From Death to Life Day 29

Please read Ephesians 2:1-7

A manager asked his employee, "Do you believe in life after death?" The employee replied,  "Yes, sir." "Well, then, it makes sense," said the manager "About an hour after you left yesterday to go to your grandfather’s funeral, he stopped by to see you."

In a human’s life, there is life and then comes death. But in the text, Paul talks about death first, then life (The word life is not used, but Paul writes, God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ Ephesians 2:4-5). Now Paul writes this to believers, and that includes YOU dear brother and sister in Christ!

In the text, we learn where we were(dead in the trespasses and sins) and where we are and will go to (alive together with Christ). And all of this new life -now and forever -is from Jesus! God’s word proclaims this truth again and again, but some believers still doubt. They ask “How do I know that I am saved?”

Pastor Harry A Ironside was talking an elderly man who said, "I will not go on unless I know I’m saved, or else know it’s hopeless to seek to be sure of it. I want a definite witness, something I can’t be mistaken about!" Ironside replied, "Suppose you had a vision of an angel who told you your sins were forgiven. Would that be enough to rest on?" "Yes, I think it would. An angel should be right." Ironside continued, "But suppose on your deathbed Satan came and said, ’I was that angel, transformed to deceive you.’ What would you say?" The man was speechless. Ironside then told him that God has given us something more dependable than the voice of an angel. He has given His Son, who died for our sins, and He has testified in His own Word that if we trust Him all our sins are gone. Ironside read I John 5:13, "You may know that you have eternal life" and then he said, "Is that not enough to rest on? It is a letter from heaven expressly to you." The man was comforted of his salvation.

Dear brother and sister in Christ, you may still ask, ““How do I know that I am saved?”

The Bible answers, “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers” (I John 3:14). So do you love others? Does your life produce fruit (Matthew 7:15-20)? Ponder anew.

Dear Jesus, please hold my hand tighter when doubts arise in me and bless me with unshakable faith in you and your gospel. Amen.