Word@Work Eph6 - Ephesians 1:7-8
Published: Fri, 10/03/08
Word@Work from BeaconLight
THE LAVISHNESS OF GOD'S GENEROSITY
Read Ephesians 1:7-8 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. (NIV)
In the days of slavery, it was possible to make a payment to buy freedom for the slave. Jesus did that for us when He died. He bought us back (redeemed us) from our slavery to sin and Satan. That is a big part of the Gospel - that people who submit themselves to their Saviour are completely forgiven, and freed from the weight of all their sins. But, what an expense to Jesus, to do that for all of us! It just shows how rich God's love is.
God never does anything in a stingy way. When he forgives us, He does so, lavishly. But that is not the careless generosity of someone who is too rich to notice. All of God's abundant giving is done with astonishing wisdom. He knew that without His help we would have hell and no hope. In His wisdom he could not just excuse our wilful rebellion, justice had to be done. So in order to redeem us, he paid the price in His own blood. You see, He fully understood our predicament and also knew how much He loved us: his extreme expenditure was the wisest investment heaven could make.
Current concern over global toxic debt, give us a brilliant illustration of the grace of Christ. The Divine 'bail out' of morally bankrupt people is without any clawback later. The Gospel reminds us, both of God's exceptional generosity (to stimulate our thanks) and of our obligation to let other people know where their own personal toxic debt can be relieved.
Prayer: Dear Lord. How kind you are! How generous You have been towards me, even while I was helpless and hopeless because of my sinful nature. Help me to show my gratitude to You in my prayer, praise and proclamation of your lavish grace. For Christ's sake. Amen.
You can read more of this Bible passage online - in English and other languages - share the Bible with your friends!
In the days of slavery, it was possible to make a payment to buy freedom for the slave. Jesus did that for us when He died. He bought us back (redeemed us) from our slavery to sin and Satan. That is a big part of the Gospel - that people who submit themselves to their Saviour are completely forgiven, and freed from the weight of all their sins. But, what an expense to Jesus, to do that for all of us! It just shows how rich God's love is.
God never does anything in a stingy way. When he forgives us, He does so, lavishly. But that is not the careless generosity of someone who is too rich to notice. All of God's abundant giving is done with astonishing wisdom. He knew that without His help we would have hell and no hope. In His wisdom he could not just excuse our wilful rebellion, justice had to be done. So in order to redeem us, he paid the price in His own blood. You see, He fully understood our predicament and also knew how much He loved us: his extreme expenditure was the wisest investment heaven could make.
Current concern over global toxic debt, give us a brilliant illustration of the grace of Christ. The Divine 'bail out' of morally bankrupt people is without any clawback later. The Gospel reminds us, both of God's exceptional generosity (to stimulate our thanks) and of our obligation to let other people know where their own personal toxic debt can be relieved.
Prayer: Dear Lord. How kind you are! How generous You have been towards me, even while I was helpless and hopeless because of my sinful nature. Help me to show my gratitude to You in my prayer, praise and proclamation of your lavish grace. For Christ's sake. Amen.
You can read more of this Bible passage online - in English and other languages - share the Bible with your friends!
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