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- Apr 25, 2006
- Messages
- 17,518
8 May 2007
Ephesians 2:4-7
But God's mercy is great, and he loved us very much. Though we were spiritually dead because of the things we did against God, he gave us new life with Christ. You have been saved by God's grace. And he raised us up with Christ and gave us a seat with him in the heavens. He did this for those in Christ Jesus so that for all future time he could show the very great riches of his grace by being kind to us in Christ Jesus.
There's a great worship song which says, "I am a new creation, no more in condemnation, here in the grace of God I stand." These powerful words remind us that if it wasn't for Jesus death - the ultimate sacrifice - then no human being would ever be able to stand up in God's presence.
God is holy, which makes everything "unholy" totally repulsive to him. The new life that Paul writes about here is because Jesus' death put an end to the suffering of sinful people. Jesus died on our behalf. We are promised that we can have life because Jesus took the blame and the guilt for everyone. There's an old acronym which helps us to understand this: G.R.A.C.E - God's Riches At Christ's Expense.
But what's more amazing is that God doesn't just accept us - he seats us with him in the heavens right next to God. This is the incredible thing about how God sees us. In a sense, we're royalty in his eyes. Even though we don't deserve any of it, God gives it to us anyway. Through what Jesus did for us, God proves that he was willing to take his love into eternity. That's how he feels about you and me.
All we have to do is accept it. That's the amazing truth of the gospel.
Lord, it's so difficult to see myself the way that you see me. Help me to understand that you loved me so much that you were willing to give up your Son to save me from death. Thank you for your promise of eternal life. Help me to live in that truth now. Amen
Written by Richard Prescott
Ephesians 2:4-7
But God's mercy is great, and he loved us very much. Though we were spiritually dead because of the things we did against God, he gave us new life with Christ. You have been saved by God's grace. And he raised us up with Christ and gave us a seat with him in the heavens. He did this for those in Christ Jesus so that for all future time he could show the very great riches of his grace by being kind to us in Christ Jesus.
There's a great worship song which says, "I am a new creation, no more in condemnation, here in the grace of God I stand." These powerful words remind us that if it wasn't for Jesus death - the ultimate sacrifice - then no human being would ever be able to stand up in God's presence.
God is holy, which makes everything "unholy" totally repulsive to him. The new life that Paul writes about here is because Jesus' death put an end to the suffering of sinful people. Jesus died on our behalf. We are promised that we can have life because Jesus took the blame and the guilt for everyone. There's an old acronym which helps us to understand this: G.R.A.C.E - God's Riches At Christ's Expense.
But what's more amazing is that God doesn't just accept us - he seats us with him in the heavens right next to God. This is the incredible thing about how God sees us. In a sense, we're royalty in his eyes. Even though we don't deserve any of it, God gives it to us anyway. Through what Jesus did for us, God proves that he was willing to take his love into eternity. That's how he feels about you and me.
All we have to do is accept it. That's the amazing truth of the gospel.
Lord, it's so difficult to see myself the way that you see me. Help me to understand that you loved me so much that you were willing to give up your Son to save me from death. Thank you for your promise of eternal life. Help me to live in that truth now. Amen
Written by Richard Prescott
