Every year as our anniversary approaches, I think back to life before I was married and smile. It was probably not remarkably different from most single guys: I lived on cereal, ramen and coffee. Everything I wore to work always matched, because every shirt was blue plaid and every pair of pants was khaki. And in the last house I lived in – with four other guys – we cleaned our bathroom once… in a year.
Then I got married. My wardrobe improved dramatically and almost instantly and I gained 20 lbs in 9 months. Wherever we’ve lived has looked incredible and is always clean despite having two labs who never seem to run out of hair to shed.
Marriage is a big milestone in anyone’s life, but for me, that milestone was very visible.
In Ephesians, Paul makes a lot of “then/now” contrasts – and the change is pretty dramatic there, as well. In 2:1-10, and again in 2:11-22, he reminds the Ephesians what their lives looked like before they were saved and then describes their new state. In 2:1-10, Paul describes the Ephesians (and us) as spiritually dead followers of Satan, who were “children of wrath.” “But God, being rich in mercy made us alive and raised us up with Christ.” In 2:11-22, he reminds them that they were “separated from Christ,” “aliens,” “having no hope and without God.” “But now in Christ, Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” (v. 13)
The differences are pretty dramatic, aren’t they? Why do you think Paul is repeatedly making such stark contrasts? There’s a clue in verse 11. You may have noticed this in the flow of the letter already, but the grammar makes it crystal-clear: the first imperative statement Paul makes in the entire book of Ephesians is “remember.” An imperative is a “do this” statement. Think about that for a minute: in a very practical letter to a church struggling to figure out how to live out their faith in the midst of a system that was diametrically opposed to it, Paul doesn’t give the Ephesians a “do this” statement until almost the third chapter! Everything so far has been a description of what God has done for and in the Ephesians believers, and who they now are in Christ. It’s all passive – who can miss the force of his statement in 2:8-9?
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
The imperative statement in verse 11 might read like this: Therefore, because of all that God has done for you, always, ALWAYS, always be remembering where you came from and who you once were. Why does God want us to spend so much time focusing on our negative, sinful past? Because if we understand just how truly bad off we were apart from Christ, we’ll understand and appreciate how indescribably wonderful the grace of God is and who we are now in Him!
When I stop and think about what I was like before I got married, I’m honestly kind of amazed my wife ever went out in public with me at all. But she did, and it marked a pretty dramatic turning point in my life. Even more, it seems like the more time I spend contemplating just how far out of my league I actually was playing, it makes me want to do stuff that makes her feel special and appreciated (maybe even clean a bathroom).
This is why Paul wants the Ephesians (and us) to always, always remember just how bad off we were: because when we understand how immeasurable God’s grace is, and how much He’s done for us and in us, we will literally trip over ourselves trying to please Him by doing the things He designed us to do. Works don’t cause grace – it’s the other way around. The grace and love of God inspire us to love Him and to do great things for Him.
Take some time this morning and read through how Paul contrasts life before Christ and life after – and then just let your heart and mind praise Him for His truly amazing grace.
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