Grace Is GreaterSample

As Paul continues in Ephesians 2, he begins to repeat some of his favorite themes — the resurrection, our spiritual riches, and grace!

Today, we’ll focus on the grace of God that heals our wounds and resurrects us to eternal wholeness.

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:6-7)

We have all, to varying degrees, been wounded by our parents, by early life experiences, by the brokenness of the world and by abuse, neglect, loss, and a thousand other causes. We are victims of life in a broken, sinful world. This does not negate our own sinfulness and need of grace, but it recognizes that we don’t have to repent of our wounds, just our own personal sinning.

So, what do we do with our wounds?

Like our sin, guilt, and shame, we bring our wounds to the Father. We don’t come for forgiveness; we come for healing.

Look again at this wonderful turn of phrase: “Grace, expressed in [God’s] kindness to us in Christ Jesus” (verse 7). God’s grace is expressed in loving kindness. 

We can easily forget God’s kindness to us. We can forget that we have been made right with God, united to Christ, and raised to new life by the Spirit. And by forgetting these truths, we can wonder if God is truly for us.

Have you experienced this? Perhaps you feel you are too wounded for God’s healing. Perhaps you feel you even need to repent of your wounds. Perhaps you wonder why a loving, all-powerful God would allow you to be so hurt in the first place.

But don’t forget the kindness of God’s grace! You are not simply an accumulation of wounds. You are God’s child, on whom he has set his grace and kindness.

As 1 Peter 2:24 says: “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”

Your wounds do not define you; Jesus’ wounds define you. Your sins were placed on Jesus on the cross, so there can be no further need for punishment for you. In exchange, Jesus’ wounds bring you healing — his righteousness is given to you.