1And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not at a s a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Notice in v 4 that "God...made us alive". Subject (God) verb (made alive) and object (us). Salvation is a gift of God. Notice in v8 that a believer is saved by God's grace! Not by works! There in is the major difference between Christianity and all other religions of the world; which is, that good works follow salvation for the believer as opposed to good works saving a person, which accounts for the other religions. Only God can change a man's heart!
Believer: preach this to yourself daily.
Non-believer: take note - it is God who changes a person once you repent (turn) from your sin and believe. Believe what? That you are a sinner! That Jesus died for your sins, which you could not pay. That He rose from the dead on the third day and now sits at the right hand of God. Because you repent and believe you now live for God, and not yourself.
May God be with you.
Dave
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