The brilliance of God's grace, today's daily devotion from Pastor Greg Lorry.

Our scripture reading today is from Ephesians chapter 2 verse 1.

Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.

I'm amazed by anyone who actually believes that people are basically good.

I have to say that in many ways they have more faith than I do to believe that.

As I see the depravity that humanity is capable of, I become more convinced of the fact that people are not basically good.

Actually, it's quite the opposite.

And that's clearly what the scriptures teach.

Ephesians chapter 2 verses 1 and 2 says,

once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins,

you used to live in sin just like the rest of the world, obeying the

devil, the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of

those who refuse to obey God.

In these verses, the Apostle Paul paints a very dark background,

so that we might better appreciate the brilliance of God's grace.

Just as jewelers display beautiful gems on dark velvet

so we can appreciate their splendor,

so God, against a very dark background, shows us how bad we once were, but he also shows us what

he can make us into.

It is this balanced understanding of humanity that gives the Christian the only logical and satisfactory answer

as to why the world is the way it is.

Make no mistake about it.

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