Through the Love of God, no longer will we die, but by believing in Him, we will live forever – Ephesians 2:3-10
The word grace refers to an abundance of love, manifested in undeserved favour. So, when we talk about God’s grace, we are saying that no matter how much we have sinned, God loves us so much that God is always willing to forgive and restore us as God’s beloved child. It is this love that God has for humanity, why we can be assured as sinners that God is always willing to redeem and embrace us as God’s own.
Prior to the text, Ephesians 2:3-10, Paul told the Church in Ephesus that they were dead in sin due to the powers of the devil, which influenced them to do evil. Though we share in this potential challenge, we are reminded that God continues to ensure the well-being of our souls, in order that we may live forever with God in the last day (Ephesians 2:3-10). So, as seen in verses 4 – 5, we are reminded that God loves us as God’s beloved children, “…God who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that he had for us, made us alive together with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses.” This, my friends, is what Grace – the unending love that Jesus has for us – is all about, as even though our sins had consumed us, Jesus was willing to forgive us and give us new life. It is no wonder we can therefore conclude, that it is by grace that we are saved.
So, even as we continue our journey through the season of Lent, it is very evident that God loves us so much, that all God wants for us is for us to repent and give our lives to God. This is why verses 6-7 further speak about us being raised to the heavenly realms with Jesus, because as a demonstration of this grace – this abundant love that God has for us – God wants to show us the timeless and immeasurable riches of God, which are the hallmarks of God’s existence. This is why we are reminded that living in heaven begins here on earth – in the here and now – and this will determine our future with God. Therefore, after careful reflection, what is the status of our souls? How are we living with others? Is God pleased with our lives? As Christians, we should consistently seek to be at our best, as God wants to use us to fulfill God’s glory in the world. However, even if we are unable to do so, we must never forget God’s desire to always give us life, even when we are sinking deep in sin. In order to embrace this grace from God, we must allow three things to happen in our lives are:
(1) We must believe that Jesus has the power to help us.
(2) We must repent of our sinful ways, thus humbly acknowledging we are wrong.
(3) We must be committed to changing/getting rid of those sinful ways.
Though Change is not always easy, Christians, are called to ‘be the change’, and so we must make an intentional effort to turn from all that kills the soul, and begin to embrace lives that will enable us to live forever with God. God loves us so much that God wants us all to be saved. Let us therefore do our part by giving our lives to Jesus and repenting of our sins, as it is by so doing that we will be able to have life and have it more abundantly.
Let us Pray: God of love, help us to always remember that you love us beyond measure, and that you are always more willing to forgive and restore, than to punish. Give us penitent hearts we pray, and may we seek to serve you in all that we do, so that we may reap the benefits of eternal life with You as our God; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Contributed by Rev Olando Gayle
