“But God, being [so very] rich in mercy, because of His great and wonderful love with which He loved us, even when we were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of our sins, He made us [spiritually] alive together with Christ (for by His grace—His undeserved favor and mercy—you have been saved from God’s judgment).”
Ephesians 2:4-5 AMP
Grace Perspective:
The Greek word for love in this passage is agape and describes God’s deep and abiding affection for His children. It is an unselfish love that Christ modeled for us on the cross, love that chose to bear the pain and penalty for our sins. This gracious love redeems, restores, and binds us forever to the Savior.
A Touch of Grace:
How do you see Christ’s love for you?
How is love expressed in your life?
Grace Application:
The apostle Paul emphasizes the pure love and grace that Christ has for us. Not because we are loveable but because He chose us even when we were wallowing in our sins. God shows the strength of His love as He “.. is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9). He calls us to repent and trust His love to transform our hearts.
We can’t do anything to make God love us more; Christ did everything for us. Our response to this deep, abiding love is to receive it and love others as Christ loves us. Loving others who are difficult, who rub us the wrong way, or seem ungrateful. Agape love is pure and seeks the best for others. It means trusting that in Christ Jesus, we are loved purposely, perfectly, and permanently…and trust Him to help us love others as well.
Prayer
Gracious Father, I come to You In the precious name of Jesus Christ, my Savior, thankful for the Holy Spirit Who lives in me. Search my heart and uproot anything that keeps Your love from affecting every area of my life. I confess that I am often unloving and selfish. Forgive me and help me to abide in Your love so I love others as much as You love me. Amen
**Today, as you read this, I pray each of you will know you are in Christ Jesus. If you have any doubts, please call out to God so that all doubt is erased. Today is a good day to be confident of our Salvation in Christ Jesus. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at graceisdawning@gmail.com**