The Product Of God's Love-3

The PRODUCT OF GOD's LOVE[In The Aftermath of Mercy]-III—Ephesians 2:1-10

After ‘Dodging a Bullet’

Attention:

God’s people first & foremost consider their spiritual lives & only secondarily consider their own physical lives. They do not stop being servants of Christ when faced with death. Christians spend their entire lives ‘training’ in preparation for such encounters. And as a result, they do not lose their effectiveness by retreating into themselves!

Need:

God’s people wrestle with life & death on a daily basis. And only occasionally are their training & preparation put to the test, such as with Hurricane Michael(Wed. Oct. 10, 2018).

But what is the result of such occasion? What happens in our hearts when faced with life or death decisions?

Do you look at life differently after being spared death? After ‘dodging the bullet’? Does life in Christ take on new meaning as we come face-to-face with physical & spiritual death & loss?

Do our obvious blessings transport us to the place where we become more concerned about living for our Maker’s desire?

The apostle Paul explained that the Ephesian Christians were saved because God loves.

Man’s Salvation is the Product of God’s Love.

OR...

Salvation is available because God loves.

How is salvation the product of God’s love?

Earlier we found that

The Product of God’s Love is...

1. The CURE For DEADNESS(:1)

2. The CURE For A WAYWARD WALK(:2-3)

3—The Product of God’s Love is...

The CURE For SEPARATION(:4-6)

Explanation:(:4-6)

:4—“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,”

The condition of the Ephesians(& mankind for that matter)(:3) would seem to be eternal & hopeless were it not for “God’s” intervention.

“But God” entered the picture & so their status would change. Their status would change because God is “rich/abundant in mercy.” And that ever-abiding “richness” of God’s mercy is seen/experienced/exemplified due to the guiding presence of His “love.” That “love” was & is directed toward humanity which He Himself intentionally created & blessed(Gen. 1:26-27, 28-29).

God’s “love” is indeed ‘much’(poluv) rather than “great”(megav) per se, because it is manifested constantly & continuously reaches every instance & toward our every flaw, rather than His “love” merely being an ‘able’ love. God’s “love” is indeed ‘able’ but thankfully it is also ever yielding, even when we fail. This adds a nuance that God is ever about the business of calling us to Himself. He forgives & in so doing, gives those He forgives the grace that is revealed or expressed as ‘time’ to reconsider their ways.

2Pet. 3:9—“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

1Tim. 2:4—“who desires all men to be saved & to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Lam.[of Jeremiah] 3:1-26—“I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of His[God’s] wrath. He has led me & made me walk In darkness & not in light. Surely He has turned His hand against me Time & time again throughout the day. He has aged my flesh & my skin, And broken my bones. He has besieged me And surrounded me with bitterness & woe. He has set me in dark places Like the dead of long ago. He has hedged me in so that I cannot get out; He has made my chain heavy. Even when I cry & shout, He shuts out my prayer. He has blocked my ways with hewn stone; He has made my paths crooked. He has been to me a bear lying in wait, Like a lion in ambush. He has turned aside my ways & torn me in pieces; He has made me desolate. He has bent His bow And set me up as a target for the arrow. He has caused the arrows of His quiver To pierce my loins. I have become the ridicule of all my people-- Their taunting song all the day. He has filled me with bitterness, He has made me drink wormwood. He has also broken my teeth with gravel, And covered me with ashes. You have moved my soul far from peace; I have forgotten prosperity. And I said, “My strength & my hope Have perished from the LORD.” Remember my affliction & roaming, The wormwood & the gall. My soul still remembers And sinks within me. This[what follows] I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the LORD’S mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope & wait quietly For the salvation of the LORD.”