OUR FATHER WHOSE GREAT MERCY AND LOVE FOR US FOR BROUGHT US FROM DEATH TO LIFE

Continuing with his exposition of how great a salvation we have been given, the Apostle Paul, in  Ephesians chapter 2 verses 1 - 10, discusses the mercy and love that God had for us by which He took us from being innate sinners to being indemnified saints sitting in  heavenly places with Christ.

 1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

The undertaking of our salvation,  as costly as it was, will showcase the extremely incredible depth and magnificence of God's grace in His kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.

In this context, Paul made clear that our salvation is provided by the grace of God only and in no way is it attained by any work or effort done by us. The credit for our salvation will only ever be attributable to God and no human being will ever be able to claim any part of the credit for their salvation.

The apostle then explained that we were individually crafted by God for His  purposes which, far in advance, He designed for us to do and designed us to do and the salvation provided makes a way for us to step up to our purpose and calling in Christ Jesus.

Amen.

1