“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.” Ephesians 2:1-3

We were spiritually dead in our trespasses and sins. We walked according to the ways of this sinful world. We followed the counsel of the devil and his evil angels. We fulfilled the sinful longings of our flesh. And, along with multitudes of others, we were headed to eternal suffering in hell. But … by the gracious working of the Holy Spirit through His Word, God awakened us and gave us life through faith in His Son Jesus Christ and His death on the cross for our sins!

Thank you, O gracious Father, for raising us up from spiritual darkness and death and granting us life through faith in Your Son Jesus Christ, our Savior! Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.]

“… having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence …” Ephesians 1:5-8

Believers take comfort in the fact they have been graciously predestined to be God’s children through faith in Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose again that all who trust in Him might be made acceptable in God’s sight and have forgiveness of sins in accord with the riches of God’s grace offered and given them through the preaching of the Gospel.

We thank You, dear Father, for choosing us to be Your children and bringing us to trust in Christ Jesus and His sacrifice for our sins through the preaching of the Gospel. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.]