A Life Received, Then Given

Key Scripture Passages: Ephesians 2:4–10 · 2 Corinthians 5:14–20 · 2 Corinthians 9:10–12

Two friends were talking about their daily lives. One described the demands of work, family, and other responsibilities. The other said, “My days are full, but sometimes I wonder what really makes my life meaningful.” It was a simple observation, but it raised a question many of us share. We spend much of our lives learning, working, caring for others, and meeting responsibilities. Even when these activities are worthwhile, we may still wonder what gives our lives lasting significance.

But what if the significance of our lives is not something we have to prove? What if it begins with something we receive and grows as we discover possibilities we had not considered before? These thoughts invite us to explore a larger question together. What makes a life truly worth living and giving?

Three passages from Paul's letters help us explore this question. 1) In Ephesians 2:4–10, Paul writes about God's grace and the new life He makes possible. 2) In 2 Corinthians 5:14–20, he describes how our understanding of life can change and how we can participate in God's work. 3) In 2 Corinthians 9:10–12, he writes about generosity and how God's provision can benefit others. Together, these passages invite us to consider how the life we receive from God may become part of something greater than ourselves.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You that our worth does not depend on what we accomplish. Help us discover how Your love gives us new life, changes how we see others, and invites us to share in what You are doing. Amen.

Movement 1 — A Life Called and Renewed | Ephesians 2:4–10

Context: Paul wrote to early Christians about the new life God makes possible through Jesus Christ. In the preceding verses, he described their former separation from God. Here he turns to God's mercy, what they have received, and the life that follows.

Ephesians 2:4–10 (NIV)

⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

1) In verses 4–9, what do we discover about God’s love when we notice that He acts before people have done anything to deserve it?

Probes

Notice the words Paul uses to describe God's reasons for acting.

Look at the condition of the people when God acts.

Notice what Paul says God gives freely. How is that different from receiving something as a reward for what we have done?

Reflection: Paul describes God reaching toward people in love before they have done anything to deserve it.

Consider: How might receiving something we cannot earn change the way we understand our worth?

2) Paul says that salvation does not come from our works, yet he speaks of good works in verse 10. What might this difference help us understand?

Probes

Why might doing good things feel different when we are not trying to earn God's approval?

Paul describes people as something God has made. What might that suggest about how He sees them?

Look at what Paul says God has already prepared.

Reflection: Paul describes a life made possible by God's love and generosity, where doing good follows what God has already given rather than earning His acceptance.

Consider: How might life be different if we saw opportunities to do good as part of what God makes possible, rather than something we must do to prove our worth?

Movement 2 — A Life Awakened and Participating | 2 Corinthians 5:14–20

Context: Paul wrote this letter to Christians in Corinth, a city in ancient Greece. He had been explaining how knowing Jesus changed his understanding of life and other people. In this passage, he describes that change and the work God has invited people to share.

2 Corinthians 5:14–20 (NIV)

¹⁴ For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. ¹⁵ And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. ¹⁶ So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! ¹⁸ All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹ that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

3) In verses 14–15, what might change in a person's life when love, rather than the need to prove personal worth, becomes the reason for what they do?

Probes

Notice what Paul says has changed the direction of his own life.

Consider the difference between living mainly for ourselves and living in response to someone's love.

What might motivate a person to change when that person knows they are already loved?

Reflection: Paul describes a love that changes not only what people believe, but also what they want their lives to become.

Consider: How might knowing we are loved change the way we approach the people and responsibilities in our lives?

4) In verses 16–17, Paul describes seeing people differently and becoming a new creation. How might these two changes be connected?

Probes

Think about how our opinions of people can be shaped by their past, appearance, or accomplishments.

Notice that Paul speaks about both a changed person and a changed way of seeing others.

What possibilities might we overlook when we assume that people cannot change?

Reflection: Paul describes a new life that can also change how we understand other people.

Consider: What might become possible in an ordinary relationship when we begin to see someone differently?

5) In verses 18–20, Paul describes God bringing people into a restored relationship with Himself and inviting others to take part. What do you find meaningful or surprising about that invitation?

Probes

Notice who Paul says begins the work of restoring the relationship.

Consider why God might involve people in work He has already begun.

What might participation look like when its purpose is helping relationships become whole rather than gaining recognition?

Reflection: Paul describes people being invited to participate in work that God has already begun.

Consider: Where might a changed understanding of another person open an opportunity for a different kind of relationship?

Movement 3 — A Life Given Toward What Matters | 2 Corinthians 9:10–12

Context: Paul was writing to Christians in Corinth about a collection of money for believers in Jerusalem who needed help. He encouraged them to give willingly, not because they felt pressured. In this passage, he describes how God's provision can meet people's needs and lead to something beyond the original gift.

2 Corinthians 9:10–12 (NIV)

¹⁰ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹ You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. ¹² This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.

6) In verses 10–11, Paul describes God providing what people need and making generosity possible. How might this change the way we think about what we have to give?

Probes

Notice how Paul describes God as the source of what is provided.

Consider why Paul uses the picture of seed that can be planted and produce more.

What difference might it make to see what we have as something we can share rather than something we must keep for ourselves?

Reflection: Paul describes generosity as something that begins with what God provides and can grow through what people share.

Consider: How might this understanding change the way we recognize opportunities to help others?

7) In verse 12, Paul says that giving meets real needs and also leads to thanksgiving to God. What does this suggest about the ways one person's generosity can affect others?

Probes

Notice the two results Paul describes when people's needs are met.

Consider how the person receiving help might experience the gift differently from the person giving it.

Think about how the three passages together move from receiving life, to seeing new possibilities, to sharing what we have received.

Reflection: Paul describes a gift that does more than meet an immediate need. It can also bring gratitude and encourage a wider response to God's goodness.

Consider: As we think about these three passages together, what new possibilities do they open for understanding a life worth living and giving?

Scripture quotations from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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