God’s Ultimate Intention

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Ephesians 2:1-10

The attributes of God are many - love mercy, grace, forgiveness, kindness, goodness. Yet none of those marvelous qualities would be known to mankind without the following character trait - giving.

God, by His own choice, holds nothing to Himself. His love, mercy, and grace are generously bestowed upon man because He has sovereignly willed to share Himself and His bounty with us. We have life only because God has created us by an exercise of His will. We can receive salvation only because He wills to grant it.

The ultimate testimony to the Giver of all good things is, amazingly, the saints, the redeemed ones. “In order 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

The Supreme Giver’s gift to men of salvation though Christ will resound throughout eternity. Believers will be the showcase, the tangible evidence of His evergiving heart. Thus, while we enjoy the eternal benefits of salvation, its fundamental root lies in the reality that our God is the preeminent Giver. It is that truth that all of the heavenly hosts will marvel at without end.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave...” John 3:16