Daily Devotions
Ephesians
"That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus"
Text: Ephesians 2:7
A GREAT SEMANTIC FIELD OF “GRACE”
We have a wonderful semantic field of words that are closely related. Each word is distinct by itself, and yet they overlap each other. What are these closely related words?
1. Grace (“charis”) Ephesians 1:6, 7
2. Love (“agape”) Ephesians 1:4; 2:4
3. Mercy (“eleos”) Ephesians 2:4
4. Kindness (“chrestotes”) Ephesians 2:7
THEME TOUCHED UPON REPEATEDLY
Even a casual reading of what Paul has written thus far (Ephesians 1-2) would reveal that he had been touching upon the subject of God’s grace repeatedly. There are reasons why Paul did this:-
1. The grandness of the theme
This theme is so grand that one mention is deemed inadequate. A grand theme must be developed in every way possible.
2. The inadequacy of human language
No matter how Paul tried to express himself, he must have felt that he had more things to say. Each time he thought about the grace of God, he found himself appreciating it from yet another angle. He must have felt that God alone could adequately explain the grace He has bestowed upon man.
“THE EXCEEDING RICHES OF HIS GRACE”
The word “exceeding” (“huperballo”) describes that which is “immeasurable”. The riches of God’s grace far surpass all man’s ability to explain or define it. Only God can fully explain the richness of His grace extended toward sinful man. (In his prayer for the Ephesians, Paul asked that “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation” may be given for very obvious reason. This statement about God showing us the richness of His grace supports the argument that the Spirit of God Himself is needed to explain the deep things of God).
“IN CHRIST JESUS”
Once again, we have to appreciate afresh the central role of the Lord Jesus Christ.