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Read: Ephesians 2:4-5
Listen: Ephesians 2

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions. Ephesians 2:4-5

Paul emphasizes a profound truth about God’s love to the Ephesian believers. God’s love precedes any human response or worthiness. God acted in love while they were still dead in sin, making them alive with Christ. This is revolutionary teaching. These believers live in a culture of earned favor and fickle deities. Paul reveals that God created them specifically to love them—it wasn’t an afterthought but his primary purpose. Paul later prays they would comprehend the depth of this incredible love, acknowledging that human minds struggle to grasp its immensity (Ephesians 3:17-19).

We can struggle to believe we’re truly loved, especially when we fail. We might think God recoils from us in disappointment or anger. But because of Jesus, God doesn’t recoil when we sin. He moves toward us in mercy and love. God’s love isn’t based on our performance or perfection but on his unchanging character and Christ’s finished work. No achievement, relationship or number of social media followers will make us more loved in the coming year than we already are in Christ. When we anchor our identity in his love, we find freedom from the exhausting cycle of trying to earn what is already ours in Christ.

TODAY: As we close out 2024, spend time thanking God and praising him for his incredible love for you. Join Ada Bible Worship as they sing “You Keep Your Promises.” Thank him that “It is written we’re redeemed by your blood. All the old has passed away the new has come.” Ask God to help you anchor your identity in his love in 2025.