RICHES OF GRACE. Ephesians 1:7-8 Our acceptance through Christ by the holy God is not just a random act. He did not overlook any part of His character to show His great benevolence toward us and meet our needs. It is consistent with God's perfect and spotless character to demonstrate His love and mercy through undeserved grace. Our acceptance by a holy God into His presence and His family has been made possible because of the sacrificial death of Christ on our behalf, which He willingly gave. We are "justified by His blood." The death of Christ has brought about both redemption and forgiveness.
The penalty for sin is death (blood), and through God’s saving grace, the price of redemption was paid when Christ died for us on the cross. We have been redeemed “by the precious blood of Christ.” This has made it possible for a just and holy God to forgive our sins without compromising His character or ignoring the fact that the penalty of sin has been paid in full. The power of sin and the guilt linked to it have been justly dealt with, and we are “justified by His blood.” The riches of God’s grace have made all of this possible and real when we place our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Ephesian believers would have been well aware of slavery and its consequences. That was common among those living in the Roman Empire. For a slave to be freed, another slave of equal or greater value had to take the place of the one being released. Otherwise, a payment equal to or greater than the slave's worth in money was required. "His blood," His death has paid the ransom price the righteousness of God demanded for the sinner that I am. He is of far greater value than I could ever be. That same blood was shed so I might be forgiven for my actions. We needed the blood of Christ to be shed for redemption because of who I am and for forgiveness because of what I have done. Through His death, He provided the legal means to meet both of these needs.
It was because of God's rich grace that He, who was rich, became poor so that we, through His poverty, might become rich. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who fills all of heaven and whose presence the heavens cannot contain, came to earth to reach those of us who were bound by sin as slaves. We were hopeless in ourselves of ever being free, but He made it possible for us to receive new life and freedom through what He gave. By His death, He provided redemption for me.
Love, because that is who God is, and mercy, because that is what God shows to the guilty, led Him to shower His grace upon us. The driving force of love and mercy was followed by the action of grace being poured out generously on us. God's loving, voluntary favor toward us is not due to any reason or merit on our part. It is solely by His great grace that we are redeemed and forgiven. "For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." We marvel at the "riches of His grace" because God's riches are limitless. Infinite grace means that no one is outside the scope of His divine interest and provision for sin.
Even though grace has "abounded toward us," this does not mean everyone will ultimately be saved. True, grace is limitless and available to everyone, but its benefits are only ours when we trust in the One who provided that grace. The One who paid for these benefits is the One who can bestow that grace onto us. When the Gospel is preached, we can tell people about a full provision made for our guilt and sin. To those who respond to Jesus Christ as Lord, trust Him, and thus receive salvation, they will personally experience the value of that grace. There is an abundant supply of grace. The needs of all can be met, but we must accept what has been offered by "amazing grace."
He did not come to offer only one gracious act because, in His nature, grace was completely within Him. It was God's plan to bring us to Himself by paying the price of redemption and freeing us from sin’s penalty, making us whole in body, soul, and spirit. We faced more than one problem. Not only because of who we are—by nature and practice—sinners, but also because of what we did, which had to be addressed. By paying the redemption price, He made us a new creation, and a new life began in us. Shedding His blood to pay the price of sin, we are forgiven, gaining a new standing before God.
That grace has been directed toward us in "all wisdom." That means the best possible way for it to be given to meet our need for salvation has been accomplished. That means preserving God's honor and justice while saving sinful people from the righteous "wrath of God" that "abides on him." God could not ignore the fact that we were slaves to sin, practiced sin, and yet He accepted us into His divine favor and heaven based on His love alone. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son (the riches of His grace), that whosoever believeth in Him (wisdom, the best possible means) should not perish, but have everlasting life (prudence, an intelligent design)." In infinite wisdom, God's grace "abounded" toward us, and at the same time, His moral integrity has not been compromised in any way, while His infinite love has been demonstrated for our benefit.
All of this arrangement, design, and planning has demonstrated God's grace. The best possible way has been taken to bring the greatest blessing, for the highest cause, to bring glory to God through weak people like us. His grace has saved us. God has maintained His standards of righteousness by giving His sinless, beloved Son to redeem us from sin's slavery and enable us to be forgiven. What riches the riches of God's grace have brought us! Not only redemption and forgiveness, but multiplied blessings have come with these riches.
Who could ever define the worth of grace's riches? That surpasses human understanding due to its infinite value. God erased every bit of guilt from our record through His wisdom and providence when we accepted Christ as our Savior by faith. The blessings of redemption, salvation, and forgiveness have been poured out upon us in full, generous measure from God’s fullness. Every day, from that abundance, God continually blesses us. We drink from a fountain that never runs dry.