SAT JUL 15 – Introduction

A long time ago, a little girl named Jessica was playing in her aunt’s backyard. But something terrible happened. She fell down a deep hole that no one was using anymore. News about her accident spread all over the world, and people everywhere watched and hoped for her rescue. They saw Jessica sleeping, crying, and calling for her mom. Rescue workers did their best to help her by sending fresh air into the hole.

After two whole days, the world held its breath as Jessica was finally pulled out of the hole. A special picture was taken at that moment. It showed the worried faces of the rescuers looking down at Jessica, who was wrapped in bandages. This picture won an important award called the Pulitzer Prize.

Sometimes, we love hearing stories about brave rescues. In a part of the Bible called Ephesians, there’s a story like that too. It’s about God rescuing all of humanity. The writer, Paul, tells us how God worked really hard to save us. It’s not just a story to watch from far away, though. It’s a story about us, about our own rescue.

SUN JUL 16 – Once Dead and Deceived by Satan

Paul has already talked about how Christians are saved and the story of the believers in Ephesus. Now, in Ephesians 2:1-10

KJV ¹ And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; ² Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: ³ Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. ⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, ⁵ Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved; ) ⁶ And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: ⁷ That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. CEV ¹ In the past you were dead because you sinned and fought against God. ² You followed the ways of this world and obeyed the devil. He rules the world, and his spirit has power over everyone who doesn't obey God. ³ Once we were also ruled by the selfish desires of our bodies and minds. We had made God angry, and we were going to be punished like everyone else. ^4-5 But God was merciful! We were dead because of our sins, but God loved us so much he made us alive with Christ, and God's gift of undeserved grace is what saves you. ⁶ God raised us from death to life with Christ Jesus, and he has given us a place beside Christ in heaven. ⁷ God did this so in the future world he could show how truly good and kind he is to us because of what Christ Jesus has done. ⁸ You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God's gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. ⁹ It isn't something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about. ¹⁰ God planned for us to do good things and to live as he has always wanted us to live. This is why he sent Christ to make us what we are.
, Paul will explain their journey to becoming Christians in more detail. He talks about their past, when they used to do bad things and were deceived by Satan. But he also talks about the good things God did for them and how they can be part of Christ’s victory.

In Ephesians 2:1-3

KJV ¹ And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; ² Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: ³ Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. CEV ¹ In the past you were dead because you sinned and fought against God. ² You followed the ways of this world and obeyed the devil. He rules the world, and his spirit has power over everyone who doesn't obey God. ³ Once we were also ruled by the selfish desires of our bodies and minds. We had made God angry, and we were going to be punished like everyone else.
, Paul says that before becoming Christians, they were spiritually dead and lived in a way that went against God’s rules. They were influenced by the customs and behavior of the society around them, which led them away from God.

Paul also mentions Satan, who had power over them. He describes Satan as a powerful force that works against God’s plans. But here’s the good news: Jesus came to save them! In Ephesians 2:4-7

KJV ⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, ⁵ Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved; ) ⁶ And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: ⁷ That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. CEV ^4-5 But God was merciful! We were dead because of our sins, but God loved us so much he made us alive with Christ, and God's gift of undeserved grace is what saves you. ⁶ God raised us from death to life with Christ Jesus, and he has given us a place beside Christ in heaven. ⁷ God did this so in the future world he could show how truly good and kind he is to us because of what Christ Jesus has done.
, Paul explains that God made them alive together with Christ. They can share in Christ’s victory over sin and death.

All of this happened because of God’s grace and love. It wasn’t something they earned or deserved. In Ephesians 2:8-10

KJV ⁸ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. CEV ⁸ You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God's gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. ⁹ It isn't something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about. ¹⁰ God planned for us to do good things and to live as he has always wanted us to live. This is why he sent Christ to make us what we are.
, Paul says that they were saved by God’s gift, not by their own efforts. God created them to do good things and be close to Him.

So, what does this teach us about the big fight between good and evil? It shows us that there is a real battle going on, but Jesus has already won the victory. We can find comfort and hope in knowing that we can be part of Jesus’ victory right now. We can trust in Him and follow Him, and He will help us through any challenges we face.

MON JUL 17 – Once, we were fooled by our own wants and wishes.

We used to live like other people who didn’t obey God. We did things that pleased our own desires and thoughts. Just like everyone else, we deserved to be punished (Ephesians 2:3

KJV ³ Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. CEV ³ Once we were also ruled by the selfish desires of our bodies and minds. We had made God angry, and we were going to be punished like everyone else.
).

