The Blessings Of God's Grace — Part 1

Good morning everyone. We will begin afresh to study from the book of Ephesians. Ephesus was the third largest city in the Roman Empire and it was a port city, it was a harbor city and the most extensive commerce center on the western part of the Roman Empire. Like any other Greco-Roman city, Ephesus was famous for pagan worship and magic cult. The city was deeply entrenched in the worship of goddess Artemis, or she is also called as Diana. We see that in Acts chapter 19 verse 35. And the temple itself was considered as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. And in any Greek or Roman world, Imperial

cult was prevalent. What do you mean by Imperial cult? Worship of the Emperor. And worship of the Emperor was a prominent feature, and historians believe that Ephesus was a vital center, an important center for that cult. We see that the story in the book of Acts, especially in Acts chapter 18, we see that Paul came to Ephesus along with Aquila and Priscilla, and in verse 19 of chapter 18 we see there in Acts, book of Acts, we learn that Paul reasoned with Jews in synagogue.

But he did not intend to be there for a long time. Instead, he left to Caesarea and then to Antioch of Syria. But he did leave Priscilla and Aquila behind. And they must have played a vital role, a significant part in preparing a way for Paul’s lengthy stay. We see that Priscilla and Aquila also helped Apollos to understand the gospel well when he had come there. And in Acts 19 it records that Paul returned to Ephesus and he stayed there for three long years, and we see that details in also in Acts chapter 20.

With this background let’s dwell into this text. I don’t want to spend much time on the background, I’ll give little details as we go through the text. Let’s turn our Bibles to Ephesians chapter 1 and we will read verses 1 till 14. We may not be able to cover the entire portion today.

We will just focus on verses 1 till 6. I thought I’ll run through all the verses but I felt like not to dwell on certain important aspects of the text and which will definitely — The scripture portion is displayed here, and I’m reading from the NASB version.

Ephesians chapter 1, verse 1. “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, who are faithful in Christ Jesus. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him in love. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.”

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished on us in all wisdom and insight. To us the mystery of His will according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of times, that is, the summing up all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him all also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation,”

“having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” Father, we thank you for your word. We pray, God, that you would awaken our hearts to these glorious truths. We pray that we would be grasped, Lord, our hearts, Lord, that we would be able to grasp, Lord, these precious truths, these glorious riches that we have in our Christ Jesus. Jesus, we pray that your Holy Spirit, God, enlighten our hearts, illuminate our minds, give us grace that we might submit to the teaching of your word.

In Jesus Christ’s name we pray. Amen. Paul raised some serious concerns in this epistle. You know, he encourages the believers to be holy, faithful, you know, walk faithfully and maintain unity. He encourages them to avoid compromising with harmful moral standards of their unbelieving world around them. And this is considered as a circular letter, which means it was meant to be circulated to other churches as well, and this is one of the general epistles and was meant to be read in many churches. And Paul wrote this epistle from a prison. You will see those details in Ephesians chapter 3, and Paul wrote this epistle from prison, probably in Rome.

Chapters 1 to 3 focus richly on the doctrine, what we believe, and why we should live our Christian lives in a certain way. And Paul communicates who and what we are in Christ Jesus. He reveals our position in Christ in the heavenly realms.

God displayed his wisdom, glory and power by reconciling Jews and Gentiles into one body that is church. In chapter 1 he praises God for these spiritual blessings in Christ and prays for the believers that we would grasp these blessings in Christ Jesus. In chapter 2 Paul reminds us that by Christ’s death and resurrection are reconciled by God and with each other and we are one in Christ and are being built up into a holy temple, a dwelling place for God, and in chapter 3, the first part of chapter 3, Paul explains his mission to proclaim the mystery of the gospel and how the church displays that wisdom to the authorities and the rulers in the heavenly realms.

And in the second portion of chapter 3, Paul prays that we would comprehend that mystery of God’s love with all the saints, and thereby be filled with God’s power, so that the triune God may be glorified in and through the church. Chapters 4 to 6, the focus on the church practice, on the practical aspects, how we should do, how we should live. And this chapter Paul calls us to maintain a bond of unity under the lordship of Christ Jesus and he commands us to have God honoring homes, families and also to be clothed in the armor of God and to withstand the tactics of the enemy.

