mercy

From Death to Life: Grace for Our Time

The Curious PilgrimLeave a comment

A Devotional Reflection on Ephesians 2:1–10

Scripture: Ephesians 2:1–10

Living on Autopilot

Paul begins Ephesians 2 with words that feel uncomfortable to modern ears: “dead in trespasses and sins… following the desires of the flesh and the senses… children of wrath.” It sounds severe—until we realize he is not attacking individuals. He is describing a shared human condition.

To be “dead” here does not mean heartless or hopeless. It means living disconnected—from God, from our deepest selves, and often from one another. It is the life we drift into when we live on autopilot: shaped by fear, appetite, status, outrage, or the constant pressure to prove our worth.

In our day, this looks like:

  • Measuring ourselves by productivity, likes, or bank balances
  • Letting anxiety, resentment, or bitterness quietly rule our inner lives
  • Being formed more by news cycles and algorithms than by love and wisdom
  • Becoming tired, isolated, and reactive—yet calling it “normal”

Paul names this drift honestly, because healing requires truth.

The Meaning of “Desires of the Flesh”

When Paul speaks of the “flesh,” he is not condemning the body. He is describing a self-centered orientation to life—a way of being where I become the reference point for everything.

The “desires of the flesh and the senses” include:

  • Not only indulgence, but control
  • Not only lust, but pride
  • Not only rebellion, but respectability without love

Even our thinking—our “mind”—can be shaped by this broken orientation. We justify, minimize, and normalize what slowly diminishes our humanity.

“Children of Wrath” — Not What We Think

Paul’s phrase “children of wrath” does not mean God despises humanity. In Scripture, wrath names the natural consequences of living apart from the Source of life—like darkness when light is rejected, or decay when connection is severed.

It is less about God’s temper and more about reality itself:

  • Disconnection produces isolation
  • Fear produces harm
  • Injustice multiplies suffering

And Paul is clear: “like everyone else.” This is not about “them.” It is about us.

The Two Most Hopeful Words: But God

Then everything changes.

“But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us…”

The gospel is not about humans climbing upward. It is about God coming toward us.

While we are still weary, tangled, and unsure, God acts:

  • From death → to life
  • From isolation → to belonging
  • From fear → to mercy

Grace is not God waiting for us to improve. Grace is resurrection—life given where life had faded.

Grace for a Performance-Driven World

Paul insists:

“By grace you have been saved… not by works.”

This speaks directly into our achievement-obsessed culture.

We are told:

  • Earn your place
  • Prove your value
  • Fix yourself before you are welcome

Grace says the opposite:

  • You are loved first
  • You belong now
  • Transformation flows from mercy, not shame

Faith, then, is not certainty or perfection. It is trusting the hands that reach for us.

Created for Good Works—Still

The passage ends not with forgiveness alone, but with purpose:

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works…”

This matters deeply in our day—especially for those who feel invisible, aging, or sidelined.

It means:

  • Your life is not an accident
  • Your story is not finished
  • Your kindness, wisdom, and presence still matter

The good works God prepares are often quiet:

  • Listening well
  • Loving faithfully
  • Speaking truth gently
  • Choosing mercy in a harsh world

A Word for Today

Ephesians 2 reminds us:

  • We are more broken than we like to admit
  • We are more loved than we dare believe
  • We are more needed than we often feel

Grace does not erase our past; it reframes it.
Grace does not rush us; it raises us.

In a world exhausted by striving, comparison, and fear, this passage whispers hope:

You are not defined by what has diminished you.
You are God’s workmanship—being made alive, even now.

A Closing Prayer

God of mercy,
In a world that pulls us toward fear and self-protection,
make us alive again.

Where we have drifted, draw us back.
Where we have grown weary, breathe new life.
Remind us that we are loved not because we perform,
but because You are rich in mercy.

Shape our days into good works of love,
prepared by You and lived in grace.
Amen.

The Biblical Meaning of Justice: God’s Heart for His People and the World

The Curious PilgrimLeave a comment

In today’s world, the word justice is often used in political debates, social movements, and legal conversations. But long before modern systems and slogans, justice was a divine idea rooted in the very nature of God. Scripture calls believers not only to understand justice, but to practice it as a reflection of God’s character.

This isn’t merely about punishment or legal fairness—it is about restoring God’s intended order, relationships, and dignity for all people.

Justice Begins With God

Justice is not invented by human society. It flows from the very nature of God Himself.

“For the LORD is righteous, He loves justice.”
— Psalm 11:7

God is the foundation and standard of all true justice. To know Him is to love what He loves and pursue what He values.

Justice as Right Relationship

Biblical justice is built on two Hebrew words that appear together throughout Scripture:

  • Mishpat — fair judgment, protection of rights, accountability
  • Tsedaqah — righteousness, right living and right relationships

Together, they describe a world where people live in right relationship with God and others, marked by peace, fairness, and compassion.

“Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
— Amos 5:24

Justice is not just a legal principle—it is a way of life that flows from a right heart.

Justice Protects the Vulnerable

Throughout the Bible, the measure of a society’s justice is how it treats those without power. God’s heart consistently leans toward:

  • The poor
  • Widows and orphans
  • Immigrants and strangers
  • The oppressed and forgotten

“Give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute.”
— Psalm 82:3

Biblical justice lifts up the vulnerable and refuses to ignore suffering.

Justice Is Active Faith

God calls His people to do justice—not simply admire it or talk about it.

“Seek justice, defend the oppressed, take up the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.”
— Isaiah 1:17

True justice requires action, courage, and compassion. It is faith lived in public.

Justice With Mercy and Humility

Biblical justice never stands alone. It walks hand-in-hand with mercy and humility.

“What does the LORD require of you but to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God?”
— Micah 6:8

Justice without mercy becomes harsh.
Mercy without justice becomes passive.
Humility keeps both grounded in God’s grace.

Jesus: Justice in Human Form

In the New Testament, Jesus embodies and fulfills God’s justice:

  • Confronting oppression
  • Healing brokenness
  • Restoring dignity
  • Extending forgiveness and grace

“You have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith.”
— Matthew 23:23

In Christ, justice is not domination, but redemption, reconciliation, and love.

Living God’s Justice Today

To live biblical justice means:

  • Treating every person as made in the image of God
  • Rejecting prejudice and oppression
  • Defending the hurting and vulnerable
  • Practicing fairness, kindness, and compassion
  • Living with integrity in all relationships
  • Seeking peace and reconciliation

Justice is not a social fad—it is an eternal call for God’s people.

To pursue justice faithfully is to reflect the heart of God in a broken world.

Closing Prayer

Gracious and holy God,
Fill our hearts with Your love for justice and Your passion for righteousness.
Teach us to see every person through Your eyes—beloved, valued, created in Your image.
Give us courage to defend the vulnerable, wisdom to act with mercy,
and humility to walk in Your ways.
Let Your justice roll through our lives, our communities, and our world,
until all creation reflects Your kingdom.
Amen.

Blessing

May the God of justice and compassion fill you with courage, love, and peace.
May the Holy Spirit guide your steps in mercy and righteousness.
And may the grace of Jesus Christ empower you to seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God—today and always.
Amen.