Apart from God’s help, we are influenced by both external and internal forces. Our own strong desires and thoughts can lead us to do wrong things (Ephesians 2:3

KJV ³ Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. CEV ³ Once we were also ruled by the selfish desires of our bodies and minds. We had made God angry, and we were going to be punished like everyone else.
).

When Paul says that his listeners were “by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Ephesians 2:3

KJV ³ Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. CEV ³ Once we were also ruled by the selfish desires of our bodies and minds. We had made God angry, and we were going to be punished like everyone else.
), he means that without God, we would face God’s punishment at the end of time. It sounds scary!

Not only that, but there is something deeply wrong inside us. Even though we are made in God’s image, we have a natural tendency to rebel against God and harm ourselves. It’s like we have a habit of doing things that hurt us and go against what God wants. We are stuck in a pattern of doing wrong things, following Satan’s influence and our own bad desires (Ephesians 2:2-3

KJV ² Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: ³ Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. CEV ² You followed the ways of this world and obeyed the devil. He rules the world, and his spirit has power over everyone who doesn't obey God. ³ Once we were also ruled by the selfish desires of our bodies and minds. We had made God angry, and we were going to be punished like everyone else.
). Before believing in Jesus, we were like this too.

But here’s the good news: Paul talks about the past. He says we “were by nature the children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3

KJV ³ Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. CEV ³ Once we were also ruled by the selfish desires of our bodies and minds. We had made God angry, and we were going to be punished like everyone else.
). That means things can change! Although we may still struggle with doing wrong things even after we believe in Jesus, we don’t have to be controlled by our old ways. With Jesus’ help, we can leave behind our old selves and become new people who follow God’s ways (Ephesians 4:22-24

KJV ²² That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; ²³ And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; ²⁴ And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. CEV ²² You were told that your foolish desires will destroy you and that you must give up your old way of life with all its bad habits. ²³ Let the Spirit change your way of thinking ²⁴ and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God, and so you must please him and be truly holy.
).

We all know that sometimes we do things that are not good, even after choosing to follow Jesus. This teaches us how important it is to hold on to Him every moment of our lives. We need His help and guidance to make the right choices and be more like Him.

TUE JUL 18 – Now Resurrected, Ascended, and Exalted With Christ

The Bible says, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us” (Ephesians 2:4

KJV ⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, CEV ^4-5 But God was merciful! We were dead because of our sins, but God loved us so much he made us alive with Christ, and God's gift of undeserved grace is what saves you.
, NKJV). This means that even though we have done wrong things, God is kind and loves us very much.

The Bible also says, “Believers are co-resurrected with Christ; co-raised up with Christ (which means going up to heaven with Him); and co-seated with Christ ‘in the heavenly places’” (Ephesians 2:6

KJV ⁶ And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: CEV ⁶ God raised us from death to life with Christ Jesus, and he has given us a place beside Christ in heaven.
). This means that believers in Jesus are like a team with Him. They are connected to His resurrection, going up to heaven, and being seated in a special place with Him.

We should remember what the Bible says in Ephesians 1:19-23

KJV ¹⁹ And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, ²⁰ Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: ²² And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, ²³ Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. CEV ¹⁹ I want you to know about the great and mighty power that God has for us followers. It is the same wonderful power he used ²⁰ when he raised Christ from death and let him sit at his right side in heaven. ²¹ There Christ rules over all forces, authorities, powers, and rulers. He rules over all beings in this world and will rule in the future world as well. ²² God has put all things under the power of Christ, and for the good of the church he has made him the head of everything. ²³ The church is the body of Christ and is filled with Christ who completely fills everything.
. It tells us that Jesus had victory over evil and spiritual powers through His death, resurrection, ascension, and exaltation. These powers used to control our lives, but not anymore. Jesus changed everything. He defeated them. So now, believers are not just watching these events happen, but they are personally and intimately involved in them. It means that we can have a new and powerful life with Jesus.

Another Bible verse, 2 Timothy 1:7

KJV ⁷ For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. CEV ⁷ God's Spirit doesn't make cowards out of us. The Spirit gives us power, love, and self-control.
, says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” This verse helps us understand that because of what Jesus did, we don’t have to be afraid. Instead, God gives us power, love, and a clear mind to make good choices.

