God's Rich Grace

One day Ben’s grandmother said she had something for him. “I’ll be leaving soon,” she said, “so I want to give you something precious.” She gave him the key to her attic, where she had stored old relics and other old, second hand objects. Ben was upset at his grandmother for giving him such worthless objects. He felt bad that, while his friends were rich and owned the latest gadgets and fashions, all he had were old vases and ornaments. He put it out of his mind. Years passed and Ben forgot about the attic. One day he remembered it and brought one of the objects to an antique collector. Ben wanted to find out its value. To his surprise, the collector told him that the ornament was a rare and valuable piece. Ben brought the collector to the attic to see the rest of the items. The antique collector was delighted and told Ben that everything in the attic belonged to rare collections that could be sold for millions. Imagine Ben’s surprise!

Like Ben, we have the tendency to look around and feel like we have less compared to others. Worse, we even ignore God’s grace because we don’t know how priceless and abundant it is!

In his letters to the church in Ephesus, the apostle Paul’s favorite word to describe grace was “rich.” Why? In the same way that Ben discovered the true worth of the objects in his attic, we will begin to understand the rich grace of God that surrounds us. This grace is wonderful, great, and unbelievable—and God is giving it to us!

Below are two priceless truths that we can learn from the verses we read:

1. God paid the ultimate price for us. We know the value of something by how much someone is willing to pay for it, like the antique collector who knew the items were worth millions. Do you know what someone paid for you? God paid for you with the precious blood of Jesus. Jesus gave His life for you—that’s how valuable you are.
2. God saved us because He loves us. If Ben asked his grandmother for a gift, and she gave him one, we would already call her “generous.” But she gave the key to the attic full of priceless treasure to Ben even when he did not ask, because she loved him. In the same way, God sent Jesus to save us and forgive us, not because we asked Him to, but because He wanted to. He gives the gift of salvation to all who want to receive it. God gave us the gift of His rich grace, not because we are deserving, earn it, or are successful. He freely gives His grace to us because He is a loving and generous God. 

Because of the riches of God’s grace, we can receive His overflowing love and forgiveness.

Reflect

1. Read Ephesians 1:3–7 and write it in your journal. Circle the promises you can claim. Underline anything you find difficult to understand. Put a star beside things that made you say “Wow!” Then write your insights about this passage, sharing what you have learned.
2. God’s grace can be seen in many forms. How have you experienced God’s grace in your life so far? Write about your experiences or draw pictures about them in your journal. 

Example:
“I have loving parents!”
“God provides for me!”

Prayer

Lord, thank You for sending Jesus Christ so that I can experience freedom and the forgiveness of my sins. I know that You chose me and have blessed me with every spiritual blessing in Christ. May Your grace, which You have given to me freely, make me live according to Your purpose. May You give me the courage to share this gift of grace with those around me, so they can experience it as well. In Jesus’ name, amen.