grace is not about doing, but being.

I have started reading a book that someone left for 5-7 called A Call to Grace by David Nasser. Grace is just something that I know I take for granted and cannot comprehend it's depth. It is a 39 day study. I started reading it and have been stuck on day five for three days. It is so profound to me that I want it burned in. I am going to share it today, for two reasons...one, that you might be blessed, too.....and two, that I may burn it in deeply for myself. Each lesson starts out with Ephesians 2:1-10. Here goes, and i quote...
¹ And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, ² 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, ³ 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. ⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:1-10 NKJ
" The night that I became a Christian, one of the first things I did was call a man that I considered to be instrumental in my coming to faith in Christ. I can't remember exactly what time it was, but suffice it to say, it was way past bedtime. I remember his sleepy voice when I called to let him know that I had bowed a knee in my room and asked Christ to save me. There were a lot of encouraging things said in that conversation, but something that has always stuck out to me was the phrase, " You're in the boat now." That night he explained to me that I had been drowning in a sea of sin. Every time I tried to come up for air, the more my sin was dragging me down. But on that night, God came by in his boat-(he didn't say this part, but I figured that if it was God's boat, it must have been the Love Boat). I was told that God saw me drowning and threw out the lifesaver-Jesus. My friend said that night that I had symbolically grabbed on to the lifesaver and God had pulled me into the boat.
Since then, I have heard that illustration several times and I am convinced it is always shared with good intention from great people. However, when you look at Ephesians 2:1, you realize that, in fact, Paul does not say that we were drowning in our sins, but that we have already drowned. This is where we must all begin, at the end of ourselves. In Ephesians 2:1, Paul clearly states that you and I are dead in our transgressions and sins.
And you...
Paul begins with the word you. Although he is speaking to the people of Ephesus, those words are just as true and revelant to every single person today. "You" means everyone. You can take the word "you" out and insert the names David Nasser, Billy Graham, Marilyn Manson, or any name for that matter, and the verse still applies to each person throughout history. None of us are exempt. Romans 3:32 says "for all have sinned and come short to the glory of God."
....you were...
The next word is were. Paul says that every single one of us were dead in our trespasses and sins. It is important to note here that he is talking to the saints, those who are already believers. Much like himself and each one of us, this is what we were. Not what we are. God didn't leave us that way. Great hope can be found in the word were. Just because that's what we were, that doesn't mean that's what we are.
In the mid 1800's, the South was still in the midst of slavery. Tragically, there were now a couple of generations of Africans that had been born in the United States, knowing nothing but the bondage of being a slave. However, one day slavery was finally abolished.
The abolition of slavery made many slave owners hit the roof - literally. I can just see them climbing on top of their roofs, all over the South, gathering all their slaves together, and giving them a speech. I imagine the speeches must have gone something like this,
"You might have heard that you have been set free. But let me ask you a question, do you feel like you're free? Of course you don't. Your mama was a slave, your daddy was a slave, and have you ever been anything but a slave? Look at you, you're dressed like a slave, you have blisters like a slave, and all your life you have taken orders from me. Today is no different. Get back to work."
I can see the whip in his hand. Tragically, many slaves bought the lies. Even though they were completely free, many continued to live and work as slaves. Because that's who they were, they thought that's all they could ever be.
I love to imagine, though, that maybe one day a tired old slave finally throws down his shovel. Possibly he thinks to himself, "My back hurts and my neck is burned from the sun, but I'm no longer the slave I feel like I am. That's who I was. The president said I was free. That's not how I feel, but it's who I am now. I'm gonna be who I am, and not who I was." I can hear his cries get louder and louder as he yells across the hot fields, "Be who you are! Be who you are! Be who you are!" Can't you see it? One by one, men women, and children begin to drop their cotton sacks and hoes and start to walk off the fields. Louder and louder they all began to shout, " Be who you are! Be who you are!" See that free man limping off the farm with the rest of his free brothers and sisters following, their former master yelling at them all the way down the road. You see, there was really no way they could be stopped - they had become free. They just had to start believing in their new identity.
What a great picture of us. We were once completely enslaved to sin, with no way out. Through nothing we had done, God in his rich mercy completely pardoned us through Chirst's completed work on the cross. Satan might keep shouting, "You're not free. You've always been a slave to sin and you'll always continue to be." But that simply is no longer true. We are free. We have been freed from sin. Start believing in your new identity. Through God's pardon, we no longer have to act like who we were. We can become who we are.
--Be still. Listen to what God is saying to you. "
That is all, there about 10 questions that follow. I want to share the two that are the most profound to me.
#3. Say out loud the word "slave" and then stop. Write down the thoughts, emotions, and pictures that come to mind.
#4 Maybe there is something in your life that God has set you free from, yet you choose to remain entangled to its demands. Describe what that may be for you. Now pray and ask God to give you strength to walk in His freedom.
I have failed to answer these thus far. I think I still need to soak it in a little longer. I know God is speaking to me profoundly here and I certainly don't want to miss that! I hope and pray that this has touched you today as it has touched me. Have a blessed Sunday, all. Remember, in seven days is the holiday of holidays. :)
MC