September 27 | Ephesians 2: 13-22

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DAILY READING

Ephesians 2:13-22

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I Was Lost, But Now I’m Found

By Michael Guastella

Before Jesus truly was in my heart, I was almost afraid to let him in.  What if I wasn’t good enough for Him? What if I screw up; am I “un-saved” then? What if this, what if that.  The typical anxiety of a confused, young mind with too much time on his hands and not enough peace in his heart.  I thought I had to be a certain set of things, do a certain set of things, not do a certain set of things, etc. in order to “earn” my salvation. 

While of course we strive to be like Christ in our thoughts and actions, we can never earn our way into Heaven. It may seem like our salvation is so much nuanced than that, but actually, I think it’s a lot simpler. If I had to sum up the Gospel in four words, it would be the title of this chapter of Ephesians: "Made Alive in Christ." It’s that simple. 

The first few verses of Chapter 2 don’t justify our earthly actions and desires – rather, they give them relatability. They give that anxiety of mine a place to be buried.  Verse 12 says “remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.”  This does not refer to the literal country of Israel we know today, but rather the exclusion from the fellowship of God’s people and His kingdom.  Paul is reminding us of our “before” times here.  

It’s also a remarkably succinct challenge that I think can be split into three simultaneous messages: 1) remember how despondent your life was like before Christ, 2) remember how your life has now been transformed because of Christ, and 3) you have Jesus in your heart now – you can’t be doing that old stuff anymore!

That last one hits home for me more often than I care to share.  The good news is verse 13 reminds us “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” What amazing peace.  What amazing, beautiful peace. That Jesus not only is the only way to be brought into God’s kingdom, that He also will meet you right where you’re at. 

You mean to tell me I can just ask Jesus to come into my heart, which is filled with grief, and turmoil, and guilt, and sin and shame? And a total mess? And he’ll just…show up?  And clean it all up?!

Yep. That’s exactly right.

But what about all this stuff I did, and what about…

Doesn’t matter! He’ll meet you right where you’re at.  No questions asked. And by the way… He’s also the only one who can clean the mess up.

Verses 14-18 affirm this to be true: “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Part of this reminder, to me, is also a charge for humility.  Those of us who have accepted Christ into our heart are not perfect and never will be.  We have not attained some sort of “platinum” version of human existence, and we’re not going to Super Heaven when we die. 

Our charge is not to point at our achievement of accepting Christ into our hearts, but rather, our charge is to point to Christ and his sacrifice on the cross, his miraculous resurrection, and his love for all of humanity that runs so deep that He sent His only Son to die so that we may live with Him in paradise for all of eternity.  The presence of God and the radiance of the Holy Spirit is not a spotlight pointed on us, but rather a flashlight we hold in our hands and point towards the cross!

At the conclusion of the Chapter, in verses 21-22, we’re reminded of our true purpose: “In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”

This passage reminds us of a very simple truth that we have been singing along to for hundreds of years: that once we were lost, but now we are found.  And only by His amazing grace are we saved.

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PRAYER

Lord, we remember who we were before you.  And we know what has happened to us because of you.  Forgive us for when we go back to old ways, and may the promise of your loving embrace continue to replace the earthly desires that do not glorify you.  Thank you for your amazing grace.  

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About the Author

MICHAEL GUASTELLA

I have been a Hilliard resident since 2022, and have lived in Columbus about 11 years. I am originally from the Cleveland area. I work in downtown Columbus as a government affairs consultant. My wife, Rachael, and I have been attending UALC since early 2024.