Ephesians 2:5 – “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved).”
Gardening enthusiasts love their plants. They tend them carefully, making sure they have just the right amount of sunshine, water and minerals from the soil. If a plant was drying out, you can imagine the effort the gardener would put in to make it live again. If the plant revived and became green again, you can be sure it was the gardener’s effort that made it happen – not the plant’s.
Each of us were dead in our own sins, steeped in darkness with no hope of the future. As a loving gardener, the Lord tended to our souls and brought us back to life through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We didn’t do anything to deserve this redemption, nor were we in a position to save ourselves. It’s the Lord’s grace alone that brought us back to life, plucking us out of darkness and establishing us in His marvelous light.
The life we live now is a gift from God. We are no longer captives of our past, bound by the chains of our own willful sins. We’ve been saved by grace, and called to bring glory to our Lord Most High. Our words, thoughts and actions must now reflect that grace that we’ve freely received. As we remain attentive to the Holy Spirit’s leading, we will be able to live in righteousness and be shining lights that reflect the love of our Savior to others around us.
