so as to demonstrate, in the ages to come, the surpassing riches of his grace in kindness to us in Christ Jesus, for by grace exist saved through faith.*
The word χάρις (charis) is defined as grace, kindness. The word χρηστότης (chrēstotēs) is defined as goodness, kindness, gentleness; it is derived from (xrēstós) which is defined as serviceable, good. The word surpassing ὑπερβάλλω (hyperballō) is from two words “beyond, above” and “throw, place.” God demonstrates to us from the riches of his grace his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Grace is defined as unmerited favor, but it has much more meaning. Grace in the old testament is best seen in the word checed, and I believe loving-kindness best describes grace in the new. Let us look at how through grace God demonstrates his kindness toward us.
to the praise of his glory, the grace in which he favored us in the beloved.*
This verse is often translated as “to the praise of his glorious grace” but it is to the praise of his glory, that God has demonstrated his kindness towards us, and has favored us in the beloved, Jesus. To the praise of his glory is why he demonstrates this kindness to us as there is a purpose or service of grace. The idea of the kindness we receive being a surpassing “above place” riches of his grace is similar to how grace super abounded. “Now, the Law came so that the offense increased, now, when sin increased, grace above exceeded.”* Above exceeded, ὑπερπερισσεύω (hyperperisseuō) from two words “above, beyond” and abundantly, exceeding.” So the surpassing (above placing) riches of his grace (above exceeding) is demonstrated in kindness to us in that he passes over our sin. Of course, we stand in grace which we have access to by faith.*God’s kindness is demonstrated in Christ Jesus. And so does his mercy and love.
Also existing dead in your trespasses and sin… Now, God existing rich in mercy, through his great love which he loved us.*
This is how God demonstrated his kindness toward us, though we were dead in trespasses, though all had sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, God was “rich in mercy, through his great love which he loved us.” Like a trespass sign exposes that you are trespassing, the written commandments stated this is God’s righteous standards and if you break the law then you trespass. Without the Law there was no account of sin, so the Law exposed sin but sin abounded because of the weakness of the carnal man, the flesh which has no power to submit to the laws of God which was spiritual, sin abounded under the Law. The Law judged and condemned mankind, God would have been just to destroy man, but God so loved…
In this the love of God is manifested to us, that God sent his only Son, the one into the world so that we live through him.*
The Law judged and condemned mankind, but God was rich in mercy though his great love. Mercy comes through the riches of his grace. James understood such mercy writing, “it is judgement without mercy to the one showing no mercy; mercy triumphs judgement.”* John writes, this is how God so loved the world, he sent his only son into the world not to condemn man but to give man life, so as the above verse states “God sent his only Son the one, into the world so that we live through him.” This is the kindness God is demonstrating, this is mystery being made known through the gospel, foolishness to some, power to others.
of this becoming a servant according to the gift of God’s grace, the one given to me according to the energy of his power.*
Paul writes this is dispensation of grace given to him, a dispensation iss a change in the previous rules. This is what the Law of Faith does, it changes and reveals a righteousness apart from the law, stating we are justified by grace through faith. The law of faith changes the rules not nullifying the laws of God but fulfilling them as God's power is placed within us to overcome sin. This is why God sent his Son not to condemn but to save. And this is how Jesus condemns sin in the flesh, by giving us the power to become children of God. As children we receive the promise of inheritance and the spiritual blessings from the heavenlies, all this from the riches of his grace. We partake of his divine nature, and we are spiritual, thus we fulfill the laws of God which are spiritual.
in order that through the Church the manifold wisdom of God is made known; the spiritual existence and the efficiency in the heavenlies.*
Paul writes God has “blessed us in all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus.”* The blessings of adoption, redemption, the forgiveness of sin are from the riches of His grace. This demonstrates his kindness toward us and his favor toward us in the beloved. I heard an evangelist the other day say God’s holiness exceeds his love, but this is not what we see here in these scriptures. If God exists holy and God exists Love and God exists mercy and God exists kind then kindness, mercy, and love exists holy. This is true as love and kindness are fruit of the Holy Spirit.* If we are partakers of his divine nature being born of Spirit then we should manifest such fruit. If we truly comprehend his kindness toward us then we would manifest this. Truly, Jesus said we should be known by our love for one another. But as he consecrated himself in truth, we must grow up to bear fruit.
and so that to make known the riches of his glory, into the objects of mercy which he prepared beforehand for glory.*
This verse tells us that the glory is the object, the vessel prepared beforehand, workmanship, he being the potter and we the clay, so the glory is that we are becoming like Him. The hope of glory is Jesus. This verse also affirms, this glorification is from his kindness, from the riches of his mercy.
Grace and truth, is the fullness Jesus came in, of the Father, and in grace and truth we are being filled into the full measure of the stature of Christ. This is our glorification, consecration, a reasonable service to enter and a call to become holy as He is holy. This is why Jesus is the hope of glory, as we are becoming glory, becoming like him. This is the mystery being made known, and Paul prays that our eyes would be enlightened to this love of God that has no bounds. Forever super exceeding and increasing is God’s grace to us in Christ. Kindness, mercy, love is surpassing, super abundant as it is serviceable, a service to us. This is why Paul writes things like; we will rule over sin under grace, those led by the Spirit are not under Law, and his grace is sufficient as his power is being perfected in weakness.
My grace is of service to you, for my power is perfected in weakness…*
The blessings we receive are from the riches of his grace. And from the riches of his grace comes his glory. What is this glory? We will rule over sin under grace, grace reigns through righteousness, the Spirit is life through righteousness, the Spirit is raising us up into newness of life… so the glory is related to His power perfecting us to walk in the Spirit, in newness of life. We in Christ are the praise of his glory because the glory is that we are becoming like Him, in glory. The efficiency we receive is from the heavens, the things of God, things that pertain to life and godliness. Anything we ask for this purpose we will become as it is our reasonable service to become a people of his own possession, a people holy set apart. This is the glory, and the whole point.
You also in him, having heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in him believing were marked with the promised Holy Spirit, the one a guarantee of our inheritance to the extent redemption of his possession, to the praise of his glory.*
When we believed we were marked by the Holy Spirit, this is being born of Spirit as Jesus said must happen to enter the kingdom of God. The Spirit is also a testimony of adoption, testifying that we are his own possession. This mark of the Spirit is a pledge of our inheritance, which speaks of the promise given to Abraham being based upon grace through faith and that it came before the circumcision of the flesh, and the Law. The new covenant is the Promised Covenant, as Paul writes this mystery being revealed was hidden in the beginning in God and the gospel was preached to Abraham beforehand. Which is greater, the testimony of men, or the testimony of God? The marking of the Spirit is a sign of our covenant, a circumcision of the heart by the Spirit of God. The Spirit is of truth guiding us and teaching us to abide in the truth, the words of Jesus. In this we are led into our reasonable service, to become consecrated in the words of Jesus. This is why we are the praise of his glory, we are becoming holy, a people consecrated, set apart, of his own. This is what it means the redemption of his own possession, a consecrated people. I am still comprehending such and how God is demonstrating his loving-kindness to us in Christ Jesus. From the surpassing riches of his grace, for by grace we exist saved through faith.