Ephesians 2:4-5
But God, because he is rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved!
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for reminding us of what You have done for us and how You care for us according to Your great love and mercy; through Your plan of salvation, You saved us. By nature, we are sinful, and as Paul reminds us, we were dead in our trespasses, undeserving of any blessings you give us. We all begin our lives dead in our sins; someone dead cannot make themself alive again; a person whose heart and lungs have stopped, it takes another person to revive them through CPR or a doctor to shock their heart to restart its functioning. But, no matter what, the dead can do nothing to restore themselves. Since we were spiritually dead in sin, You did not leave us in that condition and say, “Oh well! too bad for them!” No, You sent Your Son, Jesus, to live that perfect life for us, to suffer for our sins, and die on the cross to defeat death for us. Then He sent the Holy Spirit, who uses Your word and sacraments to begin faith in us to trust all Jesus accomplished for us. He did all that was needed to restore our dead souls, which is achieved by Your grace and mercy so that we not only know You through Jesus but also believe in You. Please allow us to share Your word with those around us and send Your Spirit to strike faith in the spiritually dead around us. Also, please strengthen the faith of those who trust in you. Give us opportunities to share your mercy and love with others. Amen
Written through Pastor Roger Emmons
Grace is God’s love we receive at Christ’s expense, and His mercy is this: we do not receive the punishment we deserve; instead, He delivers salvation and eternal life that is undeserved. All this comes to you by faith through His grace and love.