Dead in Our Transgressions

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Dead in Our Transgressions

There are different kinds  of deadness.     God’s word often refers  to spiritual deadness.    When we become so engrossed  in our sins  that we no longer appeal to God Almighty  to help us  in our needs,  we are spiritually dead.     Those who are totally taken up  with some sort of false religion,  to the point  where they reject salvation  in Jesus Christ,  are spiritually dead.     They don’t want to face the truth  of their sins  or humble themselves  in repentance.     Even those who are adamantly self-righteous  are spiritually dead.

Spiritual deadness claims all people at some time  and to some  degree.     We all need to understand  that we only become alive spiritually  when we allow Christ  to live  in our hearts.    There is no special formula,  ritual,  or life of good works  that we must lead before we can become spiritually alive  in Christ,  by receiving  the grace of God.     Paul tells us a bit about  what needs to happen  in Ephesians 2:4-5,

But God,  being rich in mercy,  because of His great love  with which He loved us,   even when we were dead  in our transgressions,  made us alive together with Christ  (by grace you have been saved).

It is God  who first loved us.     And, it is God  who is compassionately  “rich in mercy”.     God did not start loving us  because of any good works we had done,  because all of our righteousness is as filthy rags.  (Isaiah 64:6)     God did not start loving us because we are smart and sophisticated.     As 1 Corinthians 1:21 says,

For since  in the wisdom of God,  the world  through its wisdom   did not  come to know God,  God was well-pleased  through the foolishness  of the message preached  to save those  who believe.

Becoming alive with Christ  has nothing to do  with our abilities or accomplishments.     It totally depends  on the love of God towards us — God’s grace that we accept  as a gift  from Him.     God offers that gift of grace  through  “the message preached  to save those who believe”.     When we hear God’s word  and believe it,  we are saved  and made  “alive together with Christ”.    

We are no longer  “dead in our transgressions“  because,  in knowing how loved we are,  we desire  to live in love  for Christ,  who loves us so faithfully.     It’s an awesome thing  to now realize  how  very much God loved us  even while we were  “dead in our transgressions“.     Since we now know our sins  and how holy God is,  we realize  that we were in a very unlovable state of being.     But,  God loved us anyway,   and sought us out.

That is a miraculous blessing!     And it’s for absolutely all  who are willing to accept it,  believing in God’s grace.

Alive with Christ as our Savior  from all sin,  we say,  “Hallelujah!     Lord, Your gift of grace in Jesus Christ  gives us a meaningful life here  and a glorious life in eternity.     Thank You for loving us  even when we were “dead in our transgressions”.     Keep us close to You.”

Love,
Margaret

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A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and God of gods

 

Pray for our country.

 

This is the day which the LORD has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

 

The word of the LORD is tried;
He is a shield  to all  who take refuge  in Him.
Psalm 18:30

 

Sing for joy in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming  to the upright.
Psalm 33:1

 

How blessed are those  who dwell in Thy house!
They are ever praising Thee.
Psalm 84:4

 

Just as a father has compassion  on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
Psalm 103:13

 

Oh give thanks to the LORD,  for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Psalm 107:1

 

Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
Psalm 105:3

 

Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that
I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12

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