Praise God for His Amazing Grace
Ephesians 1:2-8 NLT
2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
Spiritual Blessings
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
Examine the scriptures:
Ephesians 1:2-8 NLT
Praise God for His Amazing Grace.
2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
These words are more than just a “greeting”.
- Grace and peace are major themes in the book of Ephesians.
Paul uses the word “grace” 12 times and “peace” 7 times in Ephesians.
Grace:
In Christianity, God’s grace and God’s mercy are often confused. Although they are similar expressions of God’s favor and love, they possess a clear distinction. When we experience God’s grace, we receive blessings from God that we do not deserve. When we experience God’s mercy, we are spared from punishment that we do deserve.
Grace can even be defined by the acronym God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense.
Grace is undeserved blessing that comes from God’s kindness.
Grace expresses God’s steadfast love toward man.
In the next chapter of Ephesians:
Ephesians 2:4-5 NLT
4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)
Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
Peace:
Peace is a sense of well-being and contentedness rooted in the Good News and brought about by the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 2:14 NLT
14 For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people …
Ephesians 6:15 NLT
15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News …
Other writings from Paul:
Galatians 5:22 NLT
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Philippians 4:6-7 NLT
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Both are gifts from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:1-2 NLT
5 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.
- Grace is undeserved blessing that comes from God’s kindness.
- God’s saving grace is a theme found throughout the book of Ephesians.
- The Good news of God’s saving grace in Jesus Christ is for the Gentiles as well as for the Jews.
- Peace is a sense of well-being and contentedness rooted in the Good News and brought about by the Holy Spirit.
Note: In Greek, verses 3-14 are one sentence.
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. NIV
God’s superabundant blessings are given to all of His adopted children.
We are able to be called His children because of what Christ has done for us.
The words “Christ” or “Son” appear, or are implied, in verses 1-7.
2 Peter 1:2-4 (Peter an apostle expands on this thought.)
2 May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. 3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
- God has equipped us with everything we need to live the life he has planned for us.
4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us (see verse 5)
This form of the Greek verb “chose” indicates that God not only chose by Himself but for Himself to the praise of His own glory.
in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
Colossians 1:22 NLT
22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.
Titus 3:5-7 NLT
5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.
Jude 24 NLT
24 Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault.
- As a result of what Jesus did for us, God sees us as holy and blameless.
5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
Ephesians 1:11 NLT
11 … he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
Romans 8:29-30 NLT
29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.
Colossians 3:12 NLT
12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves …
1 Thessalonians 1:4 NLT
4 We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people.
Titus 1:1 NLT
1 This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen …
John 6:44 NLT
44 For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up.
- God decided in advance to adopt us (believers) into his own family, and it gave Him great pleasure.
6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.
- Praising God is an appropriate response for all He has done for us.
1 Chronicles 16:34 NLT
34 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
Revelation 5:12 NLT
12 And they sang in a mighty chorus:
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—
to receive power and riches
and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and blessing.”
What did God do for us?
Colossians 1:13 NLT
13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness (destination – Hell) and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, (destination – Heaven)
Praise God.
Psalm 150:6 NLT
6 Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
- Praise God for His amazing grace.
7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.
- God is rich in kindness and grace.
We read about God’s kindness and grace throughout scripture.
Ephesians:
Ephesians 1:14 NLT
14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
Ephesians 2:13 NLT
13 But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 4:30 NLT
30 … Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
Other scriptures:
Romans 3:24 NLT
24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.
Mark 10:45 NLT
45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
1 Peter 1:18-19 NLT
18 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. 19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.
- God purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.
8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
We can ask God for wisdom and understanding.
Colossians 1:9 NLT
9 So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.
Proverbs 2:6 NLT
6 For the Lord grants wisdom!
From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Colossians 3:16 NLT
16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives.
- God has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
This thought continues in verse 9
