EPHESIANS: But Why
EPHESIANS Number 23:
But Why
We have seen that God took initiative, loving us and extending His great mercy toward us. The question that remains is why? Why has He done all this?
Ephesians 2:7-9
“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
When we want to know why something in the Bible was said or done or the reason we are instructed to think or behave in a certain way, there are some key words we want to be sure we do not ignore. Words like “therefore”, “that”, and “for.” So, as we look for the reason why God Loved us so greatly and extended His vast mercy toward us, we can expect to find answers after those words.
Verse seven begins with the word “that.” God raised us together and made us sit together with Him in the heavenly realm in Christ Jesus, according to verse six. He did it “that”, or we might say “so that,” in the ages to come He could show His grace in the form of kindness toward us.
This demonstration, or show, of the exceeding riches of His grace in the form of His kindness is to take place “in the ages to come.” When we read this many of us immediately think it is referring to our future state in heaven. That is understandable because in the prior verses the Spirit said that we were raised and seated in the heavenly realm in Christ Jesus. The text points us away from that view, however.
The word translated “to come” ἐπερχομένοις (eperchómenos), in this construct, denotes a period of time, a season, a time coming on or being at hand, the impending future. This current season is the time when God is showing the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through, or in, Christ Jesus.
We have been raised and seated in the heavenly realm. In the spiritual realm, this is an accomplished fact. That we could be saved, made righteous, and given eternal Life shows just how magnificent and vast the grace of God is. In the Gospel, God is showing how great His grace and kindness toward us are. Paul says in Romans 2:4 that it is the kindness of God that leads us to repentance. It is good news indeed that all who will agree to be reconciled to God can share in this glorious Life.
Verse eight continues answering the question of why, telling us that it is by grace that we are saved through faith; and that our salvation is not something we accomplished ourselves. Rather, it is the gift of God. Paul goes on in verse nine to add that he is pointing this out so that no one will be tempted to brag about their righteousness as though they had brought it about.
I have to confess that for many years when I read that verse it seemed to me that the reason God had provided righteousness as a gift was so that we wouldn’t brag about our righteousness. These days, I think what the Spirit is saying through Paul is more nuanced than that.
We are given the righteousness of God according to 2 Corinthians 5:21. Paul is certainly concerned that we do not brag about that. In Romans 12:6 he told the saints not to think more highly of themselves than they ought to think. He never wants us to be puffed up. If anyone had a right to be, it was him, yet he told the Philippians that everything he had thought of as great accomplishments and a demonstration of righteousness he now counts as a steaming pile of, well you get the picture.
God gave us righteousness so that we could be made compatible with Him and become accepted in Christ Jesus. Unless we were righteous, we would remain separated from Him. We would remain alienated and spiritually dead as we saw earlier in our study. Intimate Loving relationship is the reason behind God’s grace and kindness. He is Love, and Love wants to be expressed for the good of the beloved.
