Where Did We Come From - Ephesians 2:1-10

God created Adam and Eve in His image, saying they should be fruitful and multiply. God was pleased with His work and said everything was good in His eyes. But we are human. We have fallen short of the glory of God. Therefore, we come from a sinful nature that is bound by death.

___________________________
Ephesians 2:1-10
¹ And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ² in which you once walked, following the course 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 body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. ⁴ But 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.
________________________________

Paul just finished talking about the amazing resurrection power through Jesus, and now he wants to remind the Ephesians where they have come from. As humans, we are inherently sinful and will constantly miss the mark. We miss the mark constantly. I miss the mark by varying distances on multiple occasions. Sometimes I come close to what God wants for me, but I still fall short. Paul reminds us of where we come from without Christ. Even with Christ in our lives, we will not be perfect. We used to be children of the wrath, of God’s wrath, because of the sin that separated us. 

BUT GOD…that’s really all we need right there. I could finish right now and leave it with BUT GOD. God is final and has power over sin. We miss the mark constantly, but God’s great love and mercy allow us to live in Christ. Why? Because it is by God’s amazing grace that we have been saved. Not only are we saved from sin and the death it brings. BUT GOD will raise us up to be seated IN Him because of Jesus. Until we are eternally living WITH God, God allows us to be seated IN Him. He allows and desires an intimate relationship. And that is why God gave us the Holy Spirit. We are sanctified, holy, and are found blameless in the eyes of God because of the resurrection of Christ. None of this is our doing. Our great works could never accomplish what Christ has done for the world. We can’t earn it, but we can accept the gift. 

Don’t forget where you come from. Sin is part of our lives and a struggle for all. But Paul says that we ‘once walked’ in those things. If you are still walking and allowing the desires of the fleshy to take hold, remember that God helps us along the way, but only if we submit. Listen to the calling of the Holy Spirit. Ask and pray for the wisdom and steadfast faithfulness only God can provide. When you are struggling in sin, it is only God that provides redemption by His grace, but it requires faith. 

Therefore, let us not forget that we are inherently sinners. BUT GOD allows us to live IN Him because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We must be reminded that our works do not gain us anything in the sight of God. But we are to be submissive and be led by the Holy Spirit. When we are humble and submit to the Holy Spirit, our daily walk becomes IN Him, which allows us to bear fruit that is nourishing to those around us. Continue to have faith and not lose sight of what God has done and will do in your life.