This week’s devotions are based on “Rooted: Finding My Identity in Christ: I am Connected! (WATCH HERE)
Ephesians 2:11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
Ephesians 2 begins by reminding us of something we would rather forget. Paul describes what life was like before Christ. He says we were “separated from Christ,” “alienated,” “strangers,” “having no hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12). Those are strong words. They remind us that sin is not simply making a few bad choices. Sin separates us from the God who created us and loves us.
Separation from Christ stinks.
Think about what happens when something is separated from the thing that gives it life. A branch separated from a tree may look fine for a while, but eventually it withers. A phone disconnected from its power source may keep working for a little while, but eventually the battery dies. In the same way, we were never created to live separated from God. We were created to know Him, trust Him, and live in His presence.
Sin also separates us from one another. When our relationship with God is broken, our relationships with people become broken too. We become protective of ourselves. We compare ourselves with others. We hold grudges. We choose people who make us comfortable and avoid people who challenge us. We build walls.
Isaiah 59:2 says, “Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God.” That separation is real, and we cannot fix it by simply trying harder to be better people. We need something more than self improvement. We need reconciliation.
That is why Ephesians 2 is so important. Paul wants us to understand how bad our separation was so that we can appreciate how amazing God’s grace is. He doesn’t want us to minimize our sin, but neither does he leave us trapped in it.
There is hope because separation is not the end of the story.
In fact, the very next words Paul writes are among the most beautiful in Scripture: “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13).
That is where our identity begins. We were far away, but Christ brings us near. We were separated, but Christ reconciles us. We were without hope, but Christ gives us hope.
So today, take an honest look at your life. Are there places where sin is creating distance between you and God? Are there relationships where you have allowed resentment, pride, fear, or selfishness to build a wall? Don’t excuse those things, but don’t despair over them either. Bring them to Christ. Confess them. Trust His forgiveness.
Your sin may create separation, but it does not have the final word. Christ does.
You are not defined by how far away you have wandered. You are defined by the Savior who comes looking for you and brings you home.
Reflect: Where have I allowed sin to create distance between me and God or others? What would it look like to bring that separation to Christ for him to restore?
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I confess that my sin has separated me from You and has often created distance between me and others. Forgive me for the walls I have built through pride, selfishness, resentment, and fear. Thank You for sending Jesus to bring sinners near through His blood. Help me trust Your forgiveness and begin tearing down the walls that separate me from others. Keep me rooted in Christ and His grace. Amen.