“An amazing transformation”

By Rev. Michael Stonhouse

Meditation – Wednesday, January 15, 2025

Ephesians 2: 1-10 (Forward, p. 78) CEV p. 1222

Something has happened with his readers that is truly amazing, truly phenomenal. Paul describes their former state in this way:

“In the past you were dead because you sinned and fought against God” (verse 1).

“You followed the ways of this world and obeyed the devil. He rules over the world, and his spirit has power over everyone who doesn’t obey God” (verse 2).

However, it wasn’t just them, his Gentile audience in Ephesus: Paul describes himself and his fellows as also being sinful and separated from God:

“Once we were also ruled by the selfish desires of our bodies and minds. We had made God angry, and we were going to be punished like everyone else” (verse 3).

But then, God ‘pulled off’ His amazing transformation:

“But God was merciful! We were dead because of our sins, but God loved us so much that he made us alive with Christ, and God’s wonderful kindness is what saves you” (verses 4-5).

And here Paul starts with a note that he plays repeatedly in this short passage: all of this take place because of God’s wonderful kindness, the grace of God. As he says in verse 8, “God treats us much better than we deserve”.

And, on this note, Paul also emphasizes that it is entirely God’s gift, and not anything that we could earn or merit. And so, it is merely something that we need to accept by faith.

However, Paul doesn’t leave it there, not quite. He ends this little passage by suggesting that we should also ‘live into this gift’, that is by doing good things and living as God has always wanted us to live. No sitting back on our laurels, basking in our newfound status or standing with God. No, there is work to be done!

Forward notes: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (verse 8).

“If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. This is good advice, except that it keeps us suspicious. The idea that we are saved by faith sounds too good to be true. It’s hard to believe that it’s free and all we must do is trust God enough to let God do the saving.

“Priest and author Robert Capon compared grace to a used car lot we go to with our hard-earned dollars seeking a bargain. A salesman approaches just as we’re about to leave and whispers that there’s a special deal for us in the back. There, we find a gleaming new sports car—and it’s free, he says—because the boss likes us! Instead of sinking into the luxurious seats, we walk around and kick the tires, then fuss about a warranty or worry about insurance. God, Capon says, is ‘the Crazy Eddy of Eternity whose prices are insane.’ The only catch is that we must be as crazy as God to take the deal because it just doesn’t make sense.”

Moving Forward: “When it comes to salvation, are you suspicious or trusting?”