ALIVE | The Way Unearned | Ephesians

We are earners by nature. We work and strive for the purpose of producing something better than we currently have. We understand the satisfaction of accomplishment and the relationship between effort and earning. We typically experience these two directly tied to each other. We believe the more individual effort put in, the greater the personal reward. We see this played out in athletics, business, government, and other arenas. Sometimes we work with others in teams, companies, community organizations, but the principals are the same. The way to have a greater, more abundant, life is to put more effort towards earning what we desire. This isn’t always wrong. Accomplishment, taking healthy pride in the work we are given, or unifying with others for common goals can be very effective in bringing flourishing to many. However, earning and effort cannot be what defines our lives. If so, our way of navigating the world, knowing who we are, and how we interact with others will be characterized by either pride in our successes of earning or accomplishing what we desire (or simply more/better than others around us) OR despair in our failures relative to how see ourselves or compare to others. This way of life promises a reward at the top of the mountain, but it’s all dependent on us to earn it. The reality is we’re not built capable of earning our lives, the breath we have now, or the future life for eternity. Yet, we keep believing life is best when it’s earned. The way unearned is the Gospel where we are brought into family by the grace and mercy of God alone. The only earning done has been by the work of Jesus Christ (God the Son) in our place living the perfect life we have not, dying the death we all deserve for sin, and rising again so we can be alive now and forever with Him. We haven’t earned any status on our own. Because of Jesus effort for us, we’ve been adopted by a Father (God) who loves us. He picks us up, He carries us, He encourages us, and He empowers us (by the Holy Spirit) to walk in the ways and places He sees fit for us. We walk with the knowledge that He’s the one who brought us here for our growth, our good, and His glory. We are humble because we know how dependent we are. We are joyful because we know how loved we are. We invite everyone and let them know the life with God is not dependent on what they can earn, but is reliant on a God who has big enough shoulder to carry all His people. In Christ, we have been made alive for a purpose. To live in the way God has created us. Both the rewards of and endurance in this life are by His grace alone so they are by nature unearned.

February 23, 2020