INTRODUCTION
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment — to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ (Ephesians 1:3-10).
The single most important action of God’s grace is found in redemption. God’s complete redemptive plan is revealed within the act of grace (Ephesians 1:7-10). God has explained His plan through His Word the Bible. We read that past grace was declared as mankind was redeemed from the curse of Adam’s sin (Romans 5:19). Then, there is the present reality of our own salvation through that redemption as clarified in Colossians 1:13-14. Finally, we envision the future hope of the final act of redemption in the resurrection of the saints in Ephesians 4:30. All three of these expressions of God’s grace, past, present and future are a result of the action of Jesus on the cross (Hebrews 9:14-15). We are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb (1 Peter 1:19).
All three members of the trinity play an integral part in these sacrificial actions of grace. It was God who planned redemption before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-5). The plan was realized through the birth, life, shed blood, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ (vss. 6-9). Finally, the act of redemption found its fruition in the power and personal presence of the Holy Spirit living and working in and through us (vs. 10 and Hebrews 9:14).
God’s grace is displayed in His love. It is impossible for us to fathom the love that God has for His children. The love that sent Jesus to the cross to die for our sin. The love that prompted God to expose Jesus to the full force of His wrath. Lastly, the love that persuaded Jesus to willingly accept that pain and suffering for those who have believed in Him and have made Him their Lord (Romans 10:9-10.)
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