Good morning!
I hope this day finds you and your family well. I invite you to take a few moments with me to read and reflect upon today’s scripture selection — and to carry these thoughts with you into your day.
Today’s Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10 (Common English Bible)
2 At one time you were like a dead person because of the things you did wrong and your offenses against God. 2 You used to live like people of this world. You followed the rule of a destructive spiritual power. This is the spirit of disobedience to God’s will that is now at work in persons whose lives are characterized by disobedience. 3 At one time you were like those persons. All of you used to do whatever felt good and whatever you thought you wanted so that you were children headed for punishment just like everyone else.
4-5 However, God is rich in mercy. He brought us to life with Christ while we were dead as a result of those things that we did wrong. He did this because of the great love that he has for us. You are saved by God’s grace! 6 And God raised us up and seated us in the heavens with Christ Jesus. 7 God did this to show future generations the greatness of his grace by the goodness that God has shown us in Christ Jesus.
8 You are saved by God’s grace because of your faith.[a] This salvation is God’s gift. It’s not something you possessed. 9 It’s not something you did that you can be proud of. 10 Instead, we are God’s accomplishment, created in Christ Jesus to do good things. God planned for these good things to be the way that we live our lives.
Tim’s Devotional Reflection for Today
The Common English Bible translates verse 8 as “You are saved by God’s grace because of your faith.” There’s a footnote that says, “Or through his faithfulness.” The footnote is a better translation. The Greek word “faith” can be translated as “faithfulness” and the Greek doesn’t modify that noun with the pronoun “your.” The emphasis is on the faithfulness of God, made clear by the following sentences: “This salvation is God’s gift. It’s not something you possessed. It’s not something you did that you can be proud of. Instead, we are God’s accomplishment, created in Christ Jesus to do good things.”
At the heart of it all is the faithfulness of God and when we follow Jesus, then we are—to use Paul’s words “new creations” (2 Corinthians 5:17), “created in Christ Jesus to do good things.”
I invite you today to embrace the gift of God’s amazing grace and God’s faithfulness. I invite you to think about how God has created you to do good things and how God has planned for these good things to be the way that you live your life.
Remember, you are God’s accomplishment! (Ephesians 2:10)
And meditate on the descriptions of God and God’s actions in these few verses:
God is rich in mercy.
God brought us to life with Christ
God has great love for us.
We are saved by God’s grace!
Hymn: “Grace Greater Than Our Sin” by Julia H. Johnston (1911)
1 Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount out-poured–
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.
Refrain:
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!
2 Sin and despair, like the sea-waves cold,
Threaten the soul with infinite loss;
Grace that is greater– yes, grace untold–
Points to the Refuge, the mighty Cross. [Refrain]
3 Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
Freely bestowed on all who believe!
All who are longing to see His face,
Will you this moment His grace receive? [Refrain]
Thank you for sharing this moment of your day with me, with God, and with these reflections on a portion of scripture. I hope you will carry these with you throughout your day and night.
Grace and Peace,
Dr. Tim Bruster
Senior Pastor
