to shame them. It was meant to keep them tethered to compassion. When we remember the darkness we were rescued from, we stop drawing lines between ourselves and those still in it. Humility before God begins with an honest memory.
What parts of your life before Christ do you tend to minimize or forget? How might remembering them more honestly change the way you see people who do not yet know Jesus?
Think of one person in your life who does not know Jesus. Spend time today praying for them with the specific awareness that you were once in the same position they are in now.
Made Alive in Christ
2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.
Footnotes
- Ephesians 2:3 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Devotional:
It is easy, once we have walked with Jesus for a while, to forget what life looked like before him. Paul did not let the Ephesians forget. He opened with a sobering reminder: they were once dead in their disobedience, following the pull of a sinful nature they could not escape on their own. This was not meant to shame them. It was meant to keep them tethered to compassion. When we remember the darkness we were rescued from, we stop drawing lines between ourselves and those still in it. Humility before God begins with an honest memory.
What parts of your life before Christ do you tend to minimize or forget? How might remembering them more honestly change the way you see people who do not yet know Jesus?
Think of one person in your life who does not know Jesus. Spend time today praying for them with the specific awareness that you were once in the same position they are in now.
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2 Comments
I think it’s easy to honestly still live in the past and forget what life is supposed to look like with Jesus rather than forget what it was like before Him. And that’s where the enemy wants us to be. Trapped in past lifestyles, actions, etc. We have to daily make the decision to follow Christ wholeheartedly.
I agree, Satan doesn’t want us to grow in our relationship with Christ. He wants to destroy our joy in the Lord, trying to keep us from encouraging other believers and from adding new converts to the kingdom. In the Name of Jesus, Satan get behind us!
nWe need to make a daily choice to follow Christ with our whole heart. As our relationship grows with Christ, we will recognize opportunities the Lord gives us to encourage others in the faith, both fellow believers and nonbelievers. Our human nature is to judge people by their actions, but we need to let God be the judge. When we include Christ in all our conversations with all people, we must trust that God is speaking to their hearts in the way He knows they need. Based on their response, we trust God to give us the words to plant the seeds. That’s the miracle of faith! Put the outcome into God’s capable hands.