By Grace Through Faith – Devotional
“2 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.” – Ephesians 2:1-5
Drawn to the Unexpected
There are times when I find myself captivated by the most unexpected subjects. It’s as if I go through phases where I immerse myself in everything there is to know about a particular topic. At one point it was houses. Then it was the intricacies of different Japanese eras. Lately, it’s been cars.
What’s surprising is that I’ve never really been a car enthusiast that was always more my brother’s thing. Yet recently, I’ve found myself fascinated by the sheer engineering brilliance behind these machines. From the sleek designs of their bodies to the intricate workings of their engines, every detail leaves me in awe.
The Beauty of Restoration
I’ve spent hours watching videos of people scouring old car auctions in pursuit of their dream ride at bargain prices. In many cases, these cars are in desperate need of total restoration new engines, fresh interiors, new paint, you name it.
From a practical standpoint, these projects don’t make sense. Often, the restoration costs two to five times more than buying a brand new car. Yet what struck me most wasn’t the cost it was the love. These individuals pour themselves into resurrecting something others have written off, bringing it from disrepair into newfound glory.
At first, I couldn’t understand why anyone would invest so much time, effort, and money into something with so little practical value. Some of these cars couldn’t even run, let alone offer modern conveniences like air conditioning. But eventually, the reason became clear: they loved the car. In many ways, this mirrors the love of God toward us when we are spiritually dead in our sins. Just as these vehicles are lifeless without an engine, Scripture tells us we are lifeless without Christ.
This leads us to two essential truths:
- The tragedy of those without Christ
- The transformation we experience in Him
The Tragedy of Those Without Christ
The apostle Paul eloquently articulates in Ephesians chapter 2 the spiritual state of humanity before encountering Christ: “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 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— 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.”
Paul vividly depicts the spiritual death that grips us all before Christ intervenes. We wander aimlessly, enslaved by our own desires, oblivious to the divine purpose we were created for. Growing up, I too found myself drawn away from God, chasing after worldly pleasures while neglecting the greatest treasure of all. Prioritizing my physical needs over my spiritual. And so is the reality of all of those without Christ. Scripture describes them as their god being their belly, meaning they are always chasing inward selfish fulfillment. Like a person with a tapeworm constantly consuming but never feeling full, never feeling satisfied. The dead are enslaved to their passions constantly avoiding and wandering away from the things of the Lord and so are the people without the Lord.
In terms of my car example they are a body but there is no engine, no electricity in there. And no matter how beautiful a car looks on the outside, without a running engine under the hood that car is nothing more than a shell, with no use outside being a prop to us. And so is the sad reality of those without Christ, when it comes to the things of God that aren’t useful in spiritual matters concern his wife kingdom and will be left outside of that kingdom unless someone works on them and brings them into running condition.
The Transformative Power in Christ
But amidst this bleak reality, there is hope. Paul continues:
“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.”
Just as those car enthusiasts resurrected their beloved vehicles, God, in His boundless mercy and love, breathes new life into our spiritually dead souls. In theology, we call this regeneration. See we are just like those cars without a running engine, we just sit there where we are spiritual and that is all we can do until the mechanic comes to fix us. And the evidence of this transformation is unmistakable, a newfound obedience to His word and a genuine desire for things eternal. Just like those cars becoming restored and in running condition again, we become alive and spiritually alive again.
Many normally know or have heard Jesus saves us for eternity from death, and that all those who repent and have trust in him for salvation will be with Him for eternity. However, Jesus also came to deliver us from this current evil age as Galatians says. Us believers are saved by faith alone but not a faith that is alone. God gives us his spirit and a new heart as evidence of this faith, to enable us to war against sin and walk uprightly.
So, I urge each of us to examine the state of our hearts. Are we running on empty, disconnected from the source of true life? If so, let us call upon the One who restores, the One whose love knows no bounds, to breathe life into our weary souls once more.
Reflection Questions
What does it mean to regenerate or restore something?
What are some examples of things that can be regenerated or restored?
What are some characteristics or traits of those without Christ?
How do we know if God has regenerated/restored us?