From Death to Life: The Power of God’s Grace
October 21, 2024 - Monday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Ephesians 2:1-10
Since the birth of Christ, the history of humanity has been divided between what was before Christ (BC) and what has taken place after Christ (AD). But this division also applies to individuals. Some still live in an "era before Christ," while others live in an "era after Christ." This is what took place in the lives of the Ephesian community.
Paul powerfully describes their life before knowing the message of the Gospel and believing in Christ. It was a life characterized by transgressions and sins, a life dominated by the desires of the flesh and the impulses of human nature. In Paul’s view, anyone who lives in this way is spiritually dead, cut off from the source of life—God Himself. On the other hand, by embracing the message of the Gospel, we are "created in Christ for good works" (see Eph. 2:1-10). But how does this transformation from being spiritually dead in our transgressions to being alive in Christ take place? It is by the act of God's mercy.
This process is described using the same vocabulary that speaks about Christ's death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven. In the letter to the Romans, referring to the mystery of our baptism, Paul wrote that we have died with Christ and were buried with Christ, in order to live with Christ in newness of life (see Rom. 6:3-4). However, in the letter to the Ephesians, Paul describes the effects of baptism as being raised with Christ and seated with Christ in the heavens. In this way, the apostle helps us to realize the great spiritual effects of the sacrament of baptism.
Paul stresses that the entire process is an act of God's grace. The Ephesians had nothing to brag about—they were dead in their transgressions. That they became alive in Christ was a miracle that only God could perform. Paul emphasizes this truth so that it would register: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast" (Eph. 2:8-9). The Catechism describes grace in this way: "The grace of Christ is the gratuitous gift that God makes to us of his own life, infused by the Holy Spirit into our soul to heal it of sin and to sanctify it" (CCC, 1999). The Ephesians experienced the power of this grace, and so does every baptized person.
Paul continues his description of the fruits of God's grace. In Christ, we have become a new creation, God's handiwork (see 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 2:10). But what is the purpose of this miracle taking place in our lives? Why does God bring us from spiritual death to life in Christ? To do His good works which He has prepared for us in advance. We are called to live out our new life in Christ by doing good works that reflect God’s love and grace.