By God’s Great Mercy
BUT GOD! Right before Ephesians 2:4, Paul tells us that we were dead in our transgressions. We were children of wrath. We had no hope. BUT GOD ”being rich in mercy.” BUT GOD by “his great love with which he loved us.” BUT GOD ”even though we were dead in offenses, made us alive together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:5).
We had no hope. We were spiritually dead. We deserved wrath and eternal separation from God. And yet, against all human reason and understanding, God made a way back to Himself. God reached down to us and not only reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, but “he raised us up together with him and seated us together with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6). Meaning, our eternal place is with Him. We were destined for eternal wrath, and now we are destined for eternal intimacy and fellowship with God Himself. This is mind-blowing! By grace we are saved!
Giving Grace When It Seems Impossible
I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior at age 13. It wasn’t until my late 30’s that I understood God’s grace toward me. Of course, I understood the concept of His grace and knew I was experiencing it as His redeemed daughter. But, when I forgave my childhood sexual abuser face to face, I was FLOODED with the knowledge of God’s grace toward me.
Though I had long since forgiven my abuser, God, seemingly out of nowhere, began stirring my heart to reach out and offer the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. I had no idea how to begin, but God made a way step by step. I was able to attain his phone number, and I promised the Lord I would call. A week later, I was putting the last touches on a foster home I had redecorated, and God said, “Call now!”
I was terrified, but I obeyed. As I stood alone in the foster home that God had helped me take from ruin to beauty, I called the one who had ruined my heart. He agreed to meet me the next day. Again, I was terrified. I didn’t know how he would respond. What if he denied the abuse or even tried to blame me for it? So many fears and pains came welling up, BUT GOD kept urging me forward.
Grace Undeserved
Christ sought us out “even though we were dead in transgressions” (Ephesians 2:5). Christ was spurring me on to seek out my abuser while he was dead in his sin. As soon as I saw him, I was filled with compassion that can only come from the Holy Spirit. I hugged him and said “Your sin is different from mine, but we are both sinners before God. I forgive you. God wants you to be free of guilt and shame. He loves you and wants you to experience the grace and mercy of Jesus.” Through tears, he said “I don’t deserve it.”
None of us do. None of us deserve the grace and mercy of God. None of us deserve the kindness of God. None of us deserve to be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. BUT GOD! We were dead because of our own sin. BUT GOD! He sought us out. He made a way. He took on our guilt and shame. He made us “alive together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:5).
Grace Lived Out
He didn’t just stop there. He “raised us up together with him and seated us together with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6) We are His children. We are “His creative work”, and He has “good works” for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).
Did you catch that? God has “good works” for us to do. We have the incomprehensible privilege of partnering with our Father God. When we surrender our will for His, we will begin to live life with an eternal perspective. This is the adventure of life. We get to discover what God already prepared for us to do. What a joy and relief!
I always dreamed that one day I’d be a mom. However, I’m clinically unable to bear children. There were so many things from PCOS to a blood clotting factor and two miscarriages that led every doctor to tell me that children were an impossibility. BUT GOD! He made a way where there was no way. I surrendered my desire to be a mom and trusted the plans He had for my life. Miraculously, He gave me 5 children, from my own body, without any medical assistance.
God’s Story of Grace
Our oldest son is graduating college soon and is on the threshold of life wondering what he should do. I have hopes and dreams for him. I could impart sound wisdom and advice. But, what’s the most important thing I can share with him? It’s God’s story of grace. We get to share with our children the journey the Lord has taken us on; the joy we have in being His children; and the miracles He has done.
God has plans for us and for our children to do “good works.” Let’s not limit God or our children. Let’s show them from our own examples how to partner with God in every area of life. Let’s encourage them that the greatest adventure in life is discovering God’s purposes for their lives. Let’s teach them to be ready to say, “Yes”, when God says, “Go”. And, let’s continually remind them that circumstances in life may seem impossible, BUT GOD can make all things possible.
