Born that way

Ephesians 2:1-10

      Yesterday I spoke about (bad) childlike behavior that infects the world and is responsible for so many of the ills the world has. The passage today speaks of being dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived. While I wrote of our struggle to be who God made us to be, to love and to learn, there is one additional thing we need to realize. This passage spells it out for us.

          We must know that our innate goodness is not something we earn. Who we are, each one of us, in our wholeness, in our beauty, in our ability to love is gifted by God. It is part of all of us and in our own special ways, each one us individually. What did we do to deserve it?  As Lady Gag said, we are 'born that way'. So whether we are straight or gay, black or white or someplace in between or neither at all, we are created by love and a plan by God to have a beautiful world. It is only possible if we cooperate and love. It is only possible if we accept growth. It is only possible if we realize how good we are right from the get go.

           You know our world seems to operate on a different schema, earn enough points and get X.  Get enough boxtops and you get a free toy. Collect enough frequent flyer miles and get a free flight.
With God there is nothing to earn. We do not have to achieve something in order to get his love and salvation. He created us as beautiful creatures out of love so that we can live and love some more. Jesus died on the cross so that we are already forgiven for our trespasses. We could not possibly do enough to earn enough 'points' to obtain salvation or to overcome the sins we may have committed. Jesus died to cover it all and God created us to live joyous and loving lives.

          It's as if God is saying 'I got ya covered', just enjoy, live and love. That makes him happy.

You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through 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 ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.