Paul takes our eyes off earthly things and directs them to the heavenly. For Paul life was tough. He was in prison at the time that he was writing these words to the church at Ephesus. He chooses to focus on what he and his fellow believers in the church have to celebrate in Christ and not his afflictions. These three simple verses are richly layered in gospel truths. In fact, they state the gospel.
Eph. 1:7-9
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he[d] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,
Many amazing truths are highlighted in these verses, but it is the care that Paul has given to each word he uses that really strikes me. He appears to have thought about their meaning and is representing these truths clearly. My favourite take-home word, because it stands out as unusual and expressive, is the word ‘lavished’. God’s grace – his purposeful free gift of forgiveness to us as sinners is lavished on us. Not just given but excessively, whole heartedly almost over the top given to us.
I wonder do we really comprehend and walk in this light and joy and live as people who have been lavished by God’s grace. There is nothing of our own account that we can do to earn his grace, but he has wisely chosen to heap it upon us. He lavished his grace with all wisdom and understanding. I don’t know if this means that God had wisdom and understanding to give us grace OR if he also lavishes on us wisdom and understanding so that we can recognise and know his grace for us. However, I find both thoughts to be an encouragement and both are good to hold fast to. I encourage us each today to live as if we are lavished in God’s grace.
Prayer: Thank you for your lavish gift of grace to me. You who have made the foolish things wise and the wise foolish and how much you have loved us. Thank you, LORD.
A song to listen to: Grace Awaiting Me
Emma-Jane McNicol
Living Church – Creek Road
