Ephesians 2.1-10 (5)
Pray Psalm 110.1, 2.
The LORD said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”
The LORD shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion.
Rule in the midst of Your enemies!
Sing Psalm 110. 1, 2.
(Aurelia: The Church’s One Foundation)
“Sit by Me at My right hand,” the LORD says to my Lord,
“until I make Your foot stand on all who hate Your Word.”
The LORD sends strength from Zion: “Rule all Your enemies.”
While those who Him rely on go forth their LORD to please.
Read Ephesians 2.1-7; meditate on verse 7.
Meditate on all the ways God “shows” the riches of His grace toward you. Give thanks for each one.
Preparation
1. What does God intend to “show”? To whom?
2. Where is that to be found?
Meditation
When a nation seeks to impress or warn its neighbors, it might put on what’s referred to as a “show of force”—a huge military parade, a build-up of troops at the border, some flyover from their air force. The message to the people of their nation is, “Don’t worry, we’ll keep you safe.” Or, in some countries, “Don’t question your leaders; they have more power than you.” The response of the neighboring nations is typically some form of “Got the message.”
But God’s concern is with a “show of grace”, and we are the parade, the build-up, the flyover He sets before the lost world every day. He lavishes us with the exceeding riches of His grace, surrounding and sustaining us with His kindness every day. His aim is to get the world’s attention, not for us or our churches, but for Jesus. Grace is a kind of force of its own. Strong enough, after all, to raise us from the dead and seat us in heavenly places with Jesus. That’s a kind of show of force, don’t you think?
God wants both to impress and warn the unbelieving world. He wants them to experience His grace, spreading from those who have known and know it day by day in everyday works of love and words of truth (2 Cor. 4.15). The grace we know lights up as hope in our countenance, demeanor, and conversations. When it does, we must be ready to explain this aspect of God’s grace. And, as Paul says to Titus, we must be prepared and ready to do good works and to maintain them, so that His grace breaks through in our every word and deed (Tit. 2.14 and 3.1, 8, 14). Our lives of grace are a warning to the world because we are a constant reminder of what they should be, but aren’t, and of what that will likely mean in the end.
We are of no use to God’s purposes if His grace stops with us. He’s putting on a “show of grace” and has been doing so since the first days of the Church. You’re either part of that show, glowing and shining and spreading God’s grace to others, or you’re not. If you’re not, get yourself to Jesus, pleading for grace; and wait there until He gives you the first measure of it to show to others. Then, repeat daily.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“…that in the ages to come
He might show the exceeding riches
of His grace
in His kindness
toward us
in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2.7).
How does it feel to be God’s “show of grace” to a watching world?
How beautiful is it to walk in His “parade”?
To be His Kingdom “build-up”?
How should we pursue being His “flyover” message?
Have you ever been on a beach when a small plane flies over pulling a banner behind?
It is a moving advertisement for an event, place, or thing.
Well, we are that small plane, pulling the banner proclaiming “Jesus!”
And through us “God wants both to impress and warn the unbelieving world.”
“I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ,
Who will judge the living and the dead by His appearing and His kingdom:
Preach the Word!
Be ready in season and out of season.
Convince, rebuke, exhort,
with all longsuffering and teaching…
Be watchful in all things,
endure afflictions,
do the work of an evangelist,
fulfill your ministry” (2 Tim. 4.1, 2, 5).
“But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, and
always be ready to give a defense
to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you,
with meekness and fear;
having a good conscience…” (1 Pet. 3.15, 16).
Also, be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks a reason for why we are God’s show of grace, His parade, His Kingdom build-up, and His flyover message. “Those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works…and learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that [we] may not be unfruitful” (Tit. 3.8, 14).
“Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?”
Who may be His show of grace?
“Or who may stand in His holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
nor sworn deceitfully” (Ps. 24.3, 4).
Those who know the “exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
Those who are alive in Him, because of Him, and for Him. Those who don’t let His grace stop with us.
Reflection
1. How has God used you during the past week as His “show of grace”?
2. Do we expect everyone to be warm and welcoming as we parade the grace of God unto them? Explain.
3. Who today will read your flyover message about Jesus from your life or works? Pray for them now.
We are thus furnished with the richest consolation. Of everything which we now want, we have a sure pledge and foretaste in the person of Christ. John Calvin (1662-1714), Homily on Ephesians 3.1.20-23
Pray Psalm 110.3-7.
God lavishes the riches of His kindness upon you throughout the day. Pray with thanksgiving for the kindness you have thus far today and that which you know God will supply to enable you to serve Him well.
Sing Psalm 110.3-7.
(Aurelia: The Church’s One Foundation)
Your people in Your power, arrayed in holiness,
like dew of morning’s hour shall serve like youth refreshed.
The LORD has sworn and never will He His promise check:
“You are a priest forever after Melchizedek.”
The Lord is at Your right hand to execute His wrath,
and judge all kings and all lands—doomed sinners in His path.
Then, all His foes defeated, He takes His hard-won rest,
in glorious triumph seated with us, redeemed and blessed.
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest this week: In our ReVision series on “The Kingdom Economy” we finish our discussion of commerce and begin looking at “grace economics”. Our Read Moore podcast today finishes readings from the book, Such a Great Salvation. In our Crosfigell series on Brendan of Clonfert, the saint reaches Iceland and wishes he hadn’t. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
