Day 266

Isaiah 41:17–43:13; Ephesians 2:1-22; Psalm 67:1-7; Proverbs 23:29-35

CALIFORNIA IS HOME to a place like none other in the world: Yosemite. Within this national park sits the iconic Half Dome. There are many ways to approach this monolith, but whether you go by trail or by automobile, the revelation is surreal. The beauty and sheer scale are almost too much to take in at once.

This is how Ephesians will read if we’ll let it. It will allow us to see why the gospel is such good news. Upward and upward we will climb, seeing vistas that are almost too much to take in at once. We encountered one such vista today:

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

As foundational as these truths are, have you ever contemplated the vastness of what Paul is saying? This is far more than a theological concept. If Ephesians is true, then our salvation is not something that has anything to do with our good behavior, and there is no way we could earn it anyway. It is a gift that can only be received through faith —which means authentically believing that it is true.

This reality is a paradigm shifter. We did not choose God; God came for us personally. God drew near, and we sensed it and reached out. When He reached back, it was with the gift of salvation that cannot be taken from us. We can reject it, but this gift cannot be stolen. And since we cannot earn our salvation, we have nothing to boast about at all. Rather, our lives should hum with awe, because we do not deserve (nor have we earned) such kindness.

What kind of kindness are we talking about? That the almighty God knows who we are and came to rescue us. This is almost too good to be true. It’s so good that it’s hard to take in all at once. But the more we drink it in, the more we see. And the more we see, the more our lives are contextualized. From this vantage point, we can clearly see that our lives are designed for much more than what we are usually filling them with.

God has made masterpieces out of us. Let that sink in. Does it feel true? Or does it feel anything but? If it feels too good to be true and could not be possibly speaking of you, think again. Paul told us that God has created us anew —which means that God has made us new again, or renewed us. He did this so that we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.

We might read that as an invitation to do good works on God’s behalf. But that’s not the whole story. Remember, our good behavior does not earn our salvation. God didn’t offer us a free gift and then force us to earn it. Rather, our good works are an outflow of being in love with Jesus. God planned for all of this long ago. And He planned good things for the grand adventure. Do you believe that?

Marvel at the panorama we’ve encountered in Ephesians today. God knows who we are, and we are supposed to be here enjoying His presence and inviting others to receive the free gift that changes everything. If the gospel is true, then this is how we are to look at ourselves —and the world.

WORSHIP:

May the nations praise you, O God. Yes, may all the nations praise you. Then the earth will yield its harvests, and God, our God, will richly bless us. Yes, God will bless us, and people all over the world will fear him.