Verse of the Day 9/30

Verse of the Day 9/30

Ephesians 2:4-5

English Standard Version

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

Today's verses came up in the read through the New Testament plan that I follow. They come from a favoirite New Testamanet passage on "grace through faith".  The verses beging with "but God"and we have to go back a few verses to see what the "but" is in reference to.  It is to the fact that without Christ, we are dead in our trespasses and sins.  We all had crossed the line, missed the mark  and failed to live up to God's standards and deserved punishment.  That's where today's verses pick it up, but God, because of His great love, rich in mercy, made us alive and gave us new life.

We've considered David in the Old Testament and Paul in the New Testament over the last couple of days.  God gave them each new life.  For Paul, it was a dramatic event when God blinded him on the road to Damascus.  He would never be the same because Jesus revealed Himself to him and gave him new life and gave him a purpose, works that he should do (verse 10 below).  If you've been saved, it is through God making you alive through faith in Christ.  Instead of punishment deserving of death we have found new life.

I'm reminded of the John W. Peterson hymn "New Life in Christ", may you be able to sing it today.

Gone is the guilt of my sin,
Peace is now reigning within;
Since I believed, pardon received,
Happy, so happy I've been!

Chorus
New Life in Christ! Abundant and free!
What glories shine, what joys are mine,
What wondrous blessings I see!
My past with its sin,
The searching and strife,
Forever gone, there's a bright new dawn!
For in Christ I have found New Life!

Brighter the journey each day,
Tho there is much to dismay;
Heaven awaits - Bright pearly gates,
There at the end of the way.

Come with your sin-burdened heart,
Christ will his cleansing impart;
He will forgive - in him you'll live,
O how the joy bells will start.

If you have not received Him, perhaps today is the day that He is calling out to you to give you new life.

John 10:10

English Standard Version

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Blessings,

Mike

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

Ephesians 2

English Standard Version

By Grace Through Faith

2 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body[a] and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.[b] 4 But[c] God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.