December 30 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Ephesians 2:1-10:

¹And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
²Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
³Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
⁴But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
⁵Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
⁶And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
⁷That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
⁸For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
⁹Not of works, lest any man should boast.
¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Devotional

All men by nature are lost. They are "dead in trespasses and sins." "There is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofit able; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." As such they have no hope, and are without God in the world. "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ . . . and has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." We, who were dead in trespasses and sins have been made alive, and have been made to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. What a change! That change God has wrought by his free grace. "By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." It is all grace from beginning to end. And therefore there is no reason to boast; but there is every reason to praise and glorify God. "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake." "Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever."

Prayer

O God, we thank Thee for Thine infinite grace. We thank Thee that where sin abounded, there grace did much more abound; that we, who were dead in trespasses and sins, have been made alive together with Christ, and shall live with him for ever. May we give unto him all the glory. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: Eph. 2:1; Rom. 3:10-12; Eph. 2:12, 2:4-6, 8, 9; Ps. 115:1; Rev. 5:13.

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