Eph 2:4-9 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, (5) even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ–by grace you have been saved– (6) and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, (7) so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (8) For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, (9) not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

But God!

There is a phrase in Bible Study that says, “When you see a ‘therefore’ you need to know what the writer put the ‘therefore’ there for.” I have to believe that the same holds true when he starts a sentence with, “But God.”

Verses 1-3 leave us without hope of eternity with the Lord because of our nature as sinful creatures carrying out the desires of the flesh. We are destined to see the judgement of God poured out on us and rightly deserve it due to our disobedience toward God… But with God, there is hope. This message should ring from the mountain tops in your life and spread like a wild fire to those you encounter. Paul is writing to the Ephesians to tell them there is hope in the eternal living God. Even though we were dead in our transgressions against God (Eph_2:1), he made us alive in Christ. Not just our physical body, but our spirit is alive in Christ and we are made alive together for all of eternity. Why would the God of the universe reach down to sinful depraved mankind and offer us eternal life with Him through His son? Because He loves us. God has a great love for his children, those whom He has established since before the foundation of the universe was put into place. (Eph_1:4) And He does it because of His grace. Not because we are worthy of it, or He knew we would someday choose Him, but because He is gracious and loving and chose to redeem His people for His purpose at His time.

Being the workmanship of God in Christ, we are created for good works which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. We are created in Christ, by the love and grace of God, so that we will show the surpassing riches of grace in the ages to come. All this work is done by Him and for Him. It is not a work that we are able to do, and because it is His work we have no place to boast about it. Our boasting is to be in the Lord (Rom_15:17), glorifying His name to all the generations from now until eternity for what He has done for us.

I remember vividly the day that I surrendered to this work in my life. I was 20 years old, tired of living in my sin and shame, and I needed the Savior. Being drawn by the Holy Spirit, I cried out to the Lord to take my life for Him. I repented of my evil ways, cried literal tears of sorrow and fell asleep lying fully clothed on my bed. In ways only God could have prepared beforehand, the next morning while I was sitting down for breakfast I was greeted on my front porch by two of His messengers. They were from a local church going through the neighborhood asking people about their relationship with Jesus Christ. For two hours that sunny summer morning I was met with the love of Christ through two absolute strangers on my front porch. But God!

Regardless of the situation you find yourself in today Paul wants us to remember, but God. If you are going through a difficulty with your kids, a marriage or relationship issue, or are in need of a fresh start with Christ as you have never fully surrendered to Him… but God! Even though there is a wrath to come for the disobedient, there is hope in the name of Christ. All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved and we are guaranteed an eternal inheritance through the work of the cross. All this is by faith. Not faith that we will make it to the end through our own effort and right living, but faith that He has already completed it for us and all we have to do is turn from our sin, receive it, and trust in the work He has already done.

Thank you Lord for the gift of life through your Son Jesus Christ!