WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU THANKED GOD FOR HIS GIFT OF SALVATION?

SCRIPTURE:
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 
(Ephesians 2:1)

MEDITATION:
Have you ever given thought to the fact that you were born dead?
That’s what the scriptures tell us 
– we are dead in our transgressions and sins.
And, as long as we “follow the ways of the world” and allow 
“the ruler if the kingdom of the air (earth)” to work his spirit in us, 
we will continue our ‘death march’ that will culminate with 
our eternal separation from the One who loves us abundantly.

We can say, “That does not describe me” but what do the scriptures say?
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. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying
the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the 
rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. (Ephesians 2:2-3)

We can clearly see that believers were also controlled by the world 
and Satan’s spirit at one time (that’s what it says in God’s Word).
But God has offered everyone a pardon from the wrath we deserve 
as punishment for our disobedience.

As a result of His “great love” and “mercy”, 
everyone has been given an opportunity 
to get off of ‘death row’ and no longer be 
a ‘dead man or dead woman walking’.
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. (Ephesians 2:4-5)

Pause for a moment 
and think about the God we worship when we accept His pardon.
He has a “great love” for us!
Can’t you just imagine the struggle Paul had 
trying to describe the magnitude of His love to the Ephesians?
He could have used ‘abundant’, ‘excessive’, ‘unlimited’, ‘boundless’, 
or any other description, but he wrapped it all into one word – “great”.

God is also “rich in mercy”.
Mercy includes ‘compassion’, ‘forgiveness’, ‘kindness’, ‘understanding’, 
‘sympathy’, and ‘pity’.
Since God is “rich in mercy”, He has all of these attributes and more!

He understands our battles with sin, has sympathy and pity for us 
as we struggle, and out of His compassion and kindness, He offers 
forgiveness to all who come to Him for salvation.
His beauty (grace) shines brilliantly as He saves from death and gives life 
to all who ask, and are willing to trade the control of their lives 
from the ‘spirit of the air’ to the ‘Holy Spirit’.

ACTION:
Have you fully transitioned from your deadness 
to a life controlled by God’s Spirit?
If you have, how often do your thank Him for the pardon He has given you?
Have you gone into idle mode, 
or are you allowing the Lord to continually purify you on a daily basis?

Salvation means we not only go in the opposite direction 
from where we were headed, but it also means 
we have a desire to serve Him and point others to His Son, Jesus.
When we are saved, we are given spiritual gifts to be used in serving Him.
Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly 
wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. (1 Corinthians 1:7)

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love, understanding, compassion, 
kindness, sympathy, mercy and grace. Thank you for saving me and for 
creating in me a desire to see others saved as well. I thank You for my 
pardon from death and Your promise of a new life that will culminate 
with spending eternity with You. Teach me how to use the spiritual gifts 
you have given me to point others to Your Son, Jesus, and help them 
understand the magnitude of what He did for us on the cross.”