Ephesians 2:4-5 (ESV)
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved…
The natural state of every person born after the likeness of Adam is that they are dead in sin. This nature, otherwise referred to as original sin, causes man to be without God and without hope in this world. But thanks be to God who loved us and out of the riches of His mercy sent His own Son to die on our stead so that we may be partakers of His life. Thus, when Christ rose from the dead, we rose with Him on account of the salvation we have received, by grace through faith. This is the reason why all those who are in Christ Jesus are referred to as new creatures with the old gone and the new having come (2 Corinthians 5:17).
If you are a Christian, meaning that you have placed your faith in Christ for your salvation, this is your new identity – you are alive in Christ. In other words, you have the experience of the abundant life that Christ came to give us (John 10:10). This also means that just as Christ will never die, the believer will also never die. Which means that eternal life is something that we possess in the present and we will experience its fullness in the age to come. How then can we be sure that we are alive in Christ, that we have eternal life? The words of Jesus in John17:3 answer this question for us:
And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
Reflections
1. Do you think someone experience a significant change in their life when they get saved?
2. How does the knowledge that you are alive in Christ aid your Christian walk?
