Have You Heard?

Ephesians 3:2. Have you heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to Paul for you? This is a strange sentence, isn’t it? What does this mean? Well, let me give my opinion on the matter so you can either accept or reject it.

I want to know if you’ve heard about some really good news. I want to know if anyone has ever told you something very important. I want to know if you listened to the person who tried to tell you. I want to know if you started hearing it, but you stopped because you thought that you knew what they were going to say. Maybe some preconceived notion stopped you from giving audience. Maybe someone told you something wrong and you rightfully stopped listening. I’d like for you to give me a chance to tell you something that you may never have heard of, something wonderful for you.

God gave Paul a story that is very easy to understand, and at the same time, very deep. Paul had been given the Gospel, and he dispensed it to the world. This is the story of your need, God’s meeting your need, and your reception of God’s provision. Paul was the first person that God revealed this mystery to. God did this for you.

Let me tell you the mystery. First of all, we all need forgiveness. This is a fact, whether or not we believe it. We need forgiveness because we have done wrong, at one time or another. If you think you have never done wrong, you may as well stop reading now.

Second of all, God has provided our forgiveness through the actions of a Person. We could never earn forgiveness, and so God sent Jesus to earn our forgiveness for us. This is the meaning of the grace of God. Grace means undeserved kindness, and it is found in Jesus. Jesus the Christ is our representative before God. We could not affect our own forgiveness, so Jesus took the punishment we deserved. He was born of a virgin and so started the human race anew, without sin! Jesus lived the only good life. A religious person cannot believe this. Even the average Joe thinks he’s going to Heaven because he is good. But the fact is, all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. Only Jesus is good. Good Jesus died in our place and received our punishment when he bore our sins. He rose from the dead and verified everything He said and did. He alone conquered death.

Third of all, how do we receive all this good stuff? Is it by becoming religious? No! Is it by trying to earn forgiveness and denying all that Jesus has done? No! Is it by pushing all this out of our minds and ignoring our need? No! This is how to receive forgiveness and a new life. All you have to do is believe the story. When you believe that Jesus died for your sins and rose again, you are completely forgiven, no matter how you feel. Your happy ending is certain, and this knowledge will help you overcome the hardships of life. All you must do is continue to believe, and God will do the rest. This is the message that was given to the apostle Paul for you.

We stand in grace, not works. If we are going to make it, it will be through the kindness of God, and our trust in that kindness. If we believe that God can bring us through, then He will. If we lose our confidence in Christ, then we stop Him from helping us. We stand in grace, as we believe in grace. To believe in grace is not to believe in our faith. We do not finish the race because we are good believers, or good at believing. We finish the race because we trust the One who does all things well, Jesus Christ. So rejoice in this hope, and in the glory of God. Rejoice in God’s glory. Too many people are too happy with themselves. May we glory in what Christ has done on the cross, and may we have confidence in the dignity of God, as He fulfills in us the things we know He can.

Our freedom from sin is based on the death of Jesus, not our efforts. All one must do to be free from sin is to trust the cross.

When the believer trusts in Jesus, he is planted with Christ in His death. The seed dies to bring forth the life of the growing plant. Before Jesus, we were seeds, rotting away in uselessness upon the ground. But when we trusted in what Jesus did on the cross, we were planted with Jesus in the death of His burial, only to rise with Jesus in the likeness of His resurrection, as growing wheat that will one day be harvested into God’s family in glory. The only way to become a planted seed is to believe in Jesus Christ. Otherwise we remain unplanted, lying on the path, waiting to be eaten by the birds of the air.

Jesus did everything for us. Jesus is the most generous person who ever lived. His life was selfless and His gifts are great. And do not worry, if you are planted with Christ by faith, you will certainly be planted with Christ in resurrection. You will live because Jesus lives. It’s as certain as that. Jesus fulfills the destinies of all who trust in Him.

Eternal life is a gift; it cannot be earned. If we can’t earn eternal life, then why do we try to earn it? This is a hopeless, futile endeavor, for all we can earn with our efforts at holiness, is death. If we could earn salvation then that means we deserve salvation. And every clear-thinking person knows that they do not deserve salvation. It’s only the deceived people who believe they deserve salvation.