One Heart - PeacemakersSample

GOD’S EXTRAORDINARY GRACE

“But God's mercy is so abundant, and his love for us is so great, that while we were spiritually dead in our disobedience He brought us to life with Christ. It is by God's grace that you have been saved. In our union with Christ Jesus He raised us up with Him to rule with Him in the heavenly world. He did this to demonstrate for all time to come the extraordinary greatness of his grace in the love He showed us in Christ Jesus. For it is by God's grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God's gift, so that no one can boast about it. God has made us what we are, and in our union with Christ Jesus He has created us for a life of good deeds, which He has already prepared for us to do.” Ephesians 2:4-10 GNB

With, but, and because, Paul explains God’s reason behind reconciling man to Himself, and these reasons are found totally in God. The reasons are His rich mercy and His great love, which He focuses on us. Some imagine that God loves us because we are so lovable. Instead, God’s love is so great that it extends even to the unlovely - to the children of wrath mentioned in the previous verse. Every reason for God’s mercy and love is found in Him. We give Him no reason to love us, yet in the greatness of His love, He loves us with that great love anyway. Therefore, we must stop trying to make ourselves lovable to God and simply receive His great love while recognizing that we are unworthy of it. This is the grace secret of the Christian life.

When we were dead: This is when God started loving us. He did not wait until we were lovable. He loved us even when we were dead in trespasses, providing nothing lovable to Him. Made alive together with Christ: This is what God did to those dead in sin. He shared in our death that we could share in His resurrection life. The old man is crucified, and we are new creations in Jesus, with the old things passing away and all things becoming new.

PRAYER POINTS

ME: As you reflect on these scriptures, thank God for the abundant, extraordinary grace and mercy that He demonstrated to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. Thank Him that He extended that grace and mercy to you for your salvation.

US: Pray that the church will learn to love like God. Our own love can never be enough to love like He did. That is why He pours His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Rom.5:5). It is God's gift to the church. Let us use this gift as we relate to others around us.

THEM: Before coming to Jesus, Gentiles were “Christless, stateless, friendless, hopeless and Godless” (John Stott). That is the state of the world around us. How will they know about God's love if they cannot see it in the church?

Remember your scripture memory of John 17.

Grace is God's unconditional love in action, embracing us in our imperfections and transforming us with His mercy.

Congratulations, you have just completed seven days of journeying with God on Reconciliation and Oneness, starting in your own heart and praying for your church community and your society at large. We trust that God has started a wonderful work in and through your prayers. Why not consider joining us for another seven days? Week 6 of our One Heart Series is called Glory of Oneness.

As part of this journey, we decided to capture stories of reconciliation both in South Africa and other contexts where reconciliation doesn't make sense (but for Jesus). These have been captured in podcast format in partnership with The Follower Podcast. These will be available weekly on Mondays, wherever you get your podcasts.