September 19 2025

Friday September 19

“But God, Who is Rich in Mercy and Grace”

Ephesians 2:4-9

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Today we're looking at Ephesians 2:4-9. In the first three verses, we saw the reality of sin. The reality of sin and how sin works against us. We learned how we are born dead in trespasses and sin. Because of that, we are sons of disobedience. We are disobedient people. We are depraved people going our own way, fulfilling the lust of our flesh. And then we also saw that we're children of wrath. We're doomed. We have no hope at all except the grace of God and the mercy of God in Christ Jesus.

In verses 4-9, we see at least activities that are performed on behalf of sinners to save them from the consequences of their sins. And that's why verse four starts out with a “But God”.  Despite sin's work against us, despite our state of condemnation, we are told, “But God loves us with a great love”. And that's what Paul tells us about first. The work of God in His love. “But God, who is rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, He made us alive with Christ (by grace you have been saved).”

These awesome and wonderful verses bring us hope and salvation through Jesus Christ. Now, one of the things we really need to understand, by nature, God is love (1 John 4:8). But God would love us even if there was no sin and there were no sinners. God would still love because He is love. Because love is a part of His very being.

Theologians call love one of God's attributes. But God has two kinds of attributes: those that He possesses of Himself. These are intrinsic attributes such as life and love and holiness. And then those attributes by which He relates to His creation, especially to man. These are called relative attributes. For example, by nature, God is truth; but when He relates to man, God's truth becomes faithfulness. God is by nature holy; and when He relates that holiness to man, it becomes justice.

My friend, love is one of God's intrinsic attributes. When this love relates to sinners though, it becomes grace and mercy. And that's what we see in these verses. God is rich in mercy (v.4). But also, in verse 7 we find God is rich in His grace toward us. Oh, how wonderful is that? Here we also discover we are not saved because God loves us. We all know John 3:16; “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…”. But this doesn’t mean that we are saved because God loves us.

We are not redeemed and forgiven of our sins because God loves us. Now, that shocks a lot of people today. We're saved by God's mercy and His grace. In His mercy, He does not give us what we do deserve. And in His mercy, He gives us what we do not deserve. And all of this is made possible because of redemption, because of the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed on the cross of Calvary 2,000 years ago. “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

It was at Calvary that God displayed His hatred for sin and His love for the sinners (Romans 5:8; John 3:16). It was at Calvary that: “Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed” (Psalm 85:10). This was the God’s ministry of reconciliation that took place that day on the cross when His Son, Jesus Christ, suffered, bled, and died in our place for our sins. God’s holiness demanded justice and punishment for our sin and at the same time God’s love for us would not let us go. His answer was reconciliation through the “blood of the cross”.

Remember 2 Corinthians 5:18-21: “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Yes, God is a God that is rich in mercy and rich in grace. And His grace and His mercy is what brings us the salvation of Jesus Christ. Thank the Lord for that today. And live a life of holiness pleasing Him.

God bless!