Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Life in two perspectives
                        Ephesians 2:1-10

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Eph. 2: 8-10

Life in a worldly perspective
In the first few verses of Ephesians 2, we get a view of what life would be like living according to the sinful nature; it results in a life without God. It’s natural for everyone to dream of having a great career, big house, wealth, good health, status, but yet once you have these things you still are not satisfied. . No matter how much investments we have financially, or security in other things, it's meaningless.  God gave us his only son so we can have eternal life. We're all sinners, but God has chosen to forgive all our sins and love us unconditionally. Sometimes through our sins we end up creating a barrier in our relationship between ourselves and God. However, no matter how many times we may ignore God in our lives, He’s still there. Our sins did not stop God from loving us.  As Christians, we know we're not perfect and will always fall into sin, yet that's when we realize the depth of Gods compassion to us.
Life in a Godly perspective
Those who try to live a worldly life will at some point realize they can’t live according to the world’s standards anymore. They will come to realize that life will not be fulfilling until they allow God to be a part of their life. This requires faith on our part as a Christian, which is not just a mere act on our part but given to us a result of Christ sacrificing his life for us. Through his mercy and grace we are to be transformed. God does not expect us to be held bondage to our sins. Without accepting God’s grace in our lives, we have the wrong perspective of Him and end up focusing on ourselves. God is merciful to us because he loves us, not because he feels sorry or pity on us. His grace was not given to us as a result of our circumstances or the frequency of our prayers; it was given to us as a gift. God does not act conditional with us, and is merciful towards us because he realizes how much we need Him. Our life on this earth is temporary, God thinks beyond that and is providing us eternal security. Let us learn to look at the qualities of God’s character and the depth of his love for us.
As lent begins, many of us begin to restrict ourselves from certain habits, as a conscious effort to focus more on God. During this time of lent, as we meditate and repent, let us be thankful for the grace that God gives to us. God looks beyond our outward appearances and flaws.  As you meditate on this passage, reflect on God’s compassion for you and be fruitful in where he places you to serve others.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your unconditional love. Help us not to live according to the world’s standards, but yours. May we make ourselves available for your purposes in our lives and spread your love through those deeds.

Debby Abraham, Bethel MTC, Philadelphia.





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