The desert really makes us appreciate water. Hunger makes common food taste like a banquet. Hard work makes us know the value of money. Being released from a dungeon gives us a new appreciation for the beauty of the earth. Having been freed from the prison of sin, we now know the value of freedom in Christ. Having come out of the darkness of death, we now treasure life and light. Having been washed from our filth, we now relish the joy of being cleansed. Having been an alien and stranger, we now know what it means to be included in the people of God.
“But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household.” Ephesians 2:13, 19 (NASB)
