Ephesians 2:1-10 (NRSV)
Read Ephesians 2:1-10 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 2You were dead through the trespasses and sins Verse 2in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. Verse 3All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else.
Verse 4But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us Verse 5even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved- Verse 6and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Verse 7so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Verse 8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God- Verse 9not the result of works, so that no one may boast. Verse 10For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.
Devotion
This Holy Week seeks to focus our eyes, hearts, and minds on the immeasurable riches of God’s grace in the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ to us and the world. The great gift of God is that we are saved by grace, not by our piety or our works. Yet good works become our way of life because of this gift of God. Our good works are done to share God’s mercy as a gift to those with whom we have the privilege to share the abundant life given us by Christ.
Prayer
God of grace, great gift giver, we give you thanks for your life-giving and death-defying mercy in Jesus. Work in us that we may become gifts to others. Amen.