Ephesians (W3D3) Made Alive
Week 3. Wednesday: Made Alive
PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word.
READ: Ephesians 2:4-7
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words
Rich (Greek: plousios): abounding, abundantly supplied (2 Corinthians 8:9)
Mercy (Greek: eleos): kindness or good will toward us (Titus 3:5)
Made Us Alive (Greek: syzōopoieō): brought back from death, like Christ (Col. 2:13)
Dead people cannot make themselves alive. Only God can make life.
If salvation depended on dead sinners, no one could be saved.
When God saves us we are brought from death to life (John 5:24).
We offer our new life back to God in daily worship (Romans 6:13; 12:1-2).
Grace (Greek: charis): unmerited merciful kindness of God to save and keep us
Saved (Greek: sōzō): kept safe and sound, preserved (Luke 19:10)
Raised (Greek: synegeirō): raised to life together with Christ (Colossians 2:12)
Incomparable (Greek: hyperballō): surpassing, immeasurable
Kindness (Greek: chrēstotēs): moral goodness, integrity
God’s kindness is what leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4)
“in Christ Jesus” - Christ is the perfect proof of God’s kindness toward us.
APPLY: What is this passage calling me to do?
Now that you’ve read about the bad news, it’s now time for the good news! You were dead, but Christ has made you alive. God did this because of His great love for us and because He is rich in mercy. Our salvation is a result of God’s grace alone. In His grace, which we didn’t deserve, God made us alive with Christ. Not only that, God also gave us a seat in heaven next to Jesus! God no longer sees our dead sinfulness. God now sees Christ in us.
What part of this passage is most encouraging to you? Why?
In what ways should this change how you live every day?
PRAY: Thank God for being rich in mercy toward you.
