Before and after

We are all familiar with adverts which use ‘before’ and ‘after’ images, usually associated with some diet of other, purportedly showing how the person has changed from being overweight to a very slim and trim version of themselves. Or to show how dramatically their beauty product changes ordinary normal features into super-model likenesses!

Here in Ephesians 2 the Bible paints a picture for us of a before and after state of being that we all get to experience as we choose Jesus as our Lord and Saviour.

The before picture looks grim – verse 1 show us that we were spiritually dead, separated from God by our sin. Verse 2 speaks of the fact that we were walking according to the world, living like worldly people, and that we were under control of the devil (You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil). In verse 3 we understand that we were indulging our flesh, obeying our physical desires, and we were subject to the wrath of God (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).

We would not have thought of ourselves as being like this if the Word had not shown us this very clear picture of the reality of our situation before we chose Jesus. I mean, if we lived relatively ‘normal’ lives, following the trends of the culture around us, thinking that we were pretty normal decent human beings – we would not for a second think that we were under control of the devil, would we? Indulging our flesh would simply be the way of life for us, doing what we thought best for our own well-being as our priority would be natural. Certainly, we would not have thought that we were destined for wrath of any kind.

But God – verse 5 starts painting the after picture for us. We are spiritually alive in Jesus Christ (made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions). In verse 6 we read that we are seated together with Christ in heavenly places (And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus), and verse 7 tells us that we are a living display of God’s grace and kindness toward us in Jesus (So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us).

What a transformation! And all because of the grace of God, receiving our salvation from Him through our faith in Jesus alone. A free gift. No wonder it is called the Good News!

Pearls to ponder:

If we compare the before and after pictures painted above – let thankfulness and gratitude rise up in our hearts toward our gracious Heavenly Father for His boundless love and mercy for us! Thank Him that we are not destined for wrath, but for eternal life with Him!