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— by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:6-10
We often hear about the riches of this world, but how often do we ponder the riches of God? The best that the world offers us – convenience, pleasure, wealth, influence, an easy life, and the list goes on – is temporary and fades away as quickly as it comes. Seldom, however, do we pause and marvel at the riches God has bestowed upon us, His creation. If you have been around church for a while, you may well know that God is our Creator, our Judge, our Saviour, and our Redeemer, but what we hear often may also become dull to our ears. Pause awhile with me and ponder just a few of the great riches that God bestows on us by taking a brief look at Ephesians 2:
But God, being rich in mercy, … made us alive together with Christ – The first great richness is the richness of life: that not only do we have life in Christ, but we do not have life without Him! This might sound like a redundant phrase, but it’s one we are prone to forget. Think about how much money is poured into looking young, feeling young, trying to live forever. God is the very giver of life, and we try to live life outside of Him! When asked about the
resurrection, Jesus reminds us that God is the God of the living! God promises that we have life in Him, and have life to the full.
By grace you have been saved – The second richness is God’s grace. Earlier in this chapter, Paul tells us that we are dead in our sins, enemies of God! Yet, in spite of our brokenness and separation from Him, God gives us salvation as a free gift! What incredible news! How generous is our God!
[He] raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus – Third is that we shall be seated with Christ in the heavenly places. Not only have we been given life in Christ, not only have we been forgiven as a gift of God’s grace, but he’s also promised that we shall have a place at God’s side. God has promised that we will be adopted as co-heirs with Christ, that we will share in his inheritance. How marvelous a thought is this?! God has gone beyond just forgiveness, gone beyond making atonement for our sins, but has adopted us, who were once His enemies, as His children. He has given us the right to call Him ‘Father’. He loves us intimately and knows us to the very depths of our hearts, and He adopts us as His own.
Created in Christ Jesus for good works – Last, God has prepared good works for us to do, so that we have the opportunity to serve Him. A king would not let his enemy be his ambassador, nor should the greatest of treasures be stored in common vessels. And yet, God sees fit to use us as His messengers to preach His good news to all nations, to store His precious treasure in these jars of clay (2 Corinthians 4). What a wonderful gift this is!
Let’s pray that we would never forget or become dull to these incredible riches that God has gifted to us, and that we would forever be singing His praises and giving Him thanks!
Grace and peace,
Lochy
