Revelation of Grace

Salvation comes from God founded in "being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us" (Eph 2:4). "God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Ro 5:7). "The Law came . . . but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more" (:20). "Even when we were dead in our transgressions, [God] made us alive together with Christ" (Eph 2:5). God operates through mercy, love and grace. Grace is supernatural enablement beyond the capacity of man. It is a divine plan "according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him" (1:9). It was "so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (2:7). "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace" (1:7). "By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God" (2:8). "It is faith working through love" (Gal 5:6). It is by "His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved" (Eph 1:6). "To each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift" (4:7). "Of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace" (Jn 1:16).

There is "the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ" (Eph 3:11). "We have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will" (1:11). There are "the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints" (:18) composed of "the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe" (:19). This takes the form of "the power that works within us" (3:20) according to "the working of the strength of His might" (1:19). With Paul it was the "grace which was given to me according to the working of His power" (3:7). Consequently "He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will" (1:5). "His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence" (2Pe 1:3). "He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places" (Eph 1:20) and has now "raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (2:6). He "has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (1:3).