Stepping into the Story

“You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus… We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:1-7,10

For most, we live life, determine next steps, go our own way, unaware of our distance from God. If we are His, at a point in time, He steps in to save us, and we step into the story He’s been writing for us all along. What was lifeless rises with vitality. Our direction changes and affections are transformed. Natural passions become spiritual, and temporal sight takes on an eternal perspective.

Once made alive with Christ, we are captured by heavenly purpose. Our old self fades as we increasingly know God, and find ourselves in His glorious, pulsing flow of eternal life in the present. Captivated by this new and benevolent Master, we proceed with holy passion and focus previously unknown. Stepping into the story our Lord is writing means taking up His identity, and exemplifying and implementing His gracious workmanship. It means investing our energy and efforts, with holy enthusiasm, into the work He has marked out for us. (Romans 6:6; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:22-24)

When our Lord has saved us, our story takes on a whole new dimension. Our spirits awaken to new and beautiful meaning, and our sanctified impulse is to hold out our hands and say, “Here am I” to every good work He has planned. We delight in His plot, we engage with His characters, we are captivated by His storyline that holds tension and resolve and meaning every day we live. What an inspiration, what a comfort, to be part of God’s story! (1 Samuel 3:4; Isaiah 6:8)

What fleeting charms of this world, what flesh passions, have a stronghold on us? Have we allowed habitual sin attitudes and practices to callous our hearts and blind our eyes? Where are we avoiding, or resisting, by inaction or alternate action, Jesus’s beckoning of grace? Ultimately His love call is irresistible… do we hear it? It is also irrevocable, so the sooner we step out of our old inclinations into step with Him, the more quickly we can be about His good work for us. (Romans 11:29)

Perfect Father, thank You for Your grace. May I keep Your pace through every page of the story You are writing of my life in Christ. Teach me Your ways, and help me do Your works, that I may know and reflect Your glory. (Exodus 33:13-18)