Ephesians 2:4 – Abundant Mercy
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
Truth to Learn
Because of God’s mercy we don’t get what we deserve. It’s not fair, it’s mercy!
Behind the Words
The word “rich” is translated from plousios, which is the condition of having ploutos, meaning “wealth or riches, in money or possession.” Figuratively, it means “to have an abundance of something.”
“Mercy” is from the Greek noun eleos. This word refers to “sorrow over the misfortune of others, which disposes a person to overlook personal offenses and to treat an offender better than he or she deserves”
“Because of” is a translation of the Greek preposition dia, which means “through, either positionally or instrumentally.” In the current verse it means that God’s mercy is a result of His love.
The adjective “great” is from polus, meaning “much or many.” This is not a measure of size, that would be the Greek word megas, it is a measure of quantity.
The words “love” and “loved” are from the same root, agapē. This word refers to a kind of love in which the lover is focused on that which will do the most good for the loved one. It is a self-sacrificing love which places the good of the loved one above the good of self.
Meaning Explained
In the past few verses the Apostle Paul has been describing how we were dead in sin before we were saved. Our manner of life was controlled by Satan and his world system. We followed the lusts of our flesh and we were deserving of the full weight of God’s wrath.
Here he goes on to describe how all that was changed. The instrument of our change, freedom from the bondage of sin, was God, Himself. We know how rich our God is. In the fiftieth chapter of Psalms we are told that he owns the cattle on a thousand hills (in the Old Testament wealth was measured by how many animals you owned). Paul now tells us that His wealth is not just in material things; He also has an abundance of mercy. Because of this mercy we will not receive from God what we truly deserve, His wrath.
This mercy that God has shown to us is an outgrowth of His love. This love and mercy are so great toward us that He forgave us of all our sins (past, present, and future). We learn in Romans that the penalty for our sins is death. Instead of our death, however, God gave up the life of His Son, who did not deserve death, as the ransom to set us free from death.
Application
The next time you complain to God that things are not fair, that you are not getting what you deserve, remember that what you deserve is death and the wrath of God. Instead, because of His mercy and His great love with which He loved us, He has given us eternal life. Our response to His mercy should be gratitude demonstrated by a life of submission to Him. Let’s take a few minutes right now and thank God for His mercy. Let’s recommit to serving Him out of a heart of gratitude.
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.
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