100 Heartbeats—But Dead!
Opening Prayer
Lord and King, sweep my life clean and make my life new. Hear my resolve. Heal my lack of resolve.
Read EPHESIANS 2:1–10
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. 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. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
This truth about spiritual death and coming alive in Christ is so profoundly countercultural it cannot be argued, yet is it shown by the way we live?
Think Further
It’s assumed that when the average adult’s resting heart beats 60–100 times a minute it means they are alive; they have a pulse. One of the greatest Bible shocks is to discover that actually to God they could be dead (1). There is another reality. God made us spiritual bodies and all of us born with pulses can choose to be dead spiritually, living in a fallen world where hostile forces,
“principalities” and “powers,” oppose God (Eph. 6:12, KJV).
Tragically, our natural bent is to embrace “the world, the flesh and the devil” (The Litany, The Book of Common Prayer); in other words, living without reference to God. This state of living on the physical plane is so natural that it seems normal. No wonder this passage delivers one of the toughest challenges to humankind. Spiritually dead, sold out on unholy self-worship, we were “deserving of wrath” (3).
We read first of our spiritual hopelessness. There’s nothing we can do to make ourselves spiritually alive. Only when we recognize our dire situation can we truly marvel at God’s gift of spiritual life. How we should revel in that little word “but” (4)! God does what only he could. By the death and resurrection of Jesus, he makes it possible for us to be made alive with him: to have our own resurrection; to be born again (John 3:3). Only God can set our spiritual pulses alive in Christ.
It is all out of grace, which is utterly undeserved. This faith requires from us a response in faith—a faith that results in good works (10). Accompanying our heartbeats, there is a worship pulse that beats with wonder because we belong to Christ who “made us alive” (5), “raised us up” (6) and “seated us with him” (6) so that nothing can ever separate us from him, in life or death.
Apply
What is there in your life today that is only due to God’s presence and goodness?
Closing prayer
Lord God, complete Your workmanship in me, and perfect those good works You want for me to accomplish.
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