Mercy, Grace or Self

Today’s discussion comes from Eph 2:1-12 The idea of being ‘dead in our transgressions’ should be familiar to us. That is where we came from and too often ,with an addictive personality, feel we can fall back into the things that try to regain control over us. We have to look at the ‘passions of the flesh’ , the emotions and desires that drive us. Where do they come from? What sets them off even though we are convinced that we over came all that and put them behind us. Only by carefully analyzing these things can we see what God is working on to help us modify our character. While God is ‘rich in mercy’ he also has some expectation that we respond to his mercy. The idea that he ‘raised us up with him’ is quite startling considering our past and even today as we struggle with recovery and rebuilding our character and actions on a daily basis. Obviously his mercy is far more than we can understand or even accept without a gratitude that exceeds the comprehension we possess. ‘By grace we have been saved’ but that comes with a debt we can never pay. Yet, we need to have a response that shows how much we have gained by our salvation. ‘We are his workmanship’ and it should show in how we live. We too often feel the need to hide our issue and as a result also hide our victories. Paul writes that we are Gods workmanship so that we cannot boast but God has prepared good works for us. Shouldn’t part of our good work be acknowledging the victory God has brought to us in our recovery? Share your victories!!! Give hope to others. We cannot be so self focused, self conscious or selfish to glorify God with our lives.