This week’s devotions are based on “Rooted: Finding My Identity in Christ: I am God’s Creation! (WATCH HERE)
Ephesians 2:4–5 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.
Two words change everything: But God.
Yesterday, we considered the difficult truth of Ephesians 2. Apart from Christ, we were dead in our trespasses and sins. We were not simply people who needed a little improvement. We could not repair our relationship with God by trying harder or becoming better people. Sin had separated us from God, and we could not overcome that separation ourselves.
Then Paul writes, “But God.”
Those words are the turning point.
Imagine a rough piece of wood sitting in a scrap pile. It is cracked, weathered, and seemingly forgotten. It cannot pick itself up. It cannot walk to the workbench. It cannot choose what it will become. But then the craftsman sees it, picks it up, and brings it into his hands. The transformation begins because the craftsman takes the initiative.
That is what God has done for us.
Paul says God is “rich in mercy.” Mercy means that God does not give us the judgment our sins deserve. Instead, because of His great love for us, He acts to save us. He makes us alive together with Christ.
Notice when God did this. Paul says it happened “even when we were dead in our transgressions.” God did not wait until we had cleaned ourselves up. He did not wait until we had become worthy. He acted when we were helpless.
That is grace.
Colossians 2:13 says, “When you were dead in your sins… God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins.” Jesus took our sin upon Himself and carried it to the cross. There He paid the price we could never pay. His resurrection declares that death has been defeated and new life is ours in Him.
This is the heart of the Gospel. Christianity is not a story about people who became good enough for God. It is the story of a God who loved sinners enough to save them.
Perhaps today you are discouraged by something in your life that still feels rough and unfinished. Maybe you are carrying guilt over something you have done. Maybe you wonder whether God could really continue to love you after your failures. Remember these two words: But God.
Your failures do not have the final word. Your past does not have the final word. Your weakness does not have the final word. Jesus does.
God’s mercy is greater than your sin. His grace is greater than your failure. In Christ, you are not abandoned in the scrap pile. You have been taken into the hands of the Master Craftsman.
You are alive because He has made you alive.
Today, rest in that grace. You do not have to prove yourself to God. You do not have to earn His love. In Christ, you already have it.
Reflect: Where in your life do you need to remember, “But God”? How does knowing that God acted when you were still dead in sin change the way you view His grace?
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for being rich in mercy and great in love. When I was unable to save myself, You acted for me through Jesus. Thank You for making me alive with Christ and forgiving my sins. When I am discouraged or weighed down by guilt, help me remember that Your grace is greater than my failures. Teach me to rest in what Christ has done rather than what I think I must do. Keep me rooted in Your mercy and help me live today in the joy of Your grace. Amen.