It’s the contrast that grabs me . . . the difference between the “before” and “after” pictures. As I started in on my reading in Ephesians 2 this morning I’m told to remember the “before”. Words I highlighted are “separated” . . . “alienated” . . . “no hope” . . . “without God” (v.12). By the end of the passage the descriptors have changed . . . “fellow citizens” . . . “saints” . . . “members of the household of God” . . . “a holy temple in the Lord” . . . “a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (v.19-22). Talk about your opposite ends of the spectrum . . . from being estranged to being part of the family . . . from being without God to being a dwelling place for God. And what’s made difference?

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.    (Ephesians 2:13 ESV)

But now . . . you gotta love those two words, “But now!” They shout the love of God. Earlier in the chapter Paul reminds his readers that at one time they were the living dead . . . followers of the prince of the power of the air . . . passion driven . . . self-gratifying . . . “by nature children of wrath”. And then he writes, “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” (2:4-5). Moving to the opposite end of the spectrum starts with “but now”. It’s while I was still due south that God made the way for me to find true north . . . while I was still doing my own thing that He started to reveal to me His ways . . . while I still far off that He completed the work for me to be brought near.

And it’s “in Christ Jesus” where “spectrum travel” is possible. Never could I have earned the right to be a child of God . . . never could I have picked myself up and powered my way from being a son of disobedience to a being a member of God’s family. Just wasn’t going to happen. Apart from my identification with the risen Son of God there’s no getting from hopeless “point A” to His glorious “point B”. Apart from donning His righteousness and clothing myself with His holiness there’s nothing I bring that takes my sad “before” picture and turns it into an “after” picture worthy of being displayed as a trophy of God’s grace.

It’s the blood of Christ which provides the power for movement from one end of the spectrum to the other . . . the work of Christ on the cross which takes the stranger and adopts him as a son . . . the atoning sacrifice of the Lamb of God for my sin which allows an enemy to be called a brother and received as a joint heir . . . the grace of God which invites those who were once far off to be brought near . . . which calls to the dead to be alive.

There’s a blessing to be experienced by taking a few moments to remember that I’m at the opposite end of the spectrum. There’s a stirring of praise as I consider afresh that though once I was blind, now I see. There’s a sense of awe and desire to worship as I look back at what was . . . and consider what is . . . and imagine what will be.

This morning I thank God I am at the opposite end of the spectrum . . . all because I am “in Christ” . . . made possible only by the blood of Christ . . . and all for the glory of God. Amen?