Ephesians 2:7

Day 14

“so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:7

God’s Grace on Display
In this verse, Paul states that salvation has come to us in order that “in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” “So that” speaks to purpose.  This gives us the answer to “why” God has acted in this way.  Displaying grace is the “why” God saved us.  God’s desire to display His attributes of grace, mercy, love, compassion, justice and a whole host of additional characteristics, motivated God to bring about His great salvation in our lives. God desired to show the riches of His grace in His kindness, so He orchestrated all of creation and human history to that end.  God shows His attributes and we receive the infinite blessing that comes with it.

This passage answers deep questions that go beyond this immediate text.  Why did God create the world? Why did God allow sin to enter the world? Why does He send His Son to save us from that sin? Why is salvation on the basis of faith alone?  Historically, theologians have said that the purpose for the existence of the universe in general, and the existence of humanity in particular, is found in the simple question and answer to the third question and answer in the children’s catechism. Question: “Why did God make you and all things?”  Answer: “For His own glory.”

Glory is a comprehensive term.  The glory of God speaks to the fullness of all that God is and all that He does.  The glory of God expresses the simultaneous collection of all of the attributes of God, including grace, kindness, mercy, and love.  The answer to the children’s catechism also provides the answer to the question: “Why did God save us through faith in His Son?”  God saved us for His glory.  This passage affirms that God saves sinners as a way of demonstrating aspects of His glory.  We see the glory of God through the expression of His various attributes.  In Ephesians 1, Paul told the believers in Ephesus that all of the work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in salvation resulted in the “praise of His glory.”  Here, in Ephesians 2, God saved us “so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness.”  God is a God of amazing grace. God saves sinners to show that He is gracious, merciful, loving, patient, and kind.  Seeing, acknowledging, and celebrating these divine attributes that are on display in our salvation brings praise to His glory. “So that in the ages to come” God will display His amazing grace in our lives.  In fact, our very salvation, our embrace of Christ through faith, is God’s grace on display forever and ever.  You are God’s grace on display and God is glorified by it.

Suggested prayer: Thank You God for making me a display of Your glorious attributes.  Thank You for saving me by grace and then allowing my life to be part of glorifying You forever.  You are gracious, kind, merciful, loving, and patient.  Be glorified in my life.  Honor Your name both now and forever in me. 

Ephesians