Paul reminds the Ephesians of why God the Father redeemed
them “in Christ”
Ephesians
2:7 That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in
His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. KJVThe English word purpose is defined as an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions. The purposes and plans of human beings (even those of us who are redeemed) can be sullied and stained by the fallen nature that man is born with that can turn good intentions into something that does not benefit anyone because the motives are wrong. However, Paul here is detailing for these Ephesians and for us today the pure/unsullied eternal purpose that God the Father had in sending Jesus Christ the Messiah into the earth as he wrote in this manner to Brother Timothy, “[For it is He] Who delivered {and} saved us and called us with a calling in itself holy {and} leading to holiness [to a life of consecration, a vocation of holiness]; [He did it] not because of anything of merit that we have done, but because of {and} to further His own purpose and grace (unmerited favor) which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began [eternal ages ago].” (2 Timothy 1:9).
The redemption of lost men and women was His eternal purpose; i.e. buying these Ephesian sinners and every repentant sinner of every generation or of all the ages back from the clutches of the devil’s control and authority (Colossians 1:13-14), even as our Lord Jesus Christ declared to the disciples with these very words, “Behold! I have given you authority {and} power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:19-20). The English word ages Paul uses here is translated by the Greek word aion which simply means that it encompasses the past, present, and future or in other words perpetuity.
For example, we can read about men and women that were regenerated and born again to a living hope by God the Father through Christ Jesus and the Power of the Holy Spirit hundreds of years before any of us today were ever born into the earth realm (including these Ephesian believers Paul is writing to). Therefore, in them we have witnesses of God’s Divine pure purpose that is likewise for us and the ages/aions to come after us, because God is no respecter of persons and He declares all men “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1) despite future generations thinking themselves to be more highly sophisticated than the past generations. One example would be a man well known (even in the secular world) named John Newton (1725-1807) of London, England who wrote the song entitled “Amazing Grace”. John Newton was a brutal and cruel slave trader and slave owner who ended up becoming a slave himself, but the Grace of God found him, forgave him, and freed him spiritually and led him to write that song “Amazing Grace” that is sung throughout this world today.
Paul declares that it is God the Father’s purpose that “He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace” (Ephesians 2:7) to lost humanity. It is for His Own Glory that God the Father has redeemed every repentant sinner that has come to Him through our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ. John Newton found God to be rich in grace to him. Also, John Newton’s salvation serves as a testimony to our generation today and to future generations of God the Father “being rich in mercy” (Ephesians 2:4). Many people who are still unsaved and unredeemed find it hard to believe in or trust a God who would sit back or stand by and watch all the evil in this world continue without His intervention, but the truth is that He has already intervened to put down evil and the wicked one by Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection from the dead 2,000 years ago. Every time someone like John Newton, these Ephesians (who worshipped the goddess Diana), and me (Clifford Tate, Sr.) are redeemed, He is showing forth proof or evidence of “His great love with which He loved us” (Ephesians 2:4) fallen sinful men.
The Apostle Paul considered himself the greatest proof or evidence of God’s mercy to sinful humanity when he said this of himself in writing to Brother Timothy, “And the grace (unmerited favor and blessing) of our Lord [actually] flowed out superabundantly {and} beyond measure for me, accompanied by faith and love that are [to be realized] in Christ Jesus. The saying is sure {and} true and worthy of full {and} universal acceptance, that Christ Jesus (the Messiah) came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am foremost. But I obtained mercy for the reason that in me, as the foremost [of sinners], Jesus Christ might show forth {and} display all His perfect long-suffering {and} patience for an example to [encourage] those who would thereafter believe on Him for [the gaining of] eternal life.” (1 Timothy 1:14-16). God the Father has shown tremendous kindness to these Ephesians and us today by giving us our Lord Jesus Christ and everything we have and we are is all owed to Him alone, and it can be summed up in these words written by the Apostle Paul to Titus, “But when the goodness and loving-kindness of God our Savior to man [as man] appeared, He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but because of His own pity {and} mercy, by [the] cleansing [bath] of the new birth (regeneration) and renewing of the Holy Spirit, Which He poured out [so] richly upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. [And He did it in order] that we might be justified by His grace (by His favor, wholly undeserved), [that we might be acknowledged and counted as conformed to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action], and that we might become heirs of eternal life according to [our] hope.” (Titus 3:4-7).
My own Personal Note: Luke 10:19 (AMP): “Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you.” Make no mistake: All of my victories over Satan are a product of power derived or received from the Lord Jesus Christ. I give Him all the praise and glory. The more simply dependent I am on the teaching, help, and blessing of the Lord Jesus Christ, the more I will know of His grace to conquer pornography and masturbation (sexual addiction), the more blessed I will be in seeing the glory and hearing the words of the Lord Jesus and the more useful I will be in promoting Christ’s cause by letting His grace transform me so that I am holy as He is holy and pure as He is pure. Excerpt from my Book entitled, “Silent Assassins of the Soul: Finding Freedom from Sexual Impurity through the Lord Jesus Christ, A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs
“Heaven, the home of the redeemed, will exhibit the most impressive proof of the goodness of God that the universe furnishes. There will be a countless host who were once polluted and lost; who were dead in sins; who were under the power of Satan, and who have been saved by the riches of the divine grace - a host now happy and pure, and free from sin, sorrow, and death - the living and eternal monuments of the grace of God.” Albert Barnes
“As an artist in his noblest work paints or chisels simply for love of pouring out his soul, so, but in infinitely loftier fashion, the great Artist delights to manifest Himself, and in manifesting to communicate somewhat of Himself. Creation is divine self-revelation, and we might say, with all reverence, that God acts as birds sing, and fountains leap, and stars shine. But our text leads us still farther into mysteries of glory, when it defines what it is in God that He most desires to set forth. It is the ‘exceeding riches of Grace,’ in which wonderful expression we note the Apostle’s passionate accumulation of epithets which he yet feels to be altogether inadequate to his theme. It would carry us too far to attempt to bring out the whole wealth contained in these words which glide so easily over unthinking lips, but we may lovingly dwell for a few moments upon them. Grace, in Paul’s language, means love lavished upon the undeserving and sinful, a love which is not drawn forth by the perception of any excellence in its objects, but wells up and out like a fountain, by reason of the impulse in its subject, and which in itself contains and bestows all good and blessing. It is the elixir in which they are all contained, the molten splendor into which have been dissolved gold and jewels and all precious things. When we look at Christ, we see the divinest thing in God, and that is His grace.” Alexander MacLaren
“God’s mercy regards us as we are weak and miserable: His love regards us as we are, in spite of trespass and offence, His offspring, -objects of ‘much love’ amid much displeasure, ‘even when we were dead through our trespasses.’ What does the story of the prodigal son mean but this? and what Christ’s great word to Nicodemus?-Grace (John 3:16) and kindness are love’s executive. Grace is love in administration, love counteracting sin and seeking our salvation. Christ is the embodiment of grace; the cross its supreme expression; the gospel its message to mankind; and Paul himself its trophy and witness. The ‘overpassing riches’ of grace is that affluence of wealth in which through Christ it ‘super abounded’ to the apostolic age and has outdone the magnitude of sin, (Romans 5:20) in such measure that St. Paul sees future ages gazing with wonder at its benefactions to himself and his fellow-believers. Shown ‘in kindness toward us,’ he says, -in a condescending fatherliness, that forgets its anger and softens its old severity into comfort and endearment. God’s kindness is the touch of His hand, the accent of His voice, the cherishing breath of His Spirit.” Expositor’s Bible Commentary
If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...
Sincerely in Christ,
Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…
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