I was dead for 23 years.

Ephesians 2:8-9

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

Looking back on who I was 6 months ago, I could only say one thing: I was dead. I never really taught of that until I met Jesus. For 23 years of existence, I was physically healthy, I think. But on the inside, emotionally and spiritually, I was as good as fertilizer. I was just rotting away.

Many people, especially young adults like me, don't consciously realize this because they are too preoccupied on seeking things that would make them happy superficially. They spend their time, energy and/or money on things that seems to bring momentarily happiness (e.g. gadgets, parties, work and even relationships). But at the end of the day, when you're all alone in your room, there's always this feeling of longing and sadness that you just can't seem to explain. You constantly seek to find the answer yourself, but always end up being lonelier and sadder the day before. You seem alive on the outside. But in reality, you are dead on the inside.

The idea that we people can't find the answer ourselves suddenly dawned at me. We just can't. What I realized is that the answer needs to find us. And that answer is Jesus. Maybe you would ask, "Why does He need to find us?" The reason is because we are closed to the idea that we need Him. We constantly reject Him. We deny the idea that He exists. It's OK for us to be sinners because we need to live "this" life to the fullest. And most off all, we consider ourselves as the God of our own lives.

The answer is echoed in Ephesians 2:8-9. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we will be saved. Not by our works, but because of His grace. Not because we deserve it, but because it is a free gift. It took me 23 years to realize this truth. Last Sunday, June 24, 2012, I decided that I want to be part of Jesus' church, submit to spiritual authority and just plain serve and love Jesus. I got baptized. Though baptism does not directly save you from death and God's wrath, it symbolizes 3 things, mainly: death, burial, and resurrection. Before, I was dead in sin. Now, I am alive in Christ. 

The moment we accept our faults, admit that we are sinners, and profess that Jesus is the only one who could save us, He'll find us. He'll change us. He'll save us. Once we belong to Jesus, our once dead bodies will be raised into a new life. We'll be made alive through Him.

Reflect on this: Do you often feel lonely and sad without any particular reason? Did it ever come to your mind that Jesus might be calling to you to open yourself to Him? Are you always rejecting and closing your heart to Jesus? If not, how does Jesus help you feel alive?

Prayer: Father God, thank you for the words of Ephesians 2:8-9. Indeed only by having faith in your Son can we be saved. Through your grace we are made alive. This is not something we worked for or we deserved. You gave it to us for free. And I thank you for that.

Lord Jesus, it is my prayer that we always instill into our minds that we are dead because of sin but was raised to life through Your death. May we seek to honor You, serve You, and love You in everything we say, think or do. Empower us, Holy Spirit, to serve others and share the Gospel. May You lead, guide, and instruct us to do what is pleasing to you and what can be beneficial to us. In Jesus' good name I pray, Amen.