Day 1: Remembering Where You Came From

Reading: Ephesians 2:1-10

By Grace Through Faith

2 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course[a] of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.[b] 4 But[c] God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

 Footnotes

[a]Ephesians 2:2 Or age
[b]Ephesians 2:3 Greek like the rest
[c]Ephesians 2:4 Or And

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Devotional: 
Grace is most powerful when we remember what it rescued us from. Paul does not allow the Ephesian believers to forget their past, not to shame them, but to anchor their gratitude. Before Christ, every believer walked in darkness, following the pull of sin and the patterns of a world that does not know God. That memory is not a burden to carry; it is a testimony to display. When you recall the depth from which grace lifted you, you cannot help but marvel at the God who reached down anyway. Let that remembrance fuel your worship and your witness today.