GOD Morning! September 29 / Are You Dead Inside?

GOD Morning! September 29

Are You Dead Inside?

Ephesians 2:1-10, 19-21 Amplified Bible

Made Alive in Christ

2 And you [He made alive when you] were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of your transgressions and sins, ² in which you once walked.

Okay it’s time to reflect, once again, on what God has done for me. In the early part of 2008, I was a shell just waiting to die. I begged God to take me. 

You were following the ways of this world [influenced by this present age], in accordance with the prince of the power of the air (Satan), the spirit who is now at work in the disobedient [the unbelieving, who fight against the purposes of God]. 

There was a war going on inside of me. And the evil spirits of fear, shame, depression, self hatred, hopelessness, self pity and anxiety were winning.

³ Among these [unbelievers] we all once lived in the passions of our flesh [our behavior governed by the sinful self], indulging the desires of human nature [without the Holy Spirit] and [the impulses] of the [sinful] mind. We were, by nature, children [under the sentence] of [God’s] wrath, just like the rest [of mankind]. 

Even though I had received the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues, I was being controlled by sinful thoughts (fear, shame, depression, and on and on the list goes.). Every day was the same. I would fall to my knees and cry out to God, speaking in tongues and feeling His sweet presence. Then I would rise from prayer and go right back into my sinful thoughts which controlled me every waking hour, day and night.

⁴ But God, being [so very] rich in mercy, because of His great and wonderful love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of our sins, He made us [spiritually] alive together with Christ (for by His grace—His undeserved favor and mercy—you have been saved from God’s judgment).

But God!!! He loved me through that very dark time! He brought me back to life! I am transformed! I am alive!

⁶ And He raised us up together with Him [when we believed], and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, [because we are] in Christ Jesus, ⁷ [and He did this] so that in the ages to come He might [clearly] show the immeasurable and unsurpassed riches of His grace in [His] kindness toward us in Christ Jesus [by providing for our redemption]. 

He raised me up! Now I enjoy communion with Him in heavenly places. His mercy is new every morning. His grace is unfailing! His kindness towards me goes on and on endlessly.

⁸ For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; ⁹ not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation]. 

I did nothing to deserve His great mercy towards me. I simply kept on believing. I kept on praying in the middle of my hopeless mess.

¹⁰ For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].

I am transformed! I am renewed! I am living the good life! I am being used of God to minister to those who are like I once was, broken and ashamed.

¹⁹ So then you are no longer strangers and aliens [outsiders without rights of citizenship], but you are fellow citizens with the saints (God’s people), and are [members] of God’s household, ²⁰ having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the [chief] Cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole structure is joined together, and it continues [to increase] growing into a holy temple in the Lord [a sanctuary dedicated, set apart, and sacred to the presence of the Lord].²² In Him [and in fellowship with one another] you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Now I am part of something way bigger than just me. I am a member of God’s household. I am built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets of the Bible. And Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone. I am increasing and growing! I am a holy temple, filled with God’s Holy Spirit! I am set apart and sacred! Little old me, the former self centered nobody.

I am a walking, breathing miracle.

“Dear Jesus, thanks for transforming my life. Oh yes, I make mistakes. Oh yes, sometimes I slip back into negative thinking. But I am a brand new creature. Old things have passed away. All things are new! And I am forever grateful for Your kindness to me, a former self centered nobody. How I love You, my precious Jesus! How I long to be with You! AMEN.”