Summary: There is a verse in Ephesians, chapter 2 and a verse in Philippians, chapter 3 that I like to put side by side in my meditations. In Philippians 3: 7 Paul says: “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.” And In Ephesians 2:3-4 Paul says: “But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love with which he loved us...saved us by His grace.” In Philippians, Paul is speaking of a time of great change in his life. And in Ephesians, he is speaking of what caused that change to take place. Change is inevitable. It happens all around us. Most of our time is spent in responding to changes around us. But some of our time is spent in making changes in our own lives. The basic meaning of the word “repent” is change. In repentance we decide to make a change. We decide to change from a self-centered person to a Christ-centered person. We can’t make that change complete without the help of Christ. We decide to allow Christ to come into our heart, and then we and Christ complete the change together...for the rest of our lives. Change will still be inevitable, and we will still spend a lot of time responding to changes around us, but it will be easier with Christ as our partner. “We can do all things through Christ because He strengthens us.” Paul Graham
