Daily Devotions
Ephesians
"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace."
Text: Ephesians 1:7
EXTOLLING THE GRACE OF GOD
He who has been a recipient of grace cannot find enough words or opportunity to extol the excellence of this gift. Through revelation, reflection and personal experience, Paul was given glimpse after glimpse of this quintessential gift.
“The riches of His grace”
The word “riches” (“plouton”) must have been most carefully chosen. In the ordinary use of the word, it describes the wealth of a very rich man. The idea of “abundance” is in mind. In the ancient days, the difference between the very wealthy and the poor was most stark.
Paul cleverly employed this idea of wealth and transferred it as an attempt to describe God’s grace. Against the backdrop of man’s spiritual poverty is the wealth or “riches of God’s grace”.
AN INTERESTING COMPARISON
Paul made an interesting comparison of two ideas in his epistle. Let us arrange these two ideas side by side, and perhaps the point of his comparison would emerge clearer.
“According to the good pleasure of His will…”
EPHESIANS 1:5“According to the riches of His grace…”
EPHESIANS 1:7
Wherein is the fascination? Let us ponder the following thoughts:-
1. The context
a) Our salvation in Christ
b) Our being called “sons of God”
2. Basis of God’s choice and predestination
a) “According to the good pleasure of His will”
b) “According to the riches of His grace”
The ubiquitous grace of God was found in “the good pleasure of His will”. When God exercised His will to choose and predestine us to “adoption as sons” the richness of His grace was present!
3. A simple preposition “Kata”
The phrase, “according to” is little more than a simple preposition in the Greek language. But the study of the illustrative power of this preposition is most instructive. This preposition is used to introduce the norm by which God exercised His will. By itself, the phrase “the good pleasure of His will” makes us no wiser as to how God chose. However, when we are told that the norm was the richness of His grace, then we can begin to appreciate better just how abundant is God’s grace. Paul was absolutely right to extol the grace of God. One cannot find enough words to express appreciation of the “riches of his grace.”