So, as we read the Bible, we see that God’s love for us is great. He has done amazing things for us through Jesus, and we can have a special connection with Him. We can have a new life, power, and love, and we don’t need to be afraid because God is with us.

WED JULY 19 – Now Blessed Forever by Grace

God has a special plan to save us and show us His love. This plan started a long time ago and continues forever. In the book of Ephesians, it talks about this plan.

Imagine you’re at a graduation ceremony. It’s a big celebration because you’ve finished something important and are moving on to a new stage in life. Well, God’s plan of salvation is even more amazing than that! It’s like a graduation, but we never finish and graduate from God’s love and grace.

In Ephesians 2:7

KJV ⁷ That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. CEV ⁷ God did this so that in the future world he could show how truly good and kind he is to us because of what Christ Jesus has done.
, the Bible says that God has done incredible things in the past to save us through Jesus. He made us part of His family and even raised us up with Jesus. This is happening right now! But God’s plan doesn’t stop there. It goes on forever into the future.

God has always had this plan in mind, even before time began. He wants to show us His kindness and love for all the ages to come. It’s like He has a treasure chest full of grace, and He wants to share it with us.

This amazing grace of God is so valuable that we can’t even fully understand it. It’s like a treasure that never runs out. It’s not just for us humans, but even the angels are amazed by it. Throughout eternity, both the angels and the people who have been saved will learn from and sing about the love and sacrifice of Jesus.

So, remember, God has a wonderful plan to save us and show us His love. It started a long time ago and will continue forever. We can always rely on God’s grace, and it will be the most amazing thing we will ever know.

When Jesus came to live among us, He showed us what God is like. He wanted both people and angels to understand God better. This revelation wasn't just for us humans. Our world is like a textbook for the whole universe. The amazing purpose of God's grace and His plan to save us is something that even angels are fascinated by. They will study and learn about it forever. Both the saved and the angels who never fell will see the cross of Christ as their greatest lesson and source of joy. They will realize that the love shining in Jesus' face is a love that is willing to sacrifice everything for others. — Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, pp. 19, 20 [URL:https://m.egwwritings.org/en/book/130.21#23] [Paraphrased].

THU JUL 20 – Now Saved by God

In the Bible, in a letter called Ephesians, a man named Paul tells us some important things about how God saves people. He talks about how we are like a person who is spiritually dead and doesn't have anything good inside them (Ephesians 2:1-3

KJV ¹ And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; ² Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: ³ Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. CEV ¹ In the past you were dead because you sinned and fought against God. ² You followed the ways of this world and obeyed the devil. He rules the world, and his spirit has power over everyone who doesn't obey God. ³ Once we were also ruled by the selfish desires of our bodies and minds. We had made God angry, and we were going to be punished like everyone else.
). We are trapped by bad things we do, and we follow selfish and bad thoughts.

But God loves us so much that He decided to save us. You see, our rescue from this bad state is not because we were good or did something special. It's because of God's amazing love for us. He wanted to show us mercy and kindness, so He sent Jesus to help us. Jesus rescued us from our spiritually dead state and gave us new life.

It's like a super exciting journey! From being in the darkest and saddest place, we are taken to a wonderful and heavenly place with Jesus. And guess what? This amazing rescue is forever! God will always love us and show us His kindness (Ephesians 2:4-7

KJV ⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, ⁵ Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved; ) ⁶ And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: ⁷ That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. CEV ^4-5 But God was merciful! We were dead because of our sins, but God loved us so much he made us alive with Christ, and God's gift of undeserved grace is what saves you. ⁶ God raised us from death to life with Christ Jesus, and he has given us a place beside Christ in heaven. ⁷ God did this so in the future world he could show how truly good and kind he is to us because of what Christ Jesus has done.
).

So, in the end, Paul wants to make sure we understand one very important thing: Our rescue and salvation come from God. It's not because we were so good or did something special. We can't brag about it because it's all God's gift to us. We are like beautiful masterpieces created by God, and He made us special because of Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-10

KJV ⁸ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. CEV ⁸ You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God's gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. ⁹ It isn't something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about. ¹⁰ God planned for us to do good things and to live as he has always wanted us to live. This is why he sent Christ to make us what we are.
).

Why is it essential to know this? Because it helps us understand that we don't have to earn God's love. He loves us just as we are, and He saved us because He cares about us so much. It's not about how good we are, but about how good God is and how much He loves us!