Originally posted: 9/19/2020
so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in 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 as a result of works, so that no one may boast, (2:7-9).
Yesterday, we were immediately immersed into the reality of the Surpassing Riches of His Grace… in Him. Every blessing, every gift, every kindness bestowed is out of His abundantly Rich Grace… in Him.
His Grace, so abundant, so rich, really is His Best Gift Ever!
We could make our way through the entire Bible and have no problem backing up this statement; but we really do have quite enough in today’s chapter. Truly, His Grace is His Best Gift Ever! Every blessing, every gift, every kindness bestowed is out of His abundantly Rich Grace, His Best Gift Ever!
Consider His Best Gift Ever!
so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus, (2:7).
“…the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness…” (below are summarized renderings):
surpassing: (so high above everything that nothing else can compare)
riches: (abundant wealth and riches)
of His grace: (favor with no expectation of return, unearned and unmerited favor freely expressed in God’s loving kindness)
in kindness: (to provide something beneficial).
Perhaps the phrase, the surpassing riches of His grace, could sound something like:
The abundant wealth and riches of His favor that has no expectation of return, His favor that cannot be earned or merited but is freely given by God, provides a gift that is so beneficial and so high above everything, that nothing in the whole world can compare.
Below are some of the translations of “surpassing” from different versions:
Incomparable. Incredible. Immeasurable. Exceeding. Extraordinary. Limitless. Greatness of. Generous. Abundant. Transcendent.
Nothing at all could have more value, more worth, more quality, more benefit, more integrity, more excellence, more goodness, more honor. Nothing! His Grace is His Best Gift Ever!
Best: “of the highest quality, excellence, or standing; most advantageous, suitable, or desirable.”
- His Best Gift Ever made us alive when we were dead!
- even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ, (2:5).
- His Best Gift Ever raised us up and seated us with Him!
- and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, (2:6).
- His Best Gift Ever displays His kindness toward us from now until forever!
- so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus, (2:7).
- His Best Gift Ever saved us!
- For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, (2:8).
- His Best Gift Ever created us for good works that He prepared for us to walk in!
- For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them, (2:10).
- His Best Gift Ever brought us near to Him by His blood!
- But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ, (2:13).
- His Best Gift Ever is Christ Jesus Himself, our peace and unity!
- For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, (2:14).
- His Best Gift Ever reconciled us to God and to one another!
- and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity, (2:16).
- His Best Gift Ever grants us access to the Father!
- for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father, (2:18).
- His Best Gift Ever made us citizens of God’s household!
- So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and of God’s household, (2:19).
- His Best Gift Ever has built us on His sure foundation and is growing us to be His holy temple!
- having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, (2:20-21).
- His Best Gift Ever builds us together as His dwelling in the Spirit!
- in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit, (2:22).
How do we respond to His Best Gift Ever?
Wow, oh wow! How can we not be jumping up and down with joy and gratitude? And if you’re like me, there are days when we absolutely do. But then there are those days that crowd Him out, and sadly, we forget that we truly have been given His Best Gift Ever!
There was a popular song in 1970 that expresses our tendency to not really appreciate what we have until it’s too late. Part of the chorus asserts, “Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone.” (Big Yellow Taxi, Joni Mitchell)
Now, we don’t ever have to worry that we will lose what He has given, for His grace is His Gift and not anything we can work to gain or lose; so, we can rest in the fact that His Best Gift Ever is ours forever.
But sometimes, for whatever reason, we seem to forget. We forget how incomparably extraordinary and generous His Gift really is. We forget the limitless, immeasurable greatness of His Gift.
Twice, Paul calls the Ephesians to remember, by providing truths they are to keep at the forefront of their minds. We would do well to follow Paul’s advice.
- Remember who we were! When we forget who we used to be, it sets us up to lose the wonder of His Best Gift Ever.
- Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world, (2:11-12).
- Remember what He has done! Remembering who we were, and what He has done for the likes of us will spark a Hallelujah chorus of praise and thanksgiving for His Best Gift Ever!
- But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ, (2:13).
- Remember Whose we are! We are not strangers; we are not aliens! We, along with every born-again believer, are citizens of His heavenly kingdom. Because of His Best Gift Ever, we belong to the household of God!
- So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, (2:19).
And let us Remember, we are not left on our own! We have the Holy Spirit Whom the Father sent to teach us and bring to our remembrance all that Jesus said and all that we have been given. Oh, let us remember, He has given us His Best Gift Ever!
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you,” (John 14:26).