Eph 2:4-7 “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”
In the first three verses of this chapter, Paul has described to us our wretched condition. He has assured us that we were children of wrath even as others. We were in no condition to do anything for ourselves to improve our situation. In the fourth verse, he begins by penning two of the most important words a sinner will ever read or hear; “But God.”
Our entire situation is about to undergo a miraculous change. We were unable to help ourselves, but God is rich in mercy. He has an abundance to draw from. His mercy is such that it is new to us every morning (Lam 3:23-24). He showers us with His abundant mercy because of His great love. By His mercy, His great love is directed toward us. None of this occurs because we are deserving.
His great love and mercy were ours while we were still dead in sin. Even when we were unable to even know that we needed mercy and love, our Heavenly Father made sure we were recipients of both. It pleased Him to quicken us so that we might know of His great love and mercy. He has quickened us together with Christ; it is one in the same quickening power. He has quickened (delivered) us by His grace. By grace ye are saved!
We rejoice in the surety of the resurrection because He has already raised us up together with Christ. He has caused us to sit together in heavenly places. We have been blessed to hear the gospel and to understand that it applies to us. We have been given grace to understand that not all of God’s children have come to that understanding. We are to pray for them in their bondage because we ourselves have been held in that same bondage. Because we are saved by grace, we are able to pray for His children who are still bound in the prisons of self-righteous legalism. When we truly understand that we do not deserve His salvation, then we can pray for others who have not yet seen His salvation.
It is not for our sakes alone that He has done this wonderful work in our lives and made us sit in heavenly places in Christ. God, in His wisdom, uses the wonderful kindness He has shown us to display just how marvelous His grace really is. This is a beacon throughout the ages for God’s children who find themselves convicted of their ungodliness. I was made to hope, rather that to be overcome with despair, when i saw my sinful condition then was able to see His wonderful witness of grace to other sinners in ages past. His loving kindness to us today is a sign of hope to others who will be convicted of their sinful condition. We are living examples of the saving grace of Christ in the lives of God’s children.
May we always remember that we were dead in sin, but God is rich in mercy and love for us and all those that He will call through Jesus Christ our Lord!
