This Old House
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 2:1-2
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince and power of the air, the spirit that now works in the sons of disobedience…
Paul paints a desperate picture of the human condition apart from Jesus Christ. It helps to bring into focus other passages that ask questions like “Can a leopard change its spots?” Left to ourselves, the situation seems hopeless. We are like bombed-out buildings.
Several years ago, I was asked to fix up a house that had been abused by renters. The owner had passed away and his adult children were faced with the daunting task of disposing of their father’s rental properties, some of which were in horrible states of disrepair. This particular home was the worst of all of them. They considered abandoning it and letting the city sell it at a tax lien auction. As bad as it was, we were able to repair the damage and sell it for a reasonable profit.
In contrast to that, in 1997 Germany found itself in a quandary as to what to do with almost 100 ancient castles. They were located in the area of Saxony and had been within the territory of Communist East Germany until reunification. The castles were of historical value, but they had been so neglected that they seemed almost beyond hope of being restored.
The government came up with a plan. They put the castles on the market and sold them for what amounted to about 50 cents in US dollars. There was just one catch. The buyers had to commit to restoring them according to the architectural design of the original castles. The price tag for each one would be between seven and sixty million dollars in 1997 money. Not cheap.
Looking at the human condition, it is clear that we are beyond hope of restoration by our efforts or any other natural human help. There is only one person spiritually rich enough, and powerful enough to restore us to what we were designed to be. That person is Jesus Christ. He is able? But is he willing?
Paul goes on to answer that question in verse four:
But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ…
Good word! Thank GOD for HIS GREAT GRACE!