But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— ~ Ephesians 2:4-5 (ESV)
This stunning statement by the Apostle Paul should stagger us each time we read or hear it. Note the emphasis placed upon the statement, “by grace you have been saved.” You were dead because of your trespasses and now you are alive in Christ, and it is only because of the grace of God.
I lived near the Terre Haute (Indiana) Federal Penitentiary for several years. The local new media would report from outside the walls whenever a convicted prisoner was moved to death row and execution was scheduled. I suppose they did so because the serving up of justice was newsworthy, but I suspect it was just as much for ratings since many viewers tuned in with morbid fascination. After watching the coverage one time, I made a habit of changing the channel in the future. The reporter described the details of the last hours, the appeals, the final meal, and the slow walk to the execution chamber. The condemned person was routinely referred to as a “dead man walking.” Barring an unlikely stay of execution, the individual was as good as dead. He simply had not breathed his last breath yet.
What I described as morbid fascination could also be understood as a curiosity. All of us know, if only in the depths of our minds, that death is inevitable. As Christians, we cling to the unlikely hope that Christ will return before our passage. It is a worthy hope to be sure, but Jesus made it clear that only the Father knows when that will happen, and He has not put it on the calendar. So, we all must wonder from time to time when and how our demise will occur. If we could prepare, like the convicted and condemned, what would we do, think, say, or want our last hours to be like?
In the verse above we are assured that we are all “dead men walking” because of our trespasses. Trespassing is encroaching upon territory that belongs to another and is off-limits to us. That is the essence of sin. When one assumes sovereignty over God’s property it is a trespass. What is God’s property? Everything? Yes. And more importantly, our soul. Remember last Sunday when I shared the significance of the word emphusao? It is the God-breathed part of our being – it belongs to God.
Because of grace – unmerited favor – God gives a stay of execution through God’s Son, Lord Jesus Christ. God the Father goes so far as to pardon the convicted and condemned. God the Son invites the pardoned to receive the breath of life again so that we are no longer dead men walking. This new life is eternal, meaning it transcends the inevitable end of these perishable bodies. While we still can only imagine how our lives on earth will end and when we are given a hope that extends beyond – by grace you have been saved –!
Are you staggered yet? Do you see why we must worship as if we just can’t help it? It is so easy to get hung up on temporal matters as if they are of any real significance when measured against the immensity of God’s love and timeless presence. Please, decide today that your eternal relationship with God the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are more important than tasks, temperaments, rules, traditions, tastes, opinions, status, belongings, schedules, entitlements, politics, prejudices, etc., etc., etc.
If you give yourself completely to Him in His grace, our Lord will reframe all these things and more so that your heart, mind, and spirit are aligned with His. Please, don’t wait any longer!
No comments:
Post a Comment