Ephesians 2 "And you were dead... "   This is the condition of all of mankind without Christ.. "dead in your trespasses and sin.." 

Paul says that this is how we were.. this was how we walked.. how we lived, "according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience."   We longed for whatever satisfied our flesh, we indulged ourselves in what ever we wanted, we were "by nature children of wrath.. "  The word translated "wrath" here is the greek work orge - violent passion, anger, indignation, vengeance..  We see this in our world today.. mobs, out of control; gangs killing each other over foolishness; shooters, randomly mowing down innocent people on the streets.  It is this very nature that we all have.. without Christ. 

"But God.. " !!!!  Hallelujah!  "But God being rich in mercy, because of His 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)."  If Paul said nothing more it would be more than we could ever imagine.. but he is not done.. "... and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus." Amazing grace!

Though all the "ages to come"  we will know "the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."   For all eternity we will praise Him because of what He has done for us! 

Verse 8 is one of those verses that we must know and cherish always.. " For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; " 

We were dead and unable to raise ourselves up.. but God.. out of His heart of love, showed us mercy and lavished us with grace.  It is all of Him.. not anything we have done or could do.. "for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." 

We, who formerly walked in sin.. now walk a new way.. in Christ.  We have been "brought near by the blood of Christ".  We have found Him to be our peace. He has brought  us into a body, together with all believers. He had..given  us access "in one Spirit to the Father.."  We are now  "a dwelling place of God in the Spirit." We are new creations!

Father in heaven, we hallow Your Name and give You our praise and thanks.. for You have blessed us with every spiritual blessing.. far beyond anything we could ask or imagine. You have taken us out of a life that was full of darkness and death and given us a new life.. as new creations in Christ Jesus our Lord.  You have given us a song to sing and good news to share.  Let us be about the work that You have prepared for us to do.. Spirit of God, lead on.  In the Name of our Great Savior, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.