If you look at this chapter one, we see there in verses one and two, we see that Paul wrote this letter with the authority that he received as an apostle of Christ Jesus, and his apostleship signifies not only that he belongs to Christ, but it also shows that he was commissioned by God.

With a revelation of the gospel. And to take the gospel to the Gentiles. And to plant churches. In verses 3 to 14. In the original Greek language. This is one long sentence. Without any punctuation marks. Punctuation marks were not used in Greek writing until several hundred years after Christ.

There were no punctuation marks because the Greeks then did not use punctuation marks. Verses 3 to 14, may be one thought, just one thought, and Paul explodes in praise to God for the blessings of redemption in Christ Jesus. From the comforts of prison, Paul thinks of the benefits that the Ephesians are enjoying in Christ Jesus. And he explodes in praise for them.

Why do we praise God? We all have our lists and surely we must praise God for everything, we must count as blessings for everything. There’s nothing wrong with this list. There are many things for which we need to praise God for, but what lies at the center of the praise in the New Testament, and especially in this letter.

And we see that the most fundamental thing is that who God is and what God has done for His people. That is the essence of the gospel. If you look at verse 3, it says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, blesses with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” The title of the sermon is The Blessings of God’s Grace. Now Paul begins this praise in verse 3 with a typical Hebrew style, “Blessed be God,” “Blessed be Yahweh,” “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel.” In a typical Hebrew style.

And it simply means that God to be praised. For his great grace. And the blessings that he has bestowed upon his church. And there is this statement here. You see there. “Blessed be the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Now Paul’s reference to here that the Father as the Father and God of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is to bring out or to help us understand Christ’s human identity as the one true mediator.

It is not to deny the incarnate son’s true divinity, but to express his true humanity. And that through Christ, God is also our God and our Father. This statement means that in the new covenant there’s only one way through which we can approach God, and that is through our Lord Jesus Christ. Whenever you read in the New Testament like this, “God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,” it doesn’t mean that Jesus Christ is lesser in glory than the Father, but there it is being highlighted the mediator work of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is one God and there it is being represented by the Father and in relationship with man. And the Lord Jesus Christ is the mediator.

Now we have been going through Mark and Alan has emphasized in one of the previous sermons that Jesus Christ was anointed, was baptized. That was the time for the commencement of his ministry as a Messiah. He was anointed as Christ, the Messiah. That is the human office of Jesus Christ. Right? So we shouldn’t be confused there. And this verse also clarifies the nature of God’s blessings.

Firstly, God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. It means that these blessings are by the Spirit of God, are applied and they become a reality in our lives through the work of the Spirit of God. And these blessings are supplied and are made a reality in our lives by Him.

It includes all the blessings in this context. All the blessings in this context. What are the blessings in this context? Election, adoption, redemption, forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit. These are the spiritual blessings that Paul is talking about here. And he wants believers to be grasped by these glorious riches.

And he wants the church to explode in praise for these glorious riches. And he says that God has blessed us in the heavenly places. Literally heavenlies, phrase found only in the book of Ephesians. Because our blessings are in Christ, they are also in the heavenly places where Christ is now ruling. We read that in chapter 1 verse 20. We are brought into this reality all the heavenlies because we are in Christ. And these spiritual blessings are only in Christ.

And these are all those blessings necessary for us to live here as His children and in eternity as well. You see here, the phrase in Christ is often repeated in this passage. And in Christ is not a mechanism to get our blessings and then live as we like. It signifies our union with Christ.

It signifies that it’s only in Christ we are blessed. If we are outside of Christ, there is no blessing from God. If you are outside of Christ, there is only God’s anger, God’s wrath abiding on us. It’s only in Christ we have God’s mercy and blessings.

And what are these blessings? We’re going to look at two blessings this morning. One is election and predestination. Number one is election. Verse four. “Just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before him in love.”

The word for chose in the original language means to pick out, to select, as the recipients of special favor and privilege. Who chose us? He, represented by the Father. The Father chose a people. God’s people are the objects of his election. And how did he choose us? Him, that is in Christ. When did he choose us? You see there, before the foundation of the world. No, this election occurred before anything was ever created, even before the worlds were created. I know this is a controversial topic, but this

is what the Bible says. You know, whenever I think about this topic, I have my own struggles in my mind. But when we look at the scriptures, it is there we resign all our feelings, all our emotions. We may not comprehend this mystery of God’s election. Maybe in the eternity

maybe it’s not necessary that God should tell us everything, right? Before anything was ever created, this happened, even before any human came into existence. This happened in the eternity past when there was only God. God in three persons. There was perfect communion between the three persons. Indwelling each other.

Perichoresis. Indwelling each other. This happened in the eternity past. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in perfect communion with each other. And there was a plan. There was a purpose. There was a counsel of God. These three persons. Before even we were created, God chose a people for His glory. And this choice was based on God’s sovereign purpose, not on human merits.

There's a book written by Norman Geisler called Chosen But Free. And there is a wonderful rebuttal written to that book by James White called The Potter’s Freedom. In that book James White explains the view of Norman Geisler. Norman Geisler — God chose his people, but the choice of God was, you know, there is a theory called tunnel of time theory.

From God’s vantage point of God, through the tunnel of time, God saw a people who would make right choices. God saw people making right choices. In his foreknowledge he saw people making right choices, and based on their choices God chose them. And that kind of a theory is completely alien to the Scriptures. You see there in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 — if you have your Bibles, please turn your Bibles to verse 13. 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 13, he says that, “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.” From the beginning. The choice. The chosen you.

From the beginning, the word beginning, it talks about the origins, archaic, even before anything came into existence. And Acts 13 verse 48, it says, “When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.”

You may ask, if God chose us is there no choice for us? If God chose us, is there no choice for us? Didn’t we make choice? Didn’t we choose God? I think the answer is yes and no. Let me explain within this episode. How did Paul explain our condition as unbelievers? If you look at Ephesians chapter 2 verse 1, he says, “You were dead in your trespasses and sins.”

And in verse 3 of Ephesians 2, you see there, towards the last part, he says that we were by nature children of wrath. We were dead in our trespasses. We were the children of God’s wrath. We were dead. We were dead in our trespasses. We were lost in our sins, which means we are completely separated from the knowledge and the life of God.

And how can dead people act? But all humans are naturally dead to God, to the knowledge of God, to the saving knowledge of God. We are separated from God. And Jesus clarifies in John chapter 6, verse 44. He says that, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him on the last day.”

Unless the Father draws him. Unless the Father attracts them, draws them. You know, it is always the initiation of God. Romans chapter 8 verse 8, Paul says, “And those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Cannot please God. I want you to focus on that word, cannot. The word cannot means, it speaks about our incapability.

There is perfect incapability to please God in any way. We are incapable to please God in our natural state. There is no capacity in us to do anything that pleases God. And that is technically called as total depravity. And this doesn’t mean that we are, you know — the next question that comes to our mind is, are we created as robots? Do we not have free will? The question is, free to do what? Yes, we have choices. We daily make choices. We do good, we do bad, right? We make decisions in life. We choose to marry, right? But when it comes to God, we are separated from him.

When it comes to our relationship with God, God should take that first step. God should initiate. Because our finite minds are completely incapable to grasp the glory and the vastness of this great God of the Bible. Because God is not something of this creation. It’s not of this realm. Is completely outside of this natural realm. Our minds can comprehend maybe something to do with the stars and the moons and the galaxies and something to do with, you know, infinity or whatever.

But when you are talking about God, God is beyond this. It’s impossible for us to grasp anything from God because we are cut off from Him. We are dead to Him because of our sin. God must work on his people before anyone can rightly respond to him. You may also ask that — is God just? Why did he choose only few? Is God just? Is he right in doing that? How can he not choose others?

Brothers and sisters, if you want God to be just, no one can be saved. God's election does not display justice. It displays mercy. Yes, there is a mystery involved. We do not know the answers, but God knows. His wisdom is perfect. He knows the best. But when it comes to our salvation, it is only mercy. Paul says, if you're talking about justice, Paul says in Romans chapter 3 verse 23, “all have

sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.” Paul also says in chapter 3 of Romans, quoting from Isaiah that, “no, not one is righteous. All have become useless and worthless to God.” If you're talking about justice, that is what we are. Useless and worthless to God.

So when we are thinking about salvation, it is always has to do with mercy. Say. And when we are really not really grasped by this reality that we are truly unworthy, undeserving and deserving his wrath and anger, we wouldn't ask these questions. Instead, like Paul, we would explode in praises for his mercy. God's justice demands punishment.

And that punishment fell on our Lord Jesus Christ. On the cross. He suffered for our sins and died and shed his blood for the remission of our sins. And he rose again on the third day for our justification. There is an interesting wordplay here when you talk about the election.

Amos chapter 3 verse 2. Amos chapter 3 verse 2. You see there. He says, “You only have I chosen among all the families of the earth. Therefore, I will punish you for all your iniquities.” He says, “You only have I chosen among all the families of the earth.”

You're talking about the privilege of the Israelites. God says, “You only have I chosen among the families of the earth.” The Hebrew word used here for chosen is yada. And this word, this Hebrew word is interchangeably used for chosen and also to be known by God.

You know, wherever in the Old Testament you see that, “I knew you.” It was yada. When God says, “I knew you,” it was yada. And it was also used in human relationships, where it says that Adam knew his wife — yada — which means knowing intimately and personally. It is the personal knowledge of the person. It's not the knowledge of their choices. It's the personal knowledge of the person. And from that word we get the word foreknowledge. The concept of foreknowledge is closely associated with election and God's election, foreknowledge. And this word also means that knowing someone intimately and

this should also awaken praise in our hearts, to know that God has set his heart upon unworthy people like us even before there was any good in us, while we were sinners, Paul says. And when you're talking about election and foreknowledge, it means that while we were still not yet born. Romans chapter 8 verse 29, you see there, “for those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to become conformed to the image of a son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brethren.” See, there's a question here. We'd ask a question: according to this verse, what did God foreknew? Did

he know people or the choices? Did he saw through the tunnel of time some choices of men and women? Or did he see people? It's very clear. He says, whom he foreknew. Whom he foreknew. It talks about the people. God knew a people. God foreknew a people.

God elected a people before the foundation of the world. And in time, he saves those people by the work of our Lord Jesus Christ. By his finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. The gospel reveals to the elect the glory of the Almighty God. That is, he is supremely holy. There is none like him.

And it also exposes man’s sinfulness, our utter unworthiness. And it also shows God’s mercy, which he demonstrated towards us in the satisfaction of his justice in the suffering and death of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. God crushed Jesus for our sins. He did not sin, but our sins were laid on him and he crushed Jesus for our sins. We sinned. We should have died. We should have been crushed. But Jesus died in our place to save a people who are not really worthy, who are not really deserving.

Are you a recipient of that grace, my brother, my sister, my friend? Jesus died in our place to save his people. He rose again on the third day and because of that finished work on the cross of our the Lord Jesus Christ, God makes his people, the people whom he foreknew, he makes them right with him by cleansing us of our sins by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and also by imputing Christ’s righteousness into our lives.

So that in Christ, only in Christ, we are made right with God. It’s not by your merit. It’s not by your prayers. It’s not by your godly parents. It’s not by your church. Nothing else stands. It’s only the merit of Lord Jesus Christ.

The gospel, Paul says in Romans, “the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to those who believe.” This gospel has a life changing, eternity altering power, impact upon the believers. It is a dynamite of God. And what is the goal of this election?

It has a definite goal. Look at verse 4: “that we would be holy and blameless before him.” That is the goal of election. My brother, my sister, I want to ask you this question. How is your life since you believe the gospel? Did you make a sinner’s prayer?

And are you living as you like? Loving whatever you want? If you genuinely have encountered the gospel, let me say, that is powerful. That will alter your life. It will translate you from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of his son. You cannot remain the same. Yes, there will be struggles with sin, but we cannot remain the same. Our desires are, our love change. You cannot live as you like because the gospel that we believed is powerful. It’s powerful to change us. And God in Christ Jesus, yes, set us apart for himself, which means we are, because of the gospel, now we are exclusively God’s.

You are sold out to God. You and I do not have contrary purposes. We submit to the purpose of God. You belong to God. You cannot love this world. You cannot love sin. You cannot cherish in it. Your purpose and priorities change because of God’s electing love on you.

With the privileges of election comes the responsibility of living holy lives. A life set apart for God. God desires not only to forgive you but also to conform you and me into the image of his beloved son. That is the goal of election, that we be like his son. How are you growing in that grace? What are your desires? What do you love daily? Do your choices daily show that, demonstrate that you are marked off by God for his glory and purposes? The next blessing, predestination, verse 5: “In love he predestined us to adoption

as sons through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the kind intention of his will.” The thought of God’s active electing his people is expanded here. The word here is pro-horizo. Pro means before, or horizo comes from the word horizon. Means to mark off by boundaries, to determine the boundary.

The horizon is a boundary, it is as far as you can see. It means to predetermine, to decide beforehand, to foreordain your destiny. And thus God foreknew. He put a boundary around. God beforehand determined our destiny, our destination. We also see that God’s act of predestination here is done out of love.

It flows from the love of God. God has done it cheerfully, lovingly, graciously. God set his heart upon his elect, the special love, so that he predestined them. And to what did he predestine us? If you look there, God beforehand determined our adoption as sons through Jesus Christ. That is the — that is the destiny, that we are adopted as sons. This is not a special privilege given to few but to all born again believers. All born again believers are the children of God.

We are not naturally children of God. We are adopted into God’s family through Christ’s mediatory work. God’s family comprises solely of adopted sons and daughters. There are no natural born sons or daughters in the divine household. Look at verse — Romans chapter 8 verse 14 till 16. Romans chapter 8 verse 14 to 16. It says that, “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’”

“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.” There is a spirit of adoption. As sons. Pneuma huiothesias. Huiothesias means — no, it is two words actually. Huios means son, and thesis means setting or place, which means the spirit produces the condition of adoption, or the spirit places us in a new position as sons of God. Both Jews now and Gentiles by their incorporation into Christ Jesus receive this sonship.

And the primary connection between the ancient adoption and the sons was inheritance. Inheritance. And an adopted son was no longer a member of his own family, or if he is an orphan, is no longer orphan, but he is part of a new setting, a new family. Not only a part of that family, he is of that family’s property.

He’s also the heir of the persons of that family. And Paul says, “and if children, heirs,” Romans chapter 8 verse 17, “heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.”

You know, you see there what Paul says? You’re children, you’re sons, you’re heirs. In a way, Paul is saying, act like sons, live like sons. What does it mean? Live like Christ. Suffer like Christ suffered. Be like him. Are your old ties with this world still intact?

Do you still have those connections or belongingness to this world? Are you still living like the child of this world? Brother, sister, know this: your position change, your setting change, your place change. You’re now transformed into a new — you’re now translated into a new setting. You’re in the family of God. You’re adopted into the family of God. You’re bestowed by the grace of God. You’re clothed with the righteousness of God. You’re filled with the spirit of God. You belong to him.

We have nothing to do with that world anymore. Let us live like God’s children as people who belong to him. Because we are sons. Both brothers and sisters as sons. God loves us in Christ and He is a loving Father. And as a loving Father, He forgives us all our sins. As a loving Father, He comforts us. He hears our prayers. He provides our daily needs. He protects us from all evil. He chastises us like He would chastise or discipline a father who disciplines his children. He comforts us in our suffering. And he preserves us for his glory.

And what is the end goal of all these blessings in Christ Jesus? What is the end goal? Verse 6. Verse 6 says, “To the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the beloved.” What is the end goal? What is the end goal of your Christian life or for your service in the body of Christ? It’s not that you and I would receive praise. It’s not that, oh, you did your devotions, you read your Bible everyday, you studied your Bible, you memorized your Bible with, you prayed, you went and encouraged that person. Oh, no, you did this and this, that and that for my kingdom, or you spread the gospel, you suffered and died, you lost your property. No, everything that we do in the kingdom of God and everything that we do in as the children of

God for his kingdom and for his glory is by his grace. It is God through his spirit who enables us to live lives that are pleasing to him. It is God through his spirit who enables us to do extraordinary works for his glory. It is not your ability, my ability. It is him, because he gives us grace. You and I do not get any credit. My brother, my sister, if you are laboring, if you’re serving, if you’re doing something because at the end you think that you get some credit, you’ll be greatly disappointed.

You’ll be greatly disappointed. And how often do we feel bad, oh he has not appreciated me. She has not. No. As humans we need to appreciate. That’s good. We need to do that. I’m not against that. I’m not saying anything against that. People, we should be grateful, thankful, but expectations — we must firmly believe that all of a Christian life is by God’s grace alone. God saved us so that He would be praised for His grace.

His attribute of grace would be glorified. When the hell-deserving sinners are saved, worthless useless people to God are saved, grace is glorified. Whatever God has done and will do for the believers is out of grace, blessings that we do not deserve. God’s grace is His unmerited favor. It is receiving something that we do not deserve.

We were hell-deserving sinners. That is what we deserve. But grace has put us on a different pedestal. By grace we are adopted into the family. It is something which we do not deserve. So if you are properly saved, we should realize that our salvation or our saved lives or our life after salvation is not about us. It should magnify God’s glorious grace. We should always be singing how amazing is His grace. We will never come to a position here on earth where we will not need God’s grace daily. Our entire life on earth is dependent on God’s grace. And without God’s grace we cannot be saved, we cannot be sanctified, we cannot — we cannot be glorified.

It’s all to do with His grace. And God’s grace is glorious as it reflects His character and is worthy of our highest praise. God bestowed on us yet powerful to transform our lives. It is powerful to transform our affections, our motives and our purposes, our desires. You may say, “I know this grace and tasted this grace,” my question to you is why do you still — why do you still live the way you live? And this applies to me as well. Why are you so

thankless and ungrateful to God? Why do you still want to be like the world? Think like the world, dress like the world, talk like the world, imitate the world. Why? Why are you still selfish and proud? Why do we still have that big ego?

Why are you so cynical still? Why do you live in self-pity? Why are you so bitter towards others? Why are you so unforgiving? Where is grace my brother, my sister? Why are you so anxious? Why are you so grumbling? Why are you not rejoicing?

Why are you not serving selflessly and sacrificially? Why is not Jesus the single focus of your life? Why is not that grace sufficient? The problem is we have taken off our eyes from the grace. And may I remind you that all that we need in this world, as long as we live in this mortal body, we need that grace. And it’s by grace we become sacrificial people. It’s by that grace we become loving people. It’s by that grace we forgive. It’s by that grace we give benefit of doubt. It’s by that grace we rejoice even in sufferings.

It’s by that grace we live contentedly in this world. It’s by that grace we go to any extent. It’s by that grace we would be willing to be plundered of our properties, even if it is needed. It’s by that grace we are not jealous of others.

We are not envious of other people’s blessings or their growth. It’s by His grace we love and forgive. We let go of the past. It’s only by grace, brothers and sisters. It’s your focus on the grace. If you move your eyes of that grace, everything will become difficult.

Our Christian life will become difficult. Everything will become difficult. When your wallet is empty it will be difficult to live joyfully and to be content in God. Everything will become difficult. We should all realize that we are by nature like this, like this, and we cannot change and be transformed unless daily we are shaped by that grace.

There is not a moment in this life where we will not need that grace. Oh, someone has offended you. We need grace to smile back at them. We need grace, brother. Sister, it’s not your — the reason that you feel bitter, you do, you do, you see that bitter feelings, why is because we are not focused on grace. So while meditating on God’s grace, we see that Paul explodes into praises to God for the rich blessings of his grace in Christ Jesus. And we should, like Paul, remind ourselves and one another of these rich privileges we have in Christ Jesus.

And we must praise him. We must praise him. You know that we entered into this family of God by grace. And we will be sustained only by grace. And nothing else. Remember that hymn “Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me.” It says that, “Not the labor of my hands can fulfill thy law’s demands. Could my zeal nor respite know, could my tears forever flow, all could ever sin erase, Thou must save, and save by grace. Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to thy cross I cling. Naked come to thee for dress, helpless look to thee for grace. Foul I to the fountain fly, wash me, Savior, or I die.” We need that grace.

That’s only our hope for us to live God-pleasing lives in this world. Let’s pray. Father, we thank you for your word. Thank you, Father, for the rich blessings that we have in our Lord Jesus Christ. We pray, God, please help us be captivated by these glorious riches and privileges that we have in our Lord Jesus Christ. Father, we need these daily reminders. Oh Father, we want to thank you. As a church, we want to praise you. We praise you, God, for these glorious riches in Christ Jesus and

the new setting that you have given us, a new calling you have given us, you have as your children, clothed in the righteous robes of the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you, Father. In Jesus’ name we pray.