THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE

" . . . the riches of His grace . . . " (Ephesians 1:7;2:7)

THERE IS NO QUESTION about man's need of redemption. The difficulty is that there was no satisfactory reason to redeem him apart from the grace of God – His loving favor. The mighty God could not be compelled to redeem man by reason alone. Nor, indeed, was the pitiful state of man sufficient reason to do so. There had to be some Divine quality – some aspect of God's character – that could compel Him to redeem undeserving sinners. For this reason, the driving force behind redemption is declared to be "the riches of His grace." That is the Divine trait will extricate men from the ravages of sin.

THIS PHRASE – "THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE" – is mentioned again in the seventh verse of the second chapter. There it is said to be "exceeding," and is associated with "His kindness." The display of this grace is declared to be the intention of God for "the ages to come." "The riches of His grace" affirm the abundance that is found in the grace of God. It is a rich depository of Divine goodness, and the scope of its effective ministry is staggering.
• JUSTIFICATION. We are "justified freely" by grace (Rom 3:24).
• CALLING. We are called "by His grace" (Gal 1:15).
• CHANGE. Effective change and spiritual productivity are traced back to "the grace of God" (1 Cor 15:10).
• CONDUCT. Godly conduct in the world is also the result of the grace of God (2 Cor 1:12).
• SALVATION. We are "saved by grace" (Eph 2:5,8).
• BELIEVING. We have "believed through grace" (Acts 18:27).
• CONSOLATION AND HOPE. God has even given us "everlasting consolation and good hope through grace" (2 Thess 2:16).
• BRINGING SALVATION. The grace of God "brings salvation" (Tit 2:11).
• TEACHING. This very grace effectively teaches us to "deny ungodliness and worldly lusts," living "soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world" (Tit 2:12).
• EQUIPPING. Grace equipped Paul to be a wise master builder, laying on the foundation of Christ (1 Cor 3:10).
• STANDING. Grace is the spiritual environment in which we stand, being stable and unmovable (Rom 5:2; 1 Pet 5:12).
• ABOUNDING. The grace of God has abounded "much more" than sin abounded (Rom 5:20).
• FREEDOM. Sin does not have dominion over those who are "under grace" (Rom 6:14).
• ENDUED BY. Grace endues the people of God with profitable spiritual gifts (Rom 12:6).
• MOVED CHRIST. The grace of Christ compelled Him to become poor, although He was rich, in order that we through His poverty might be made rich (2 Cor 8:9).
• SUSTAINING. The grace of God is sufficient to sustain a suffering soul under all circumstances (2 Cor 12:9).
• CALLED INTO. God has called us "into the grace of Christ" (Gal 1:6).
• SINGING. Grace in our hearts makes our singing acceptable to God (Col 3:16).
• SPEAKING. Grace seasons our speech so we will know how we ought "answer every man" (Col 4:6).
• FAITH AND LOVE. The grace of God is "exceeding abundant with faith and love" (1 Tim 1:14).
• SAVED AND CALLED. God has both saved and called us in accordance with His grace (2 Tim 1:9).
• STRENGTH. We can be strong in this grace (2 Tim 2:1).
• CHRIST'S DEATH. By the grace of God, Jesus tasted death "for every man" (Heb 2:9).
• HELP. Help in the time of need is ministered to us from "the throne of grace" (Heb 4:16).
• SERVING GOD. Grace enables us to serve God "acceptably with reverence and godly fear" (Heb 12:28).
• ESTABLISHED HEARTS. The heart is "established with grace" (Heb 13:9).

THE GRACE OF GOD is like a treasure house that holds required riches. It is also the basis upon which God saves men, and the driving force behind His eternal purpose. Any view of salvation that does not have God's grace at its center cannot be true. Any approach to life that does not seek for and rely upon this grace is spurious, and is to be discarded immediately and with zeal. I realize this has far reaching implications, but it is true in every sense of the word.

NOWHERE DO THE SCRIPTURES speak of "the riches of law," "the riches of patterns," "the riches of procedures," or even "the RICHES of obedience." They DO speak of "the RICHES of His goodness" (Rom 2:4), "the RICHES of His glory" (Rom 9:23), "The RICHES of the glory of His inheritance in the saints" (Eph 1:18), the "unsearchable RICHES of Christ" (Eph 3:8), "The RICHES of the glory of this mystery" (Col 1:27), "the RICHES of the full assurance of understanding" (Col 2:2), and being "RICH in faith" (James 2:5). None of these things can be divorced from God's grace, and all of them rely upon and center in that grace. Thank God for the RICHES of His grace! They bring power and adequacy to us.

– Given O. Blakely