In today’s Ephesians passage, Paul sketches out the entire history and future of the world in ten brief verses.

Today’s Reading: Ephesians 2:1-10 [day 04 of 20]

2:1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.

Because of our rebellion, all people—both non-Jews and Jews—are alienated from God and under the deathly power of a dark spiritual force.

4 But because of his great love for us,God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 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.

But despite our rebellion, God has acted in Christ to free us from slavery and death, and in fact has even gone beyond that to already now in some mysterious way raise us up over death and sin. We didn’t deserve mercy, but God gave it anyway.

10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

We aren’t saved by good works, but we are saved for good works. And those good works were created by God for us specifically.

Don’t shirk your part in God’s plan today!