«　WEEK 10　DAY 6　»

　　Eph. 2:7-8 That He might display in the ages to come the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.

　　4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ also forgave you.

　　Ephesians 2:7… does not say that the riches of God’s grace are His kindness toward us. It says that the riches of God’s grace are given to us in His kindness. Suppose that a brother who has fallen into desolation comes to see me…. I may not like him very much, knowing long ago that he would go astray. Nevertheless, as I consider his condition, I am moved with compassion to treat him generously and be kind to him. Thus, instead of reproaching and condemning him, I treat him leniently and graciously. This is the grace that I give him, and this grace is given in my kindness toward him. (CWWL, 1953, vol. 2, p. 102)

　　We were once those Who opposed God and walked according to the age of this world, according to Satan as the ruler of the authority of the air. Moreover, we also once conducted ourselves in the lusts of the flesh and were children of wrath before God. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, was full of kindness toward us. Although God is a strict and majestic God, He did not abandon us but rather had mercy on us. His mercy and His love caused Him to be kind toward us, that is, to be lenient, good, and benevolent to us. God’s kindness toward us is according to His love and because of His mercy. In this kindness He gives us the riches of His grace.

　　Here we see mercy, love, grace, and kindness. God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, saved us so that the riches of His grace would be displayed. Furthermore, the riches of God’s grace are displayed in His kindness. God’s heart is love, but we were dead in our offenses and sins. Therefore, in His mercy He came down to us, even entering into us one day to be received by us as our enjoyment. This is grace being given and reaching us, and it is in His kindness that He reaches and gives Himself as grace to us. (CWWL, 1953, vol. 2, pp. 102-103)

　　To display the riches of God’s grace is to exhibit them to the whole universe publicly. The riches of God’s grace surpass every limit. These are the riches of God Himself for our enjoyment. They will be publicly displayed for eternity.

　　[The abounding] grace has surpassing riches. It has many aspects, virtues, and attributes, such as life, light, and power. Apart from life, light, and power, God cannot save us. For example, how can you rescue a person who has fallen into a pit if you do not have the strength to lift him out? Furthermore, if you do not have love for him, you will not bother to save him. In order to save us, God needed love and wisdom. These are some of the surpassing riches of God’s saving grace. In His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus, God has saved us by His grace. In the ages to come—in the millennium and eternity future—God will display this grace publicly to the whole universe.

　　Only the enjoyment of Christ as our life supply and as our joy can make our hearts tender. If we are tenderhearted, we shall forgive others [cf. Eph. 4:32]. In our daily walk, we need both to forgive others and to ask others to forgive us. This is necessary because we are easily offended and we easily offend others. If we have offended someone, we need to ask for forgiveness. But if we have been offended, we need to extend forgiveness to others, even as God in Christ has forgiven us.

　　In his exhortation in this section, the apostle presents God as the pattern of our daily life. By the life of God, in His Spirit, we can forgive as God forgives. (Life-study of Ephesians, pp. 182-184, 411)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Ephesians, msgs. 21, 48