“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—it is by grace you have been saved.”
Because we live in a culture obsessed with self-esteem, the concept of sin is disagreeable.
The popular message of the day is that happiness and contentment come in simply accepting who you are. The perceived character flaws are really not flaws at all; they’re simply preferences, and everyone’s preferences are okay. Right?
That’s not what the Bible teaches.
Instead, we find a much more pessimistic view of humanity in the Book’s pages that tell us our true stories. Regardless of our economic situation, nation of origin, or situational upbringing, we all are dead in our sin and transgression.
Hard to understand?
Well, imagine yourself stranded at sea. There is no boat in sight, no piece of driftwood to hold you up. Just you and the water. Sure, you’ve had some swim lessons, but you’re no fool – you know that in this vast ocean, there is only so long you can tread water. The minutes start to tick by, and with each tick, you know your strength is slightly less. Then you notice that your kicking legs are starting to feel heavy. You tilt your head back as you realize that you’re starting to sink deeper. Now, your ears are almost fully submerged. You know the end is close, and then you take on that first bit of water. You cough it up, and your heart begins to race. You come to the sudden realization that there is no hope for you. Your head dips again, and you prepare yourself to swallow when, suddenly, out of nowhere, you see a rope being thrown your way. With your last ounce of strength, you grab it and are pulled to safety.
Some have said this is what it’s like to be saved. When you can’t save yourself, Jesus tosses you a lifeline from the cross. You reach up and grab it, and He will pull you to safety.
This illustration has only one problem: We get too much of the credit.
If we believe what the Bible says about us, we are not dying; we are dead. We are not in trouble; we are helpless. And we don’t need to have our lives realigned; we need to be born again. The real picture of our state isn’t of someone drowning and taking on water. No, the picture here is of a corpse, dead and bloated, floating face down in the sea. No strength. No power. No hope.
This is what it means to be saved.
Jesus is our Rescuer. And, according to the Bible, He rescues from sin and death. He jumps into the sea of our sin and death and hauls our lifeless bodies to the shore.
Then, He leans low and breathes new life into us: “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—it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5).
We are dead in sin, so we must be born again.
Friends, this is as plain as it gets.
We all need a Savior. His name is Jesus.
Written by Michael Kelley, Guest Contributor
DIG DEEPER
Read “Discover Jesus for Yourself” by Bryant Wright
