The Riches of God’s Grace

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him.” Ephesians 1:3-9

How easy it is for us to view God’s loving grace from a selfish perspective. In this age of selfism, the god of pleasure has so twisted the hearts and minds of the world that it is difficult for them to be able to accept the message of the cross.

When your whole life is caught up in “bigger” and “better,” the thought of forsaking all and following Christ seems a cruel joke. Some have attempted to “bend” the truth in order to make it say something it really doesn’t, in order to keep from having to obey the Word of the Lord. But truth (although denied) is still truth.

Do you find it hard to turn your back on the “stuff” the world offers:
- the promise of happiness if you just buy the right clothes or car, if you have enough of this or that?                   
- the promise of security by investing in this, insuring with that company, buying that?
- the promise of success if you give up this silly preference, ignore your convictions, play the game, go along with the crowd?

When the grace of God is “shed abroad in our hearts,” it ought to be undeniable and blatantly conspicuous to believer and unbeliever alike. Let the grace of God be evident in every moment of your day - in all you do. “May Christ be seen in me!”

The riches of God’s grace are given to us, not on our own merits, but those of Jesus Christ.