Embracing Grace: From Spiritual Deadness to Renewal

Devotional

Day 1: We Are Dead in Our Transgressions Without Christ

Every person, no matter how alive they may seem on the outside, can be spiritually dead inside because of sin and rebellion against God. Like the salmon that appear to swim but are already dying, we too can go through the motions of life while our souls are disconnected from the source of true life. This spiritual deadness is not always obvious, as we often distract ourselves with money, relationships, or happiness, but it remains a reality until we acknowledge our need for God. [41:58]

Ephesians 2:1-2 (ESV)
"And 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—"

Reflection: In what ways have you tried to distract yourself from the deeper spiritual needs or emptiness in your life, and what would it look like to honestly bring those to God today?

Day 2: God’s Love Motivates His Grace

God’s motivation for reaching out to us is not based on anything we have done or could do, but solely on His great love and mercy. Just as a parent lovingly helps their child not out of obligation but out of deep affection, God’s love for us is far greater and freely given, even when we are caught in our mistakes. This love is not transactional; it is a gift that we could never earn or repay. [51:37]

Ephesians 2:4-5 (ESV)
"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—"

Reflection: Can you recall a time when you received love or help you didn’t deserve? How does that experience help you understand God’s love for you today?

Day 3: Grace Is a Gift, Not Earned by Works

Salvation is not something we can achieve through our own efforts, good deeds, or by trying to outweigh our bad with good. God’s grace is a free gift, given so that no one can boast or claim credit. This truth sets Christianity apart from every other belief system and invites us to humbly accept what we cannot earn. [52:13]

Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)
"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."

Reflection: Are there areas in your life where you are still trying to “earn” God’s approval? What would it look like to rest in His grace instead?

Day 4: Confession and Surrender Lead to Transformation

The only response to God’s free grace is to confess our need, ask for forgiveness, and surrender our lives to Him. When we stop trying to fix ourselves and instead invite God to work in us, He brings transformation, purpose, and new life. This act of surrender is not a one-time event but a daily posture of humility and openness to God’s Spirit. [58:07]

1 John 1:9 (ESV)
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Reflection: What is one specific area where you need to stop striving and instead confess and surrender to God’s grace today?

Day 5: God’s Grace Is Free—Live in That Freedom

God’s grace is truly free, and living in that freedom means letting go of the mindset that we must earn His love or forgiveness. When we embrace grace, it changes how we see ourselves, others, and our purpose in life. This freedom empowers us to make decisions out of love and gratitude, not fear or obligation, and to extend grace to others as we have received it. [56:45]

Romans 8:1-2 (ESV)
"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death."

Reflection: How would your relationships and daily choices look different if you truly believed and lived out the freedom of God’s grace?

Sermon Summary

Today’s gathering began with a special welcome to Haim, a Messianic Jew from Israel, who shared about daily life and safety in Israel, and the spiritual significance of visiting the Holy Land. The conversation highlighted how Israel is not only the birthplace of the Christian and Jewish faiths, but also a place where many experience profound spiritual transformation. The invitation to join a pilgrimage to Israel was extended, emphasizing the unique impact such a journey can have on one’s faith.

Shifting gears, a personal story about receiving a traffic infraction served as a lighthearted entry into a deeper exploration of the concept of grace. The reality of being “caught” in wrongdoing, unable to justify oneself, became a metaphor for the human condition before God. This led to a discussion of Ephesians 2, where Paul describes humanity as “dead in transgressions and sins,” yet made alive through Christ because of God’s great love and mercy.

The illustration of “zombie salmon”—fish that are biologically dead yet still moving—was used to depict how people can be physically alive but spiritually dead. Many attempt to distract themselves from this reality with money, relationships, or achievements, but moments of crisis often reveal a deeper soul longing that only God can satisfy. The inability to fix oneself or earn God’s favor was contrasted with the radical nature of grace: God’s unearned, unmerited love and forgiveness.

Grace, as described, is not a transaction or a reward for good behavior, but a gift freely given out of God’s love. Unlike other religious systems that are merit-based, Christianity stands apart in teaching that salvation cannot be earned. The only response is to confess our need, receive forgiveness, and allow God’s grace to transform every aspect of life. The invitation was given to move from a “Christian-ish” faith—one that still tries to earn God’s favor—to a genuine faith that rests in the finished work of Jesus.

Key Takeaways

1. Spiritual Deadness and the Illusion of Life It is possible to be physically alive yet spiritually dead, much like the “zombie salmon” that swim upstream after their purpose is fulfilled. Many people live distracted by the surface-level pursuits of life, unaware of a deeper spiritual emptiness. True life begins when we recognize our spiritual need and turn to God for renewal. [41:58]
2. The Inescapable Reality of Guilt No amount of justification or self-defense can erase the reality of our transgressions before God. Like being caught on camera in a traffic violation, our shortcomings are undeniable and cannot be hidden. This honest acknowledgment of guilt is the first step toward experiencing the liberating power of grace. [48:12]
3. Grace: The Unmerited Gift Grace is not something we can earn or deserve; it is God’s free gift, given solely out of His love for us. This stands in stark contrast to the transactional nature of most human relationships and religious systems. Embracing grace means letting go of self-effort and receiving what only God can provide. [52:13]
4. The Transforming Power of Free Will God’s grace is most valuable because it is freely offered and must be freely received. The invitation to follow Jesus is never coerced or manipulated; it is a decision made in the freedom of love. When we choose to accept grace, it transforms our relationships, our work, and our sense of purpose. [56:45]
5. Confession and the Ongoing Work of Grace The Christian life is marked by continual confession and dependence on God’s forgiveness. Rather than keeping score of good and bad deeds, we are invited to bring our failures to God and trust in His mercy. This posture of humility and openness allows the Holy Spirit to bring true transformation from the inside out. [58:07]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:45] - Introducing Haim and Israel Trip
[03:10] - Safety and Daily Life in Israel
[06:30] - Spiritual Significance of Visiting Israel
[09:55] - Hebrew Language and Cultural Insights
[12:20] - Confession: Pastors Aren’t Perfect
[15:00] - The Traffic Infraction Story
[18:00] - The Concept of Grace
[20:10] - Ephesians 2: Dead in Transgressions
[22:30] - Can You Live a Dead Life?
[25:00] - The Zombie Salmon Analogy
[28:45] - Spiritual Deadness and Soul Longing
[32:00] - Why Does God Help Us?
[35:00] - Grace Versus Karma
[38:00] - Responding to God’s Grace
[41:00] - Prayer and Invitation to Respond

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Ephesians 2:1-9 (ESV) — 1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
2 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—
3 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.
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Observation Questions

According to Ephesians 2:1-2, what does it mean to be “dead in transgressions and sins”? How does Paul describe the way people used to live?
In the sermon, what analogy did the pastor use to illustrate being physically alive but spiritually dead? ([41:58])
What was the outcome of the pastor’s traffic infraction story, and how did he connect it to the concept of grace? ([53:54])
According to Ephesians 2:8-9, what is the basis for salvation, and what is it not based on?

Interpretation Questions

The pastor described “zombie salmon” as a picture of being alive physically but dead spiritually. What does this suggest about the difference between outward activity and inward spiritual life? ([41:58])
Why is it significant that Paul says we are saved “by grace… through faith… not a result of works”? How does this challenge the way people often think about earning God’s favor? ([52:13])
The sermon mentioned that many people try to distract themselves from their spiritual deadness with money, relationships, or achievements. Why do these things fail to satisfy the deeper longing of the soul? ([46:07])
The pastor said, “God’s grace really is free,” but also pointed out that many Christians still try to earn God’s love. Why do you think it’s so hard for people to accept grace as a free gift? ([56:45])

Application Questions

The pastor shared that moments of crisis often reveal a deeper soul longing that only God can satisfy. Have you experienced a time when a crisis exposed your need for God? What did you learn from that season? ([45:04])
The “zombie salmon” analogy suggests it’s possible to go through the motions of life while being spiritually empty. Are there areas in your life where you feel like you’re just “swimming upstream” but not really alive inside? What would it look like to invite God into those areas? ([41:58])
The traffic infraction story ended with the pastor receiving grace—he deserved a fine, but the amount due was zero. Can you think of a time when you received grace (from God or someone else) instead of what you deserved? How did that impact you? ([53:54])
The sermon contrasted “Christian-ish” faith (trying to earn God’s favor) with genuine faith (resting in Jesus’ finished work). In what ways do you find yourself keeping score of your good and bad deeds? How might you shift toward trusting in God’s grace instead? ([56:45])
The pastor said, “The Christian life is marked by continual confession and dependence on God’s forgiveness.” Is there something you need to confess to God right now? What holds you back from being honest with Him? ([58:07])
God’s grace is freely offered, but it must also be freely received. What would it look like for you to receive God’s grace in a new way this week? Is there a specific area of your life where you need to stop striving and simply accept His love? ([56:45])
The sermon mentioned that when we accept grace, it transforms our relationships, work, and sense of purpose. Can you identify one relationship or area of your life that needs to be transformed by grace? What is one step you can take to let God’s grace shape that area? ([56:45])

Sermon Clips

Pastors are not perfect, and I am not perfect either. And I have recently received an infraction. A traffic infraction, to be honest. Again, yes. Many people know, if you've been to Compass City, many people know I do struggle with speed, and I am working hard, but I am an imperfect person. [00:36:13] (25 seconds) #ImperfectPastorJourney

Can you live a dead life? Or can you be alive but be dead or could you be dead and be alive is the question that I'm asking? Because I think you can be alive physically but be dead spiritually. [00:40:33] (22 seconds) #AlivePhysicallyDeadSpiritually

The fact that we cannot get out of our own rebellion, right? One day I have to stand before God. What it says is that Jesus died on the cross because he loves me. He loves me. [00:49:07] (18 seconds) #JesusDiedBecauseHeLoves

For it is by grace that you have been saved through faith, that it is not of yourselves. It's the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. [00:52:04] (16 seconds) #SavedByGraceNotWorks

Can you fix yourself? In your situation you're in, at some point in your life, we all end up losing control, we hit the ditch, metaphorically speaking, things fall apart in our life, and you try and put it back together. You try and fix it yourself. Now, I don't know about you, but even in those moments, I can't do it. And this is that moment, what Paul is trying to help us understand is that spiritually speaking, we can't put it back together. [00:52:23] (34 seconds) #CantFixSelfSpiritually

Did you know that Christianity, the greatest defining difference between Christianity and every other religion in the world, is the fact, is that we can't do anything to earn our way to heaven or earn God's love in our life. [00:54:52] (17 seconds) #ChristianityRejectsMerit

Every other religion in the world is merit -based in some capacity. You have to follow the rules. You have to abide. You have to listen. And if you don't, you better hope that your good outweighs your bad. You know, we say it all the time in our culture, karma. But karma is not a Christian idea. It's actually a reincarnation idea. It's Buddhist, Hindu, Sikhism. They understand that their belief system is around karma. [00:55:09] (28 seconds) #LoveAndForgivenessProof

God's love says it doesn't matter. No matter what we do, you and I both, we can't do it ourselves. We can't justify our position ourselves because there's proof. The proof is our transgressions and our sins. And so I want you to know today, it's because of Jesus' love and forgiveness that we receive it. And I think it's more valuable that way. [00:55:59] (28 seconds) #FreeWillChoiceMatters

Because God loves us so much and it's so free that you freely get to make a decision. I love at Compass City, I'm never going to manipulate you, I'm never going to coerce you or force you to make a decision to do anything because the most powerful decision is one that's made with free will. [00:56:27] (19 seconds) #GraceTransformsLife

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

What does it mean to live a spiritually dead life?

Why does God's love motivate His grace towards us?

Can humans truly fix their spiritual brokenness